Sugar is often called by names that are difficult to recognize on food labels.
Look out for the following added sugars in food labels to avoid accidentally eating too many sugar:
- Barley malt
- Beet sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Buttered sugar
- Cane juice crystals
- Cane sugar
- Caster sugar
- Coconut sugar
- Corn sweetener
- Crystalline fructose
- Date sugar
- Dextran, malt powder
- Ethyl maltol
- Fruit juice concentrate
- Golden sugar
- Invert sugar
- Maltodextrin
- Maltose
- Muscovado sugar
- Panela
- Palm sugar
- Organic Raw Sugar
- Rapadura sugar
- Evaporated cane juice
- Confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
Sugar Syrup
Syrups, which are thick liquids that contain large amounts of sugar in water, are often used to sweeten foods.
They can be found in many foods, but are most commonly in liquids or cold drinks.
- Agave nectar
- Carob syrup
- Golden syrup
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Honey
- Malt syrup
- Maple syrup
- Molasses
- Oat syrup
- Rice bran syrup
- Rice syrup
Syrups are also worth a look.
To make their products look healthier, some manufacturers add a smaller amount of three or even four different types of sugar to a single product.
Hidden sugar can be found in many processed or packaged foods. Check the label of any food that is packaged.
Avoid products with health claims such as “diet,” natural,” or “low fat.”
How can we avoid this? One of the easiest ways to avoid sugar added is to choose unprocessed whole foods instead.