In our quest to eat healthier every day I thought I would arm you with some information to help identify the deceptive art of reporting sugar content on food labels. These are “added” sugars on the nutrition label that were not there naturally. This article is generous enough to say 1-2 grams of sugar is acceptable. I prefer to shoot for 0 whenever possible but agree 1-2 is not bad. At some point we will have to discuss the whole fake sugar scenario but suffice it to say that I think you should treat fake sugars with as much skepticism as real sugar. Here is the article with all the sneaky ways to include sugar in food without calling it “sugar”.
Secret Sugars: The 56 Different Names for Sugar
Sugar is a master of disguise: just because you don’t see “sugar” on the ingredient list when scanning a nutrition label does not guarantee the item is sugar or sweetener-free. Sugar goes by a slew of different names, making it easy for manufacturers to hide how much sugar is truly in a given product. A whopping 56 different names! While some of these names are more obvious, like brown and cane sugar, others are trickier to spot (e.g., Maltodextrin and dextrose).
Shockingly, over 68% of barcoded food products sold in the US contain added sweeteners—even if they are labeled as “natural” or “healthy.”¹ The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all packaged food and beverage nutrition labels display the sugar content per serving. However, most manufacturers have until January 1, 2020 to display if a product includes added sugars.²
The best way to ensure you’re not consuming excess added sugars is to get in the habit of always scanning the ingredient list below before you throw the item in your cart. Keep in mind that ingredients are listed by quantity from high to low: the closer to the front of the list a form of sugar is, the more the product contains.*
Feeling overwhelmed? Use this list of sugar names below to help you avoid a head rush when you shop!
The Most Common Names for Sugar
(Excluding artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes)
Basic Simple Sugars (monosaccharides and disaccharides):
- Dextrose
- Fructose
- Galactose (Sugar from outer space)
- Glucose
- Lactose
- Maltose
- Sucrose
Solid or Granulated Sugars:
- Beet sugar
- Brown sugar
- Cane juice crystals
- Cane sugar
- Castor sugar
- Coconut sugar
- Confectioner’s sugar (aka, powdered sugar)
- Corn syrup solids
- Crystalline fructose
- Date sugar
- Demerara sugar
- Dextrin
- Diastatic malt
- Ethyl maltol
- Florida crystals
- Golden sugar
- Glucose syrup solids
- Grape sugar
- Icing sugar
- Maltodextrin
- Muscovado sugar
- Panela sugar
- Raw sugar
- Sugar (granulated or table)
- Sucanat
- Turbinado sugar
- Yellow sugar
Liquid or Syrup Sugars:
- Agave Nectar/Syrup
- Barley malt
- Blackstrap molasses
- Brown rice syrup
- Buttered sugar/buttercream
- Caramel
- Carob syrup
- Corn syrup
- Evaporated cane juice
- Fruit juice
- Fruit juice concentrate
- Golden syrup
- High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
- Honey
- Invert sugar
- Malt syrup
- Maple syrup
- Molasses
- Rice syrup
- Refiner’s syrup
- Sorghum syrup
- Treacle
*Note: If you spot any of these names listed on a label, keep in mind it’s not automatically a no-go. It’s the amount of sugar that counts! If the total carbohydrate count is 1–2 grams, it’s still fine to have if you’re following a low carb lifestyle. For example, many keto-friendly salad dressings include a pinch of sugar with 1–2 grams total carbs—these are still suitable to consume.
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SCHEDULE THIS WEEK MONDAY-FRIDAY 5 AM, 6 AM, 4:30 PM, 5:30 PM. THE GYM WILL BE CLOSED SATURDAY MAY 28, SUNDAY MAY 29 AND MONDAY MAY 30
WORKOUTS THIS WEEK- POKER ON MONDAY, FRONT SQUATS/ROW, SNATCH/MUSCLE UPS, PUSH JERKS, ROPE/BOX JUMP/HG SQUAT CLEAN
THIS WEEK’S PALEO RECIPE IS ………
Shrimp and Veggie Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound shrimp chopped
- 1 onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 bell pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream or coconut milk
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
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Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the shrimp and cook until pink. Remove from pot.
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Add the veggies and Old Bay and cook until softened and lightly browned. Add the broth and cream and bring to a low simmer.
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Simmer for 10-15 minutes, and add the shrimp back to the pot. Heat through and serve.
ENJOY THE WEATHER THIS WEEK
SEE YOU AT THE GYM
3,2,1 GO!
DEAN