how to spot hidden added sugar

4/19/2018

Sugar occurs naturally in things like fruit or milk and are fine in moderation. The bigger danger is added sugars that are put into an alarming amount of food and drink choices. Diets high in sugar can lead to weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. It’s important to limit your sugar intake as much as possible so here are some tips to help you spot added sugar and avoid it!

Watch the Sauces
In Heinz ketchup, the third and fourth ingredients are corn syrup. In Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, high fructose corn syrup is the first ingredient! Be aware of what’s in a condiment before putting it all over your food, and double check the serving size - it's probably a lot less than what you think.

Know Their Names
When looking at ingredients, watch for things that end in “-ose” as those may be added sugars. Dextrose, maltose, lactose, glucose, and sucrose are all different forms of added sugars that are bad news.

Check Your “health” Foods
Some snacks you may think are healthy could contain high amounts of added sugar. Clif Bars have around 20-25 grams of sugar each. Some flavored, roasted nuts may contain up to 12 grams of sugar as well.

Skip Juice
Fruit juices are usually full of sugar and end up being about as nutritionally beneficial as any other sugary beverage. Grape juice has the highest at 58 grams of sugar for a 12 ounce serving. By comparison 12 ounces of Coca-Cola contains 38 grams of sugar. Orange juice comes in at 33 grams but contains 20 more calories than Coca-Cola and you can get vitamin C elsewhere. Don’t waste calories on drinks that aren’t doing you any favors.

Yogurt
Don’t think that all yogurts are the same and all are good for you. Many popular brands have 20-30 grams of added sugar! Try and pick a brand with no added sugar.

SOURCES:
Juices With the Highest Sugar Content
https://www.livestrong.com/article/450038-juices-with-the-highest-sugar-content/

How to spot — and avoid — added sugar
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-spot-and-avoid-added-sugar

Hidden Sugar Foods to Avoid & Healthier Alternatives
https://draxe.com/hidden-sugar-foods/

PHOTO:
Ketchup
https://dam.kraftheinzcompany.com/adaptivemedia/rendition/00013000006408_A1C1.JPG?id=1f5ec610d13054444492490f26b78a2f15cbb260&ht=230&wd=230&version=2&clid=pim

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Amanda is a mother of three (10, 7, and 5) and has been married for 14 years. My weight loss journey started July 17, 2008, one day after my daughter's first birthday. Tipping the scales at 235 pounds at 5'3, being an over weight, over tired, out of shape role model no longer appealed to me and I knew it was time for a change. Three pregnancies later, I had lost a total of 105 pounds. I had run 2 marathons and dozens of half marathons. Something was missing. I was thin, but I wasn't fit. I wasn't healthy. I could feel it in my insides. I was 136 pounds and a size 8. Something didn't add up. I got my certification in personal training, nutrition, weight management, and dove into supplementation and whole foods. 90 days later, I gained 10 pounds and lost two pants sizes (8 to a 4).

Continuing on this path, all of my clients wanted to know how I was doing it. I always dreamed of creating a business that truly added value to people and improved their health. My husband, Grant, and I decided it was time to take that leap.

December 9, 2016, Simply Prepped Meals was born. Based around the mission of providing whole food based nutrition to people's doorsteps, we set out to create a new idea that fast food didn't have to be expensive or bad for you. Six months later, we built our permanent location in Cynthiana, IN. Then, January 2, 2018, we entered into a partnership with the YMCA of Southern Indiana to continue spreading the word of meal prep and eating with purpose.

Amanda coaches individually as well as continues to drive their business. Any questions about personal coaching can be directed to her at amanda@simplypreppedmeals.com

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