foods with hidden sugars
We started a week without added or processed sugars.
Typical desserts are pretty obvious to cut out: cookies, cake, brownies, cinnamon rolls... the list goes on. These are pretty easy to know they are packed with sugar. But when we really started reading labels to cut out ALL added sugars, we were surprised to find hidden sugars pretty much everywhere. Just take a look at the ingredients list, and you’ll find any number of names representing added sugars: high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, sugar, agave nectar, barley malt, dextrose, glucose, malt syrup, fructose, maltose, among many others. You can just Google a list of names for added sugars and find a whole list of over 50 different names.
This is a starting list of foods we found with sugars in the ingredients list. The first ones being more obvious non-dessert items, but getting less obvious as the list goes on. If you are planning to cut out added or processed sugars temporarily or permanently, I recommend looking at each item’s ingredients list, as it may not be so obvious.
soda/soft drinks
peanut butter
gum/altoids/mints
cough drops
crackers
flour tortillas
bread
ravioli
mayonaise
peperoni/sausages
lunch meat
beer
most wines
candied fruits
cereal bars
vegetable or meat broths
sauces: pesto, spaghetti sauce/marinara, BBQ sauce
ketchup
salad dressing