We all know that we should aim to eat less sugar, but if you’re already staying away from candy and sweet drinks you may still be consuming too much sugar each day. Sugar isn’t just high in calories, it can also cause serious health problems. A diet too high in sugar can cause fat to “build up” in the liver, leading to a host of health problems, including diabetes and heart disease.
The Problem
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The American Heart Association recommends no more than nine teaspoons (or 37.5 grams) of sugar for men and six teaspoons (or 25 grams) of sugar for women each day. It’s estimated, though, that Americans eat, on average, twenty teaspoons of sugar each day. Americans are likely consuming too much sugar because it’s hidden in so many foods we commonly rely on in our diets. The most common sneaky sources of sugar sabotaging your diet may be:
Salad dressing. Check the nutrition labels on your favorite salad dressings and compare the amount of sugar in each. After you’ve looked for sugar, be sure to find the serving size. It’s easy to accidentally double (or even triple) the serving size when you think you’re eating a healthy meal.
Barbeque sauce and ketchup both contain large amounts of added sugar. Consider adding fresh tomatoes to a sandwich instead of ketchup or making your own barbeque sauce so you can control the amount of added sugar.
Dried fruit. Dried fruit may sound like the perfect, healthy snack, but it can also be a source for added sugar and coloring. A better option would be to snack on fresh fruit or to dry your own fruit to avoid the unwanted added sugar.
Wine. White wine, particularly, is a sneaky source of added sugar because the grapes used to make white wine are often more acidic than those used to produce red wine. If the occasional glass of wine is your favorite treat, make the switch to red to cut back on added sugar.
The Solution
Sugar is unavoidable, even in a healthy diet. The solution is to limit the sugar in your diet, as much as possible, to natural sugar found in fresh fruits and vegetables. When shopping for processed foods, stay tuned into what’s on the label and avoid foods that are high in sugar or any artificial sweetener. Even if you don’t see “sugar” on a label, look for indications of “artificial sweeteners.” Sugar by any other name is still sugar.
Don’t sabotage your healthy lifestyle by falling prey to the sneaky sources of sugar lurking in the grocery store. Stay vigilant, read labels, and eat real, fresh and natural foods as often as possible.
