What foods might have more sugar than you expect?

As the holiday season approaches, sweets and party food will be more abundant than usual, and many people will be making an extra effort to limit their sugar intake.

american heart associationThe group, which is holding an international scientific conference in Philadelphia this weekend, said added sugar should account for no more than 6% of daily calories. For most women in the United States, this means less than 100 calories for her, or less than 25 grams or her 6 teaspoons. For American men, that’s 36 grams, or 9 teaspoons, which is 150 calories.

According to the association, there are four calories per gram of sugar, so a 15-gram serving would add 60 calories from sugar alone.

The group is calling for a focus on all added sugars, rather than just one type, such as high-fructose corn syrup.

It’s not all about weight. Harvard Health cites a study in JAMA Internal Medicine that found a link between a diet high in sugar and death from heart disease. “The effects of sugar intake, including high blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease, are all associated with increased risk,” said Dr. Frank Fu, professor of nutrition at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. . For heart attacks and strokes. ”

Even the most health-conscious people may be consuming more sugar than they should. Part of the reason is that sugar is added to products in a variety of unexpected ways. The only way to be sure is to check the ingredients and nutrition label.

Here are 13 foods that can ruin your sugar-cutting plans.

• Peanut butter with reduced fat content. food network “In place of fat, sugar is often added in the form of maltodextrin, corn syrup solids, or molasses.” 2 tablespoons provides 1 teaspoon of sugar.
• low fat yogurt.According to 1 cup serving health linecan contain 45 grams of sugar, which is close to 11 teaspoons.
• multigrain cereal Children’s cereals, which are supposed to be healthier than sugar-filled cereals, often contain 10 to 20 grams of sugar per cup of cereal. It is the main ingredient in several popular grain cereals.and it is especially common instant oatmeal, They often have 12 to 15 grams of added sugar per small pack.
• canned baked beans, That’s because a 1-cup serving can contain about 5 teaspoons of sugar.
• soda pop Contains about 8 teaspoons of sugar, or 32 grams.
• barbecue sauce. 4 tablespoons of sauce has 4.5 teaspoons of added sugar. Think about that when you’re eating a hearty portion of ribs.
• canned fruit Even “light” syrups are high in sugar, about 39 grams per cup. After draining the water, there will still be about 15 grams left. Fruits soaked in thick syrup contain even more.
• raisins: A small box contains at least 25 grams of sugar. However, this is not with added sugar. As water is lost from the grapes, the remaining portion becomes more concentrated in sugar.
• pasta sauce Naturally, it contains sugar derived from tomatoes. But many brands are adding more. The only way to tell is to check the label.
• non-dairy milk. nutrisense One cup of almond milk contains 7.2 grams of sugar, while vanilla almond milk has 15 grams of sugar. Oat milk contains as much as 7 grams of sugar per cup.
• protein bar It is loved as a healthy snack. And some are. But others contain as much as 20 grams of sugar, comparable to a candy bar, according to Healthline.
• Commercially packaged soup. Please check the label.
• lots of crackers and bread Sugar is often, but not always, added.

Sweets by another name

WebMD, FoodNetwork and Healthline report that labels often say something else instead of sugar. Common names for sugar in foods are:

• Evaporated sugarcane juice.
• Concentrated fruit juice.
• Syrup refers to sugar, and includes brown rice syrup, corn syrup, and date syrup.
• barley malt.
• Maltose.
• galactose or glucose.
• Agave nectar.
• Crystalline fructose.
• Molasses.