Another thing everyone, but especially parents, needs to look out for are hidden sugars in foods that appear to be healthy or aren’t considered sweet. Pizza, for instance, has tons of added sugar plus fat, which is why a recent study named it the most addictive food. Other things like condiments, dressings and sauces as well as flavored yogurt and fruit juices are high in sugar. Jennifer Harris, an associate professor of Allied Health at UConn reports, “The more health messages on the front of the package, the less healthy the product is. You have to ignore the messages on the front of the package, and if the first ingredient is sugar, put it back.” Always read the labels!
Of course, there’s hidden sugar and then there’s hidden sugar by any other name. Dextrose, glucose, maltose, sucrose, brown rice syrup, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup are all added sugars to avoid. So check out those labels, clean out your pantry and get ready to go sugar-free!
