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re there hidden sugars in your diet? When we are trying to eat healthy, whether it’s to lose weight, fighting disease such as cancer, or just wanting to feel better, you could still be eating more sugar than you think. For example, labels on cereals and supposedly healthy snacks may state high in protein, low fat, whole grain, which make it feel like it’s a good choice in your healthy diet. However, if you don’t look at the nutritional information and understand how to read the labels, you could be setting yourself up for problems, including diabetes.
Yogurt always seems like it should be a good choice. Unfortunately, these have added sugar to make them taste good. While you may only low-fat yogurt, manufacturers will add carbohydrates (sugar) to make them more palatable. Look for non-fat plain Greek yogurt and add some fruit, use it in place of sour cream, add some veggies for a savory profile or even just eat it plain.
Bread is another culprit. If there is an ingredient such as high fructose corn syrup or evaporated cane juice, put it down. The good news? Breads like Ezekial whole-grain sprouted has zero grams of sugar. Another good option for bread is Dave’s Killer Bread which has only 1 gram per slice.
While you may think oatmeal is healthy. Guess again! We see those little instant oatmeal packets that are easy and marketed as healthy. Step away from the instant packets and grab a container of regular oatmeal. Pure oatmeal is great for its fiber content but the little packets can contain as much as 12 grams of sugar.
Other foods to avoid due to hidden sugars include many condiments, granola, protein bars, sports drinks, and most cereals. Look for yogurt-based dressings which you can find near the salad in the refrigerated section. Boathouse Farms ranch dressing is my particular favorite.
The best way to avoid hidden sugar is to eat food that is not processed. I always recommend shopping the outer aisles of the grocery store, you know, meat, produce, dairy. Stay out of the center aisles in the grocery store (where the processed stuff lives).
Learn to read nutrition labels. Recommendations are no more than 25grams of sugar per day. If you think of this as a bank account, how do you want to spend your money (in this case calories). At Reno Integrative, we recommend following a low glycemic index diet. It’s easy to follow compared to many other diets that are so popular these days. We also recommend avoiding processed foods as much as possible to keep your body healthy!
