Always read the label

Since we discussed sneaky sugars just a few days ago, today we’ll unpack food labels. Added sugars are very common in refined and processed foods. However, the added sugar is not always labelled as sugar.

Sugar has many names:

fructose | maltose | dextrose | sucrose | glucose | molasses | hydrolysed starch | high fructose corn syrup | brown sugar | corn sweetener | honey | nectar | cane sugar | rice syrup | corn syrup | cane syrup | maple syrup | malt syrup | golden syrup | palm syrup | sweeteners 

If any of these ingredients are one of the first 3 items on an ingredients list, put it back on the shelf. Added sugars add flavour and help to preserve foods at very low cost to highly processed foods. 

Sauces like plum, hoisin, sweet and sour, barbecue, pasta sauce and other dipping sauces; ready-made salad dressings; and condiments such as ketchups and relishes often contain large amounts of added sugar. Pasta sauces may contain as much as 15 grams of sugar in each portion. 

The fact is that most processed foods that are sold in a sealed plastic bag, can, jar or a tray, probably contain some added sugar. Remember, your best food options will always be natural, unprocessed, and whole. This is especially so when it comes to hidden sugars.

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