It’s often difficult to determine how much sugar is in foods, even when you check the ingredient list. Here’s what you need to look for.

We all know that too much sugar is not good for our health. While sugar provides the necessary energy, too much of it can lead to problems such as diabetes and obesity. The World Health Organization recommends limiting added sugar intake to 25 grams per day, including both sugar added by you (like in coffee or yogurt) and sugar added by manufacturers. This is where the difficulty begins.

Sugar often sneaks into foods you wouldn’t expectIt helps preserve produce such as cereals, savory snacks, sauces and ready meals. You should read food labels carefully to identify sugar. It’s not enough to check the “carbs” or “sugars per serving” section because these numbers include naturally occurring sugars, not just added sugars. What matters is the ingredient list.

Ingredients are listed in order of quantity, so the first few items give you a good idea of ​​what’s in the product. Keep in mind, Sugar can appear under many different names.. Any ingredient ending in “ose” (such as fructose, glucose, dextrose, galactose, sucrose) is a form of sugar. You’ll also find sugar in ingredients like molasses, caramel, agave syrup, maple syrup, and corn syrup. And sometimes sugar hides in less obvious forms such as starch (including modified or genetically modified starch), dextrin, malt extract or maltodextrin.

Also be wary of misleading labels. Some products may claim to be “sugar-free,” but that just means they don’t contain sucrose (the classic sugar derived from beets or sugar cane). They may still contain other sugarssuch as fructose (from fruits) or lactose (from milk). Similarly, “sugar-free” products may contain complex carbohydrates such as starch or artificial sweeteners.

“No added sugar” means: The product contains only naturally occurring sugars. (as in fruit purees or juices). Meanwhile, “reduced sugar” means that the product contains at least 30% less sugar than the regular version, but This does not mean it is low in sugar. It’s just a less sugary option.

As a general rule, The shorter the ingredient list, the less processed the product is.. Avoid products whose ingredients you do not understand, as these are often additives that start with the letter E. If you’re in a hurry or have trouble reading labels, use apps like: yucca can help. You can scan product barcodes and Yuka will give the product a score out of 100, indicating how much sugar it contains per 100g.