The instant ‘lift’ we get from sugar is one of the reasons we turn to it at times of celebration or when we crave comfort & reward. However, even those of us without a sweet tooth may be eating more than we realise because so many everyday, processed foods, from cereals & bread to pasta sauce & soups contain sugar.
Spot the hidden sugar
Low-fat & ‘diet’ foods often contain extra sugar to help improve their taste & palatability & to add bulk & texture in the place of fat. Even savoury foods, like ready-made soups & sauces may contain added sugar. A can of soft drink, on average, contains the equivalent of seven teaspoons of sugar. The natural sugar in some fruit, including apples, has increased as new varieties (including Pink Lady, Fuji & Jazz) are bred to satisfy our desire for greater sweetness. Check the Label… Discover how much sugar is in your food by doing these simple checks:
- Look at the ‘carbs as sugars’ on the nutrition panel – this includes both natural and added sugars.
- Check the ingredients list for anything ending in ‘ose’ (glucose, sucrose, fructose, lactose, maltose) – these are all forms of sugar, as are honey, agave, molasses and syrups like corn and rice syrup. The higher up the ingredients list, the more sugar the product contains.
- Know your substitutes – for example xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol. These occur naturally in small amounts in plants and fruits and are often used in low-calorie products to provide sweetness but with fewer calories and less detrimental effects to your teeth.
Our Advice – Keep an eye out, and avoid snacking as snacking leads to more bacteria in the mouth leading to more tooth decay ! For further information and advice please speak to your dentist.