The Sugar Within

 

Five "healthy" foods that deliver more sugar than you think.

Good for you for choosing healthier foods than the artificial crap that fills our supermarkets. 

But don't congratulate yourself just yet. Many “health” foods contain more sugar than the junk you’re avoiding. You’re a smart and savvy bitch (you can tell your friends we said so), but it's time to get real about the sweet stuff.

The Scoop on Sugar

Why care about sugar? Sugar (sucrose) is a carbohydrate made up of two simpler sugars, fructose and glucose. As you consume sugar, your pancreas releases insulin to force glucose into cells and out of your blood stream. If you’re active (i.e., not sitting on your ass all day) this glucose will be used for metabolic energy. If not, this excess insulin can contribute to a number of health conditions, including inflammation, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and, of course, weight gain—insulin drives fat into cells and makes you chronically hungry. Ouch!

Hold the Splenda

But not all sugar is bad. Zero-sugar diets are impractical and potentially dangerous, especially for fitness lovers. Glucose powers our bodies and brains and gives us energy necessary for survival. One of the best ways to get energy without the hurt is to choose whole foods like fruits and vegetables that contain fiber, which slow down the absorption of sugar and limit those insulin spikes.

The “Healthy” Five

You may think you’re eating a low-sugar diet, but those grams can add up! Here are 5 “health” foods that pack a whole lotta sugar in a tiny serving:

Yogurt


Whether you’ve jumped on the Greek yogurt bandwagon or have opted for the kinder soy, almond or coconut varieties, you’ve probably read about several digestive benefits associated with yogurt. Forget the high-fructose Yoplait: even organic, vegan, flavored yogurts have 20 grams of sugar in 6-ounce containers! Skip the vanilla and opt for the unsweetened flavor. Even if you add your own sweetener, you likely won’t use the equivalent 5 teaspoons of sugar that come in the pre-sweetened varieties.

Whole Grain Bread


There’s no doubt about it that whole grain bread is a better choice than white, bleached bread. But whole grain bread is often sweetened with honey to improve the taste. The average slice has 3 grams of sugar (6 grams for a sandwich). Looking for the alternative? Seek out bread marked with “no added sugar” or those with 1.5 grams of sugar per slice or less.

Non-Dairy Milk


Lactose is the sugar in cow’s milk that gives it its sweet flavor (and for a lot of people, tummy troubles). Non-dairy milks, however, don’t contain lactose, so manufacturers add sugar to help match the sweet taste of cow’s milk. One cup of regular soy milk contains 10 grams of sugar, while chocolate and vanilla varieties typically have more. Want to beat the sweet? Just make sure to pick out “unsweetened” versions. These have 1-2 grams of sugar per serving and still taste great.

Juice


Whether you buy it at the store or have fresh-pressed raw juices delivered to your door, fruit and root-based juices pack a lot of sugar in a tiny serving and can do more damage than good. Read the nutrition facts. Yes, juice delivers a lot of vitamins in a small serving, but it also contains little to no fiber, the key ingredient in slowing down absorption of fructose (it’s what makes an apple healthy and apple juice not). Some of those “healthy” juices have as much as 45 grams of sugar per serving. That’s the same amount of sugar that’s in three Capri Sun drinks (remember those?) or a can of Coke!

Sports Drinks


Those electrolytes may look tempting, but often times “sports drinks” are not much more than sugar water. Sure, if you’re training for a marathon, those drinks are perfectly designed to re-fuel your body. But if you’re lazily reading a magazine on the elliptical, you’ll do just fine with water. Avoid “low calorie” sports drinks as well, as they often have artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives. Low on electrolytes? You’ll get more potassium from a cup of spinach or small banana than you will from Vitamin Water.

Do you read labels for sugar? Let us know in the comments section. 


Lindsay Reinsmith, Contributing Writer
Lindsay is the founder and CEO of Kaeng Raeng, a vegan, gluten free meal replacement cleanse made in Palo Alto, CA.  Originally a “meat and potatoes” gal from Texas, Lindsay now attributes her healthy lifestyle to ‘Skinny Bitch’ and trail running with her dog in the SF bay area.  When she isn’t writing or detoxing, you can find her volunteering for animal rescue, baking vegan cupcakes, or cheering on the Stanford Cardinal football team.