Unmasking Hidden Sugars: Simple Swaps for a Healthier You

Did you ever stop to think or calculate how much added sugar you're consuming on a daily basis?  According to the American Heart Association, the average American consumes 17 teaspoons per day - significantly more than their daily recommended upper limit of 9 teaspoons for men and 6 teaspoons for women!  Among the health risks associated with overconsumption of sugar are higher blood pressure, systemic inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, insulin resistance, and fatty liver disease.  

Many people may not even realize how much sugar they're consuming, because sugar often hides in unexpected places -- foods that we don't associate with being a "sweet treat".  For example... salad dressings, flavored yogurt, marinades and sauces, energy drinks/bars, granola bars, and flavored coffee drinks are foods that can pack an unexpected amount of added sugar. If you are eating a lot of processed foods, there's a good chance that you're consuming more sugar than you realize. 

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What is the best way to reduce your consumption of added sugar?   First and foremost, become a label reader and look for "added sugar" in the nutrition facts.  Don't assume something is "healthy" just because it makes claims on the label such as "high fiber", "organic", or "good source of Vitamin C!".  When reading labels, keep in mind that sugar has many aliases (high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, agave, cane sugar, cane juice, turbinado, rice syrup, corn syrup - just to name a few!). You’ll be shocked when you realize all the places where sugar hides!

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Here are some swaps you can make to reduce the sugar in your diet:

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• Mix fresh fruit into plain yogurt instead of buying flavored yogurt
• Eat plain nuts and sunflower/pumpkin seeds with fresh fruit instead of store-bought granola
• bars
• Make your own salad dressing by combining olive oil with lemon juice, red wine vinegar, or
• balsamic vinegar, instead of using store-bought dressings
• Replace dried fruit with fresh fruit 
• Snack on celery sticks with peanut/almond butter, or mixed veggies with hummus instead of crackers or cookies when you want something crunchy
• Replace soda and sweetened bottled teas with water (still or sparkling) with lemon, lime, or
• cucumber wedges
• Replace flavored coffee drinks and coffee creamers with "real" half & half, milk, or heavy cream (or oat milk, almond milk, etc. if you're dairy free - just check the label for added sugar content!). If you add sugar to your coffee, you can also gradually cut back on how much you're adding to each cup
• Have fresh fruit and a few squares of dark chocolate for dessert instead of ice cream, cookies, cake, etc. 
• Replace candy or milk chocolate with a few squares of dark chocolate (70% or higher cocoa)

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References for stats and health risks: 

https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/how-much-sugar-is-too-much#:~:text=Adults%2C%20young%20adults%20and%20children,Fruit%20drinks%20%E2%80%93%205%25

https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar#:~:text=%22The%20effects%20of%20added%20sugar,Hu.

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