Finding Hidden Sugar

Do you eat a sugar-free diet? You may think so, but let's set the record straight: It's almost impossible. Just about every food contains some amount of sugar, and unless you subsist on just water and meat, you are eating it!

Where's that sugar hiding?

The number one source of sugar in our diets is soda, followed by sugarcoated breakfast cereals and sweet desserts. Research shows that Americans consume an average of 20 teaspoons of added sugar every day. These additional 320 calories are sprinkled on our breakfasts, added to coffee or tea and used in processed foods. Yes, that's right, even if you never stir a spoonful of sugar into anything you eat, even if you religiously use sugar substitutes, and even if you take great care to buy only products marked sugar-free, you're still getting some sugar.

Look at sugar-free pudding, with 90 calories per half-cup. Regular pudding contains 240 calories per half-cup. But guess what? Even the sugar-free pudding contains 6 grams of sugar, in the form of lactose (a carbohydrate found in milk products). So even though it's definitely lower in calories, it's still not completely sugar-free. In fact, if you see any of these words on a label: glucose, fructose, sucrose, corn syrup, molasses, honey, dextrose, sorghum, lactose, maltose, galactose, concentrated grape juice -- you're getting some form of sugar.

Making sugar simple

If you never liked science classes in school, don't worry. We won't get too technical. Sugar is merely a type of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are present in any type of food that comes from plants: fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. They are also found in milk and products made from milk such as yogurt. Carbohydrates are our primary energy source, and although some popular diet plans prohibit them, you only need to check that you're eating the right kind.

Remember these terms:

• Empty carbohydrates come from foods that contain little or no fiber, vitamins or minerals. Examples are soda, cookies and cakes -- foods high in sugar.
• Healthy carbohydrates are just the opposite. They come with fiber, vitamins, minerals and even antioxidants to help promote health and prevent disease. Examples are potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, milk, yogurt, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, apples, oranges, bananas, whole grain bread and cereals.
• ''Sugar-free'' or ''no added sugar'' on food labels simply means that the product has had no sugar added during processing. The food, however, may naturally contain significant amounts of sugar, or it may have been sweetened with fruit juice concentrate (which contains natural sugar).

So what should I eat?

It's simple. Choose foods that contain healthy carbohydrates most often. Avoid foods high in added sugar such as soda, sweetened breakfast cereals and sweet desserts. It's okay to eat empty carbohydrates sometimes; everybody has a birthday with a cake, or pie at a holiday, or even a piece of candy just because it tastes good. That's fine as long as most of our foods choices are wholesome, healthy foods. And the beauty of this guideline is its simplicity. Don't bother checking grams of sugar or searching out sugar-free foods. You won't need to if you simply choose healthy foods in the first place.

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