Search for Sneaky Sugars

By Teresa Carr

Adams County Senior Council

Administrative Assistant

Search for Sneaky Sugars - When looking at food labels, you may notice it has total sugars and added sugars. According to the FDA, added sugars are “added during the processing of foods (such as sucrose or dextrose), foods packaged as sweeteners (such as table sugar), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices.” These do not include naturally occurring sugars

that are in foods like milk, fruits and vegetables. When reading the food label, it will list total sugars, which includes added sugars and naturally occurring sugars combined. Also, on the food label is added sugars - these are added during the processing of food. The problem with too many added sugars

in the diet is that it can contribute to heart disease and increase the risk of obesity. So, how do you cut back on too much added sugars? Cut out the sweetened drinks, look for added sugars on food labels, and try using natural sweeteners instead of added sugars like table sugar.

How can you check out the food labels for those added sugars? Remember, ingredients on food labels are listed in order of largest to smallest amounts in that food; therefore, the higher up on the ingredient list, the more of that ingredient is in that food. Also, look for the ingredients ending in “ose”, such as sucrose and dextrose. These are forms of sugar. You can also now see the number of added sugars on the food label. We all know sweets such as cookies and pies have added sugars, but what are some food items added sugars may be hiding in? Common places may include salad dressing, oatmeal packets, beverages, flavored yogurt, peanut butter, BBQ sauce, ketchup, condiments, cereal, spaghetti sauce, granola, applesauce (unless it is “natural applesauce”), and some canned beans and stewed tomatoes.

How much is too much with added sugars? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 advise that all Americans 2 years and older limit added sugars in the diet to less than 10% of total calories. For a 2,000 calorie/day diet, that translates into 200 calories or 50 grams of sugar daily (about 12 teaspoons of sugar). Of course, added sugars are fi ne to enjoy in moderation!

Benefits of Seafood - Americans as a whole could benefit from eating more seafood and to help them achieve the recommendation of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommends at least two servings of seafood per week.

In addition to being a delicious way to add protein to the diet, fish is very heart healthy. Fatty fish are especially heart healthy and include oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies, trout and tuna. So, what are some ways to include seafood more often in your diet without busting your budget? Choose frozen fish which has a longer shelf life, purchase budget friendly canned fish like tuna, sardines and salmon, look for sales when seafood may need to be sold that day, and enjoying nature while going fi shing.

Just A Thought: “What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.” ~Joseph Addison