The Hunt for Hidden Sugar

[auntAgonist]

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=616

The Hunt for Hidden Sugar

How Much of the Sweet Stuff is Hiding Your Foods?

-- By Becky Hand, Licensed & Registered Dietitian

Ready for a little experiment? Grab that jar of sugar, a measuring
spoon, a plate and a can of regular soda. Then, dump one teaspoon of
sugar onto the plate. Repeat this nine more times. Do you know what
you have, besides a mess? The amount of sugar in one 12-ounce can of
soda! Just look at that mound!

Now locate the sugar listing on the soda's nutrition label-40 grams.
Four grams of sugar equals one teaspoon. Do the math. That innocent
can of pop contains 10 teaspoons of sugar and 160 empty calories.

Even if you don't drink regular soda, the typical American now eats
the equivalent of about 31 teaspoons (124 grams) of added sugar every
day. That sugar alone adds up almost 500 extra calories-about 25% of
the average person's caloric intake. WOW!

Less is More
So how much should you limit your sugar intake? Several health
organizations suggest that added sugar should be limited to no more
than 10 percent of your total calories. This does not include
naturally occurring sugars found in fruits (fructose) and dairy
products (lactose). The chart below lists the maximum recommended
daily sugar intake based on various calorie levels.

Maximum Sugar Intake
Daily Calorie Intake Grams Teaspoons
1200 30 7.5
1500 37 9
1800 45 11
2100 52 13
2400 60 15
2700 67 17

Deciphering Labels
It can be confusing to try to find out how much added sugar a food
contains. The sugar listing on a Nutrition Facts label lumps all
sugars together, including naturally-occurring milk and fruit sugars,
which can be deceiving. This explains why, according to the label, one
cup of milk has 11 grams of sugar even though it doesn't contain any
sugar "added" to it.

To determine how much sugar has been added to a food product, follow
these two tips:
* Read the ingredients list. Learn to identify terms that mean
added sugars, including sugar, white sugar, brown sugar,
confectioner's sugar, corn syrup, dextrin, honey, invert sugar, maple
syrup, raw sugar, beet sugar, cane sugar, corn sweeteners, evaporated
cane juice, high fructose corn syrup, malt, molasses, and turbinado
sugar.
* Refer to the chart below for approximate amounts of hidden
sugar in foods.
Hidden Sugars in Foods
Food Serving Size Added Sugar
Cakes and Cookies
Angel food cake 4 oz piece 7 tsp
Banana Cake 4 oz piece 2 tsp
Brownie, no icing 1 oz piece 4 tsp
Cheesecake 4 oz piece 2 tsp
Chocolate cake, iced 4 oz piece 10 tsp
Chocolate chip cookie 1 cookie 2 tsp
Coffee cake 4 oz piece 5 tsp
Cupcake, iced 4 oz piece 6 tsp
Fig Newtons 1 cookie 5 tsp
Gingersnaps 1 cookie 3 tsp
Glazed doughnut 1 doughnut 6 tsp
Oatmeal cookie 1 cookie 2 tsp
Candies
Chocolate candy bar 1 bar 7 tsp
Chocolate mint 1 piece 2 tsp
Fudge 1 oz piece 5 tsp
Hard candy 2 oz 10 tsp
Lifesavers 3 pieces 1 tsp
Peanut brittle 1 oz piece 4 tsp
Dairy Products
Chocolate milk 1 cup 5 tsp
Eggnog 1 cup 5 tsp
Hot cocoa 1 cup 5 tsp
Ice cream 4 oz 4 tsp
Ice cream soda 1 regular 5 tsp
Ice cream sundae 1 regular 7 tsp
Milkshake 10 oz 5 tsp
Sherbet 1/2 cup 6 tsp
Beverages
Carbonated soda 12 oz 8-10 tsp
Gatorade 12 ox 5
Jams, Icings & Sauces
Apple Butter 1 tbsp 1 tsp
Chocolate icing 1 oz 5 tsp
Chocolate sauce 1 tbsp 3-4 tsp
Jelly & Jam 1 tbsp 4-6 tsp
White icing 1 oz 5 tsp
Desserts
Apple cobbler 1/2 cup 3 tsp
Apple pie 1/6 of pie 7 tsp
Berry pie 1/6 of pie 10 tsp
Cherry pie 1/6 of pie 10 tsp
Chocolate pudding 1/2 cup 4 tsp
Cream pie 1/6 of pie 4-5 tsp
Gelatin dessert 1/2 cup 4-5 tsp
Peach pie 1/6 of pie 7 tsp
Pumpkin pie 1/6 of pie 5 tsp
Tapioca pudding 1/2 cup 3 tsp
Vanilla pudding 1/2 cup 3 tsp

[Rainbowreflect]

1. Lately I have been reading labels more carefully.

I am shocked not only by the amount of sugar, but sodium, & trans fats in everything.
I am trying to avoid all of these as much as possible.