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Refined sugar
Replies
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Yup, of course. And the number of discretionary calories would then vary a lot based on the individual.Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
Yup. In cereals, in pastries, in bread, frozen dinners, ketchup, pasta sauce, snacks of various kinds, soda, "juice drinks", granola bars, fiber one bars, salad dressing, boxed convenience foods (hamburger helper, rice a roni...) etc. etc. etc.Most people encounter it incorporated into food they buy as opposed to making from ingredients. Sugar sales are about 75% industrial 25% retail from memory.
Not sure why paying attention to that, and cutting out some of the unnecessary would be bad.
It's the irritating assumption that everyone eats lots of that stuff in the first place.
I'm assuming that the folks who post wanting to reduce or eliminate it believe they are eating "lots" of that stuff.
I'm talking about the dire warnings that we are all eating lots of hidden sugars or are addicted to sugar, etc. Or the people who act like avoiding "added sugar" is super hard.
I also see no need to go from eating some insane amount (based on self-reporting, not being judgmental) to giving it up entirely. Why not just figure out what you are eating and cut down by focusing on other foods? Why is it necessary to decide that the problem is sugar and not one's own apparently excessive consumption of it and then make a production of giving it up and claim (rather obnoxiously, like a new convert who is compelled to evangelize) that that's the only healthy thing to do. Silliness.
I can go with that. Start with awareness of what you're eating and then make some positive changes.
Also depends on how many calories per day your body needs. Someone who maintains on 3000 calories per day will gave far more flexibility then someone who maintains on only 2000...
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
Yup. In cereals, in pastries, in bread, frozen dinners, ketchup, pasta sauce, snacks of various kinds, soda, "juice drinks", granola bars, fiber one bars, salad dressing, boxed convenience foods (hamburger helper, rice a roni...) etc. etc. etc.Most people encounter it incorporated into food they buy as opposed to making from ingredients. Sugar sales are about 75% industrial 25% retail from memory.
Not sure why paying attention to that, and cutting out some of the unnecessary would be bad.
It's the irritating assumption that everyone eats lots of that stuff in the first place.
I'm assuming that the folks who post wanting to reduce or eliminate it believe they are eating "lots" of that stuff.
I'm talking about the dire warnings that we are all eating lots of hidden sugars or are addicted to sugar, etc. Or the people who act like avoiding "added sugar" is super hard.
I also see no need to go from eating some insane amount (based on self-reporting, not being judgmental) to giving it up entirely. Why not just figure out what you are eating and cut down by focusing on other foods? Why is it necessary to decide that the problem is sugar and not one's own apparently excessive consumption of it and then make a production of giving it up and claim (rather obnoxiously, like a new convert who is compelled to evangelize) that that's the only healthy thing to do. Silliness.
I can go with that. Start with awareness of what you're eating and then make some positive changes.
Also depends on how many calories per day your body needs. Someone who maintains on 3000 calories per day will gave far more flexibility then someone who maintains on only 2000...
Very true.0 -
Yes, I do. I'm not proud of it and don't brag about it, but there is some.
The only thing to which I add sugar is spaghetti sauce and that's only when I've messed it up. A small amount of sugar will cure every spaghetti sauce woe except burning it.
I eat so much fruit, though, that my diet is high in sugar. I'm such a fruit ho.0 -
I rarely add sugar to my foods or drinks but I do consume a lot of it overall.0
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I almost never eat refined sugar. The only sugar I eat on a daily basis is naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables. A few times a week I have half a serving of high cocoa dark chocolate (72% cocoa, lots of antioxidants, and a relatively small amount of sugar).
I drink my coffee black, eat plain yogurt, etc. If I want it sweeter I throw in some raspberries. I buy only natural peanut butter...no sugar. I don't buy any processed foods, breads, cereals, etc. I feel much better eating this way...no energy swings, no cravings, and it's much healthier.
So other than the occasional meal out or dessert on a holiday or special occasion, I eat very little refined sugar.0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
Yup. In cereals, in pastries, in bread, frozen dinners, ketchup, pasta sauce, snacks of various kinds, soda, "juice drinks", granola bars, fiber one bars, salad dressing, boxed convenience foods (hamburger helper, rice a roni...) etc. etc. etc.Most people encounter it incorporated into food they buy as opposed to making from ingredients. Sugar sales are about 75% industrial 25% retail from memory.
Not sure why paying attention to that, and cutting out some of the unnecessary would be bad.
It's the irritating assumption that everyone eats lots of that stuff in the first place.
I'm assuming that the folks who post wanting to reduce or eliminate it believe they are eating "lots" of that stuff.
No. I look out for calories and in effect sugar.
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Yes I do. I like a couple teaspoons of sugar in my yogurt with cereal or fruit in the morning when I have that. Can't think of any other time I literally go to the sugar bowl though there probably are other foods I like a bit sweet. I also use it if a recipe calls for sugar.
I absolutely hate the taste of artificial sweeteners including diet pop. I wish I could get over that. Years ago I drank a lot of diet Root Beer but now I don't care for it at all.
I'd say salt is harder for me to "control" than sugar really.0 -
Yes I do. I like a couple teaspoons of sugar in my yogurt with cereal or fruit in the morning when I have that. Can't think of any other time I literally go to the sugar bowl though there probably are other foods I like a bit sweet. I also use it if a recipe calls for sugar.
I absolutely hate the taste of artificial sweeteners including diet pop. I wish I could get over that. Years ago I drank a lot of diet Root Beer but now I don't care for it at all.
I'd say salt is harder for me to "control" than sugar really.
Lucky me, I like Diet colas especially Coke Zero. Regular Colas seem to sweet to me now!0 -
I'd say salt is harder for me to "control" than sugar really.
I don't really try to control salt, but I'd find it FAR harder. I toss salt in when cooking routinely and I do think it makes a difference. It would be a huge bummer if for some reason I had to avoid salt, whereas I don't think it's that tough to avoid added sugar if you want and (as explained above) I almost never add it to anything myself and frequently go for long periods of time without owning any sugar. (I don't see any reason to give up added sugar completely, though, and thus I continue to eat various foods that have it and do use it in baking on occasion, etc.)
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I don't add sugar to anything unless it is something I am baking. Occasionally I will sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on my toast, but that's it. I don't have a problem with it, it just is not something I got into the habit of adding, just like salt. I have never been a big sweets eater but have had trouble controlling the starches in the past. Given a choice between a doughnut or a bagel, I will go for the bagel every time.0
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MoiAussi93 wrote: »I almost never eat refined sugar. The only sugar I eat on a daily basis is naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables. A few times a week I have half a serving of high cocoa dark chocolate (72% cocoa, lots of antioxidants, and a relatively small amount of sugar).
I drink my coffee black, eat plain yogurt, etc. If I want it sweeter I throw in some raspberries. I buy only natural peanut butter...no sugar. I don't buy any processed foods, breads, cereals, etc. I feel much better eating this way...no energy swings, no cravings, and it's much healthier.
So other than the occasional meal out or dessert on a holiday or special occasion, I eat very little refined sugar.
After years of being overweight I have started to eat more like this. That has given me a 35 pound weight loss in 2014. I am going slow to lower regain risk this time and have an eating lifestyle that I do not have to adjust after losing another 40 pounds.
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Like earlnabby said, I typically don't add sugar to anything except baked goods.0
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I didn't read your post as wanting to reduce added sugar.Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
Yup. In cereals, in pastries, in bread, frozen dinners, ketchup, pasta sauce, snacks of various kinds, soda, "juice drinks", granola bars, fiber one bars, salad dressing, boxed convenience foods (hamburger helper, rice a roni...) etc. etc. etc.Most people encounter it incorporated into food they buy as opposed to making from ingredients. Sugar sales are about 75% industrial 25% retail from memory.
Not sure why paying attention to that, and cutting out some of the unnecessary would be bad.
It's the irritating assumption that everyone eats lots of that stuff in the first place.
I'm assuming that the folks who post wanting to reduce or eliminate it believe they are eating "lots" of that stuff.
No. I look out for calories and in effect sugar.
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
Yup. In cereals, in pastries, in bread, frozen dinners, ketchup, pasta sauce, snacks of various kinds, soda, "juice drinks", granola bars, fiber one bars, salad dressing, boxed convenience foods (hamburger helper, rice a roni...) etc. etc. etc.Most people encounter it incorporated into food they buy as opposed to making from ingredients. Sugar sales are about 75% industrial 25% retail from memory.
Not sure why paying attention to that, and cutting out some of the unnecessary would be bad.
It's the irritating assumption that everyone eats lots of that stuff in the first place.
I'm assuming that the folks who post wanting to reduce or eliminate it believe they are eating "lots" of that stuff.
It's MFP that causes people to believe that, with its unrealistically low sugar number that they force people to see as a default nutrient. If that was changed to fiber instead, we'd see far fewer "reducing sugar" threads.0 -
tigersword wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
Yup. In cereals, in pastries, in bread, frozen dinners, ketchup, pasta sauce, snacks of various kinds, soda, "juice drinks", granola bars, fiber one bars, salad dressing, boxed convenience foods (hamburger helper, rice a roni...) etc. etc. etc.Most people encounter it incorporated into food they buy as opposed to making from ingredients. Sugar sales are about 75% industrial 25% retail from memory.
Not sure why paying attention to that, and cutting out some of the unnecessary would be bad.
It's the irritating assumption that everyone eats lots of that stuff in the first place.
I'm assuming that the folks who post wanting to reduce or eliminate it believe they are eating "lots" of that stuff.
It's MFP that causes people to believe that, with its unrealistically low sugar number that they force people to see as a default nutrient. If that was changed to fiber instead, we'd see far fewer "reducing sugar" threads.
Probably true.0 -
tigersword wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
Yup. In cereals, in pastries, in bread, frozen dinners, ketchup, pasta sauce, snacks of various kinds, soda, "juice drinks", granola bars, fiber one bars, salad dressing, boxed convenience foods (hamburger helper, rice a roni...) etc. etc. etc.Most people encounter it incorporated into food they buy as opposed to making from ingredients. Sugar sales are about 75% industrial 25% retail from memory.
Not sure why paying attention to that, and cutting out some of the unnecessary would be bad.
It's the irritating assumption that everyone eats lots of that stuff in the first place.
I'm assuming that the folks who post wanting to reduce or eliminate it believe they are eating "lots" of that stuff.
It's MFP that causes people to believe that, with its unrealistically low sugar number that they force people to see as a default nutrient. If that was changed to fiber instead, we'd see far fewer "reducing sugar" threads.
I agree. I wonder what it's based on.
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Charlottesometimes23 wrote: »I agree. I wonder what it's based on.
15% of your daily calories
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/11812590 -
I think when you do a lot of home cooking it is easier to avoid adding sugar but here are some of the products that sugar is found in.
SEMI-SWEET BISCUITS
Semi-sweet biscuits are deceptively high in sugar with an average 22.3g per 100g. McVities Plain Digestive biscuits contain 16.9g sugar per 100g - 5g of sugar per two biscuits.
Cube rating: 1 cube
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: Semi-sweet biscuits from health-food shops are significantly lower in sugar than mainstream ranges. However, as almost all biscuits are high in sugar, for a really low-sugar option, your best option is the closest savoury equivalent - oatcakes or crackers topped with a spread or cheese.
CRANBERRY JUICE
Thousands of women rely on cranberry juice for its ability to combat cystitis and bladder infections. Yet the juice is highly sweetened and its medicinal effect comes at a calorific cost - a medium 250ml glass contains a whopping 36.3g of sugar.
Cube rating: 7 cubes
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: As cranberries are naturally bitter, most juices, sauces or spreads are sweetened. You can dilute the juice, but if you want a therapeutic effect without any sugar your best option is to take cranberry capsules as supplements.
BAKED BEANS
Tinned products with tomato sauces are one of the worst hidden sugar culprits. M&S beans have 7.2g of sugar per 100g, so a typical serving would contain 15g of sugar.
Cube rating: 3 cubes
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: Opt for fresh spaghetti with tomato puree and vegetables, instead of canned. Organic versions of baked beans in health food shops, and freshly made tomato soups, halve the sugar levels of mainstream brands.
MUESLI
Very nutritious, but many contain high levels of sugar with low-fat options the worst culprits. M&S Count On Us contains 36.1g of sugar per 100g - that's 18g per average serving.
Cube rating: 3 1/2
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE:
The best way to ensure a low sugar option is by mixing fresh oats with nuts, raisins, sunflower seeds and freshly chopped fruit. It takes less than a minute and is fresher and more nutritious.
WHOLEMEAL BREAD
White and wholemeal breads can contain 8g to 10g of sugar per loaf. Kingsmill Gold Wholemeal Bread, for example, contains 1.4g of sugar per slice.
Cube rating: Less than 1/2
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: Look for bread with less added sugar, made of wholemeal flour and no added sugar, or ryebread.
LOW-FAT YOGHURTS
With the average low-fat fruit yogurt containing 17.9g of sugar in every 100g, these are not a low-calorie option. Safeway's Low Fat Yogurt with hazlenut contains 17.1g of sugar per 100g and 25.7g per pot.
Cube rating: 5
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: There are many plain, low-fat yogurts available. Adding your own fruit can sweeten the taste, with sugar provided as fructose which contains nutrients, not empty calories.
HIGH-FIBRE CEREALS
Most people think of high-fibre cereals as savoury foods, but up to a quarter of their weight can be sugar. Kellogg's Fruit 'n' Fibre and All Bran contain around 15g of sugar per average serving. The sugar content of Kellogg's Special K weighs in at 17g per 100g or 8.5g per 50g serving.
Cube rating: 2
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: The most reliable way to ensure your cereal is low-sugar is to make your own (see muesli below) and add a few tablespoons of bran flakes.
SAUCE/SALAD CREAM
Ketchups are sugar-rich, with Heinz Tomato Ketchup containing 23.6g sugar per 100g or 2.6g per serving. Heinz salad cream, containing 17.5g of sugar per 100g, shows that the average salad cream is a rich hidden source of sugar.
Cube rating: 1/2
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: Heinz Sundried Tomato Ketchup is a tastier, lower sugar alternative to regular ketchup containing only 13g of sugar per 100g. Most salad creams are sugar rich so either limit consumption or make your own sugar-free vinaigrette.
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
Rich in antioxidant vitamins, fruit smoothies provide a rich source of sugar, too. PJ's orange, mango and banana smoothie contains 12.6g of sugar per 100ml.
Cube rating: 2 1/2
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE:
Vegetable mix juices are lower in sugar and provide more nutrients. Blends such as carrot and beetroot, cucumber or celery are available from juice bars but are beginning to appear in pre-packed ranges, too.
COLESLAW
Salads rich in mayonnaise can also be very high in sugar, and coleslaw is a good example. Sainsbury's Low Fat Coleslaw Salad contains 6.1g of sugar per 100g - that's 15g per 250ml pot. M&S Low-Fat Coleslaw contains a little less, at 5.4g of sugar per 100g.
Cube rating: 2
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: Compare different brands of coleslaw for sugar content - levels can vary significantly. M&S, for example, does a lower sugar coleslaw containing 3.5g sugar per 100g, half the sugar content of some brands.0 -
I hate the taste of artificial sweeteners so I use real sugar in recipes that call for it. I don't eat many pre-packaged convenience foods...I cook mostly from scratch, so I control what goes into my food. I don't use sugar in my coffee. So basically, the refined sugar I consume is from protein bars (daily) and cookies (once or twice a week). I'd say that's more than ok.
ETA: I forgot yogurt -- that adds a lot of sugar, but it's still a reasonable amount.
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I think when you do a lot of home cooking it is easier to avoid adding sugar but here are some of the products that sugar is found in.
SEMI-SWEET BISCUITS
Semi-sweet biscuits are deceptively high in sugar with an average 22.3g per 100g. McVities Plain Digestive biscuits contain 16.9g sugar per 100g - 5g of sugar per two biscuits.
Cube rating: 1 cube
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: Semi-sweet biscuits from health-food shops are significantly lower in sugar than mainstream ranges. However, as almost all biscuits are high in sugar, for a really low-sugar option, your best option is the closest savoury equivalent - oatcakes or crackers topped with a spread or cheese.
CRANBERRY JUICE
Thousands of women rely on cranberry juice for its ability to combat cystitis and bladder infections. Yet the juice is highly sweetened and its medicinal effect comes at a calorific cost - a medium 250ml glass contains a whopping 36.3g of sugar.
Cube rating: 7 cubes
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: As cranberries are naturally bitter, most juices, sauces or spreads are sweetened. You can dilute the juice, but if you want a therapeutic effect without any sugar your best option is to take cranberry capsules as supplements.
BAKED BEANS
Tinned products with tomato sauces are one of the worst hidden sugar culprits. M&S beans have 7.2g of sugar per 100g, so a typical serving would contain 15g of sugar.
Cube rating: 3 cubes
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: Opt for fresh spaghetti with tomato puree and vegetables, instead of canned. Organic versions of baked beans in health food shops, and freshly made tomato soups, halve the sugar levels of mainstream brands.
MUESLI
Very nutritious, but many contain high levels of sugar with low-fat options the worst culprits. M&S Count On Us contains 36.1g of sugar per 100g - that's 18g per average serving.
Cube rating: 3 1/2
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE:
The best way to ensure a low sugar option is by mixing fresh oats with nuts, raisins, sunflower seeds and freshly chopped fruit. It takes less than a minute and is fresher and more nutritious.
WHOLEMEAL BREAD
White and wholemeal breads can contain 8g to 10g of sugar per loaf. Kingsmill Gold Wholemeal Bread, for example, contains 1.4g of sugar per slice.
Cube rating: Less than 1/2
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: Look for bread with less added sugar, made of wholemeal flour and no added sugar, or ryebread.
LOW-FAT YOGHURTS
With the average low-fat fruit yogurt containing 17.9g of sugar in every 100g, these are not a low-calorie option. Safeway's Low Fat Yogurt with hazlenut contains 17.1g of sugar per 100g and 25.7g per pot.
Cube rating: 5
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: There are many plain, low-fat yogurts available. Adding your own fruit can sweeten the taste, with sugar provided as fructose which contains nutrients, not empty calories.
HIGH-FIBRE CEREALS
Most people think of high-fibre cereals as savoury foods, but up to a quarter of their weight can be sugar. Kellogg's Fruit 'n' Fibre and All Bran contain around 15g of sugar per average serving. The sugar content of Kellogg's Special K weighs in at 17g per 100g or 8.5g per 50g serving.
Cube rating: 2
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: The most reliable way to ensure your cereal is low-sugar is to make your own (see muesli below) and add a few tablespoons of bran flakes.
SAUCE/SALAD CREAM
Ketchups are sugar-rich, with Heinz Tomato Ketchup containing 23.6g sugar per 100g or 2.6g per serving. Heinz salad cream, containing 17.5g of sugar per 100g, shows that the average salad cream is a rich hidden source of sugar.
Cube rating: 1/2
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: Heinz Sundried Tomato Ketchup is a tastier, lower sugar alternative to regular ketchup containing only 13g of sugar per 100g. Most salad creams are sugar rich so either limit consumption or make your own sugar-free vinaigrette.
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
Rich in antioxidant vitamins, fruit smoothies provide a rich source of sugar, too. PJ's orange, mango and banana smoothie contains 12.6g of sugar per 100ml.
Cube rating: 2 1/2
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE:
Vegetable mix juices are lower in sugar and provide more nutrients. Blends such as carrot and beetroot, cucumber or celery are available from juice bars but are beginning to appear in pre-packed ranges, too.
COLESLAW
Salads rich in mayonnaise can also be very high in sugar, and coleslaw is a good example. Sainsbury's Low Fat Coleslaw Salad contains 6.1g of sugar per 100g - that's 15g per 250ml pot. M&S Low-Fat Coleslaw contains a little less, at 5.4g of sugar per 100g.
Cube rating: 2
LOW-SUGAR ALTERNATIVE: Compare different brands of coleslaw for sugar content - levels can vary significantly. M&S, for example, does a lower sugar coleslaw containing 3.5g sugar per 100g, half the sugar content of some brands.
I don't eat Digestives, cranberry juice, Muesli, bread, cereal, salad cream, or coleslaw. Yay me. 0
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