Think your diet is super healthy? Not necessarily – it could still be packed with hidden sugar. Lower your levels and protect your health with these tips.
You may not be adding three lumps of sugar to your cuppa but your sugar intake could still be sky high. Added sugar in foods such as soups, juices and low-fat foods means the average adult consumes double the advised daily amount of 30g (7 cubes of sugar)* a day.
This sweet over-indulgence is contributing to rising obesity and diabetes levels, as well as causing tooth decay, and health campaigners are pushing for a 20 per cent sugar tax on high-sugar food and drink.
Is all sugar bad?
There are two types of sugar. ‘Naturally occurring sugar is found in whole foods like lactose in milk and fructose in fruit,’ says dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton (www.nutrition-communications.co.uk). ‘The type we need to reduce is the sugar that’s added to foods, ‘free’ sugars, found in processed items such as cakes and sugary drinks.’
But buying foods that are low in sugar is not the answer. ‘A food label will only give the total sugar content, so although the item looks high in sugar, it doesn’t mean it’s unhealthy. For example, muesli is high in sugar because it contains dried fruit, which has nutritional benefits such as fibre and minerals, so it’s still good for you,’ says Dr Ruxton.
However, processed foods such as soups and ready-meals often have added sugar, which supplies energy in the form of calories but little in the way of nutrients.
Hidden sugar in food
‘Beware of low-fat and diet foods, which often contain extra sugar to help improve their taste and texture in the place of fat,’ says Dr Ruxton.
Products like cereals and yogurts can vary in sugar content so check food labels. ‘Check the ‘carbs as sugars’ number on the nutrition panel; less than 5g per 100g is low, more than 15g per 100g is high,’ says Dr Ruxton.
5 ways to lower your sugar levels
- Shop smart – Anything ending in ‘ose’ (glucose, sucrose, fructose, lactose, maltose) is sugar so check for these on labels. The higher up the ingredients list, the more sugar the product contains.
- Ditch low-fat foods – they’re usually high in sugars. Go for regular versions but limit your portion size.
- Add spices – instead of sugar to recipes for a flavour boost.
- Swap sugar for a substitute – try stevia or xylitol, which are low calorie alternatives to sugar.
- Keep sweet soft drinks and alcohol for the weekends – enjoy sparkling water, tea and coffee (with no sweet extras like syrup) or diluted fruit juice.
References: *https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-evidence-review-of-measures-to-reduce-sugar-consumption