Sugar Lurking and Looming: How to Look for Hidden Sugars in Your Food!

In this article:

Effects of too much sugar  |  Where sugar hides   |   How to lower your sugar intake   |  Other forms of sugar   |   Swap this for that

Our kids are always asking “What’s for dessert?”

And I find myself saying, “We’ve had enough sugar today. No dessert tonight.”

And then I hear the collective groan. 

You may be groaning, too, because I sound like that mean mom who never lets her kids eat delicious treats.

“C’mon, Beka. They’re just kids. Let them have some ice cream!” 

Oh, believe me. We get our fair share of ice cream. And soda. And chocolate.

But let me explain why we make dessert an exception and not the norm in our house. 

The average American consumes something like 17 teaspoons (over 70 grams) of added sugar a day, which equals around 57 pounds of added sugar a year. 😲

Let me be clear: that’s ADDED sugar. Not just the stuff you get from fruits, vegetables and dairy products. We’re talking about sugars added to processed foods and drinks to improve the taste. 

Children between the ages of 2 and 18 should only be getting at most 6 teaspoons (or 30 grams) a day. On average, we’re feeding our kids THREE times over this recommended amount, which is not surprising if you stop and really look at what they’re eating and drinking.

Step into a school and you’ll find sugary treats to celebrate birthdays, meeting reading goals, or the fact that it’s Friday. You’ll see chocolate and strawberry flavored milk on their lunch trays.

Fun fact: kids who drink chocolate milk twice a day consume about 80 grams of added sugar each week from that drink alone.

Go to a little league ballgame and what do the kids grab afterward? Gatorade, soda, cookies, or other sweets donated by well-intentioned parents. Myself included.

Our kids are surrounded by sugar. It’s in their face every time they turn on the TV or watch a YouTube video. Cereal, snack cakes, pop and candy commercials get them hyped up and begging for a sweet fix.

The effects of too much sugar

In the short-term, consuming too much sugar in our meals and snacks makes it so our blood sugar levels spike and then crash, leaving us feeling tired, hungry, and craving more. We find ourselves on a roller coaster, feeling a boost of energy shortly after we eat and then crashing and needing to eat again to continue to have the energy to make it through our day. It can really start to feel like an addiction. 

When I was teaching, I witnessed the sugar roller coaster every day. I would often see high school kids walking the halls before the day began with frappuccinos, giant Dr. Peppers or sleeves of doughnuts. This was their breakfast, and those kids were usually the ones falling asleep and unable to focus by second period. They’d fill up on more sugar at lunch and go to their afternoon classes with candy, cookies or another soda.

As if the daily roller coaster isn’t bad enough, eating too much added sugars over time can cause chronic inflammation and lead to serious illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. It can also raise your blood pressure and cause you to gain weight.

Where sugar hides

Now, I’m not saying that sugar is the root of all evil or that anyone needs to cut it out completely. I mean I love pie, cake, cookies and chocolate as much as anyone and we usually treat ourselves as a family once or twice a week. 

What I am saying is that we all could do a little more to reduce our sugar intake. To do that can be challenging though, because it’s everywhere! Most people consume more sugar than they realize, because it’s not just in desserts; it’s hidden in many of the foods we eat every day. Sauces, salad dressings, peanut butter and flavored yogurts to name a few.

Check this out:

10 places sugar hides

1. Cereals, including hot cereals like flavored oatmeal

2. Packaged breads, including "whole grain" kinds

3. Snack or granola bars

4. "Lower calorie" drinks, including coffees, energy drinks, blended juices and teas. 

5. Protein bars and meal replacements

6. Sweetened yogurts and other dairy products (like flavored kefir, frozen yogurt, etc.)

7. Frozen waffles or pancakes

8. Bottled sauces, dressing, condiments, and marinades (like tomato sauce, ketchup, relish, or teriyaki, for example)

9. Dried fruit and other fruit snacks

10. Restaurant foods, where sugar is used in sauces, various desserts, and dressing for extra flavor

How to lower your sugar intake

Probably the best way to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet is to start reading labels. Many food companies are printing the amount of added sugar in their packaged foods, which is making it easier for consumers to choose wisely, but it can still be a little tricky. 

Take this coffee creamer as an example. The first picture is labeled 0 sugar and the label says “0g Added Sugars,” but when you look at the ingredients, the second one listed is CORN SYRUP. Look further down the list and you see SUCRALOSE. Both of these are sweeteners. This is just Nestle’s way of making people believe they are getting something healthy when they actually aren’t.

The Natural Bliss below is a little more straightforward. There are 5 grams of sugar on the label.. It doesn’t show how much of that is added, but it’s safe to say most of it is since the word sugar is on the ingredients list.

The bottom picture of half and half shows only 1 gram of sugar, which isn’t added because there is no sugar or sugar-like ingredient on the list. This sugar is naturally found in dairy products.

Confused yet?