Eliminate Added Sugars From Your Diet

People are getting the message about the dangers of sugar. Nearly 70% of Americans have cut back on foods high in added sugars, according to a survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation. But there's still a long way to go.

One of the key ways to reduce your sugar intake is by drinking plain water or low- and no-calorie beverages instead of soda and flavored waters. Pre-sweetened beverages represent half of all the added sugars we eat. Note that while 100% juices have only natural sugars, they don't have the fiber found in the whole fruit and could cause blood sugar spikes, so you need to be judicious about your intake.

Key Takeaways: What To Know About Added Sugars

• Replacing soda, sweetened coffees, energy drinks and other sugary beverages with water or low-calorie options can significantly reduce sugar intake.
• Added sugars can hide in many everyday foods. Yogurt, protein bars, cereals and even some savory snacks may contain added sugars, making it important to read nutrition labels and ingredient lists carefully.
• Sugar goes by many different names. Ingredients such as cane sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, agave nectar and fruit juice concentrate are all forms of added sugar that can contribute to excess consumption.
• You can satisfy a sweet tooth without excess added sugar. Choosing fresh fruit, no-added-sugar frozen fruit and reducing sugar in recipes are simple ways to enjoy sweetness while supporting better health.

Top Sugary Drinks to Avoid

• Soft drinks, including soda
• Fruit-flavored drinks
• Sweetened coffee and teas
• Energy drinks
• Alcoholic beverages
• Flavored waters

It's also important to know the various names sugar goes by. There are dozens of added sweeteners used in processed foods, according to the University of California, San Francisco's SugarScience. They include various types of sugars, syrups and other ingredients ending in "ose," like fructose, dextrose and maltrose.

Not-So Hidden Sugars

To uncover sources of sugar in your diet, read the ingredients label of every food you buy, including those you may not associate with sugar, like yogurt, protein bars, whole grain cereals and even some salty snacks. And just because a label says no "high-fructose corn syrup" doesn't mean it's free of all added sugars.

You may know to look for names like sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup on your food labels. But keep an eye out for these other terms on the nutrition label for hidden sugars:

1. Agave nectar
2. Barbados sugar
3. Barley malt
4. Barley malt syrup
5. Beet sugar
6. Buttered syrup
7. Cane juice
8. Cane juice crystals
9. Cane sugar
10. Caramel
11. Carob syrup
12. Castor sugar
13. Coconut palm sugar
14. Coconut sugar
15. Corn sweetener
16. Corn syrup
17. Corn syrup solids
18. Date sugar
19. Dehydrated cane juice
20. Demerara sugar
21. Dextrin
22. Dextrose
23. Evaporated cane juice
24. Free-flowing brown sugars
25. Fructose
26. Fruit juice
27. Fruit juice concentrate
28. Glucose
29. Glucose solids
30. Golden sugar
31. Golden syrup
32. Grape sugar
33. Honey
34. Icing sugar
35. Invert sugar
36. Malt syrup
37. Maltodextrin
38. Maltol
39. Maltose
40. Mannose
41. Maple syrup
42. Molasses
43. Muscovado
44. Palm sugar
45. Panocha
46. Powdered sugar
47. Raw sugar
48. Refiner's syrup
49. Rice syrup
50. Saccharose
51. Sorghum Syrup
52. Sweet Sorghum
53. Syrup
54. Treacle

Find ways to satisfy your sweet tooth naturally, such as with fresh or no-added-sugar frozen fruits. And when cooking, you can safely reduce the sugar in recipes by a third. Also, experiment with sugar substitutes. Some are formulated especially for baking.

Frequently Asked Questions: Sugar

Does fruit have too much sugar?

Compared to refined sugar, fruit is a much better option for regular consumption. Fruit is paired with beneficial vitamins, minerals and nutrients, including fiber, which slows the digestion of sugar resulting in more controlled blood sugars. It has been shown that increased consumption of fruit is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes as long as total calories does not exceed needs. This is particularly true for fiber-rich fruits such as apples, pears, kiwis and strawberries.