Sugar......

I need some suggestions for low (hidden) sugar (fructose, corn syrup, fruit concentrate--what ever you call it) foods & snacks...I'm trying to lower my total sugar intake. TIA. Pip

Replies

  • theblondetrick
    theblondetrick Posts: 192 Member
    Why do you have to go for snacks? Why not just fruit instead?
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Beef jerky, cottage cheese, hummus, nuts, etc. Non-sweet stuff should be pretty easy to find.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Why do you have to go for snacks? Why not just fruit instead?

    Cause fruit def isn't mostly sugar
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Yeah, but is the sugar in fruit hidden sugar? I get so confused.

    Seriously, if you try logging foods you can see what's in it. Fruit, dairy, and stuff with sugar has sugar. Also veggies, but not in huge amounts. One way in which MFP is a helpful tool is that you can see how much sugar you are eating and where it's from and find out if there are any surprises or things you want to switch out.

    Best way to lower sugar intake is to reduce portions of sweet stuff or stuff with lots of added sugar (which is generally not the "hidden" sugar--which isn't really hidden). Or at least I can't imagine eating that much bread or ketchup or whatever such that the sugar is an issue. You can also try going with whole foods, which obviously won't have added sugar, although again they might well have sugar.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Yeah, but is the sugar in fruit hidden sugar? I get so confused.

    Seriously, if you try logging foods you can see what's in it. Fruit, dairy, and stuff with sugar has sugar. Also veggies, but not in huge amounts. One way in which MFP is a helpful tool is that you can see how much sugar you are eating and where it's from and find out if there are any surprises or things you want to switch out.

    Best way to lower sugar intake is to reduce portions of sweet stuff or stuff with lots of added sugar (which is generally not the "hidden" sugar--which isn't really hidden). Or at least I can't imagine eating that much bread or ketchup or whatever such that the sugar is an issue. You can also try going with whole foods, which obviously won't have added sugar, although again they might well have sugar.

    There's no such thing as hidden sugar, only ignorant idiots can't determine if something has sugar or not
  • theblondetrick
    theblondetrick Posts: 192 Member
    Acg67 wrote: »
    Why do you have to go for snacks? Why not just fruit instead?

    Cause fruit def isn't mostly sugar

    Yes it's sugar, but it's just fructose, there's no hidden white sugar or corn syrup or whatever. What I meant is why go for industrial stuff, why not just go for the natural, meaning fruits, veggies, nuts and such. We don't need crap like chips or sweets.
  • RedRockChic
    RedRockChic Posts: 69 Member
    edited April 2015
    Acg67 wrote: »
    There's no such thing as hidden sugar, only ignorant idiots can't determine if something has sugar or not


    Really.. ignorant idiots huh?

    A**Holes. We all have them.. just some are bleached and look like puckered lips.

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Acg67 wrote: »
    Why do you have to go for snacks? Why not just fruit instead?

    Cause fruit def isn't mostly sugar

    Yes it's sugar, but it's just fructose, there's no hidden white sugar or corn syrup or whatever. What I meant is why go for industrial stuff, why not just go for the natural, meaning fruits, veggies, nuts and such. We don't need crap like chips or sweets.

    because sugar = sugar

    and if you are in a calorie deficit and hitting macro/micro targets it does not matter…

    unless, of course, you have a medical condition. …
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Acg67 wrote: »
    Why do you have to go for snacks? Why not just fruit instead?

    Cause fruit def isn't mostly sugar

    Yes it's sugar, but it's just fructose, there's no hidden white sugar or corn syrup or whatever. What I meant is why go for industrial stuff, why not just go for the natural, meaning fruits, veggies, nuts and such. We don't need crap like chips or sweets.

    White sugar meaning sucrose? Def none of that in fruit, oh wait
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Acg67 wrote: »
    There's no such thing as hidden sugar, only ignorant idiots can't determine if something has sugar or not


    Really.. ignorant idiots huh?

    A**Holes. We all have them.. just some are bleached and look like puckered lips.

    Yes, is it really hard to see if a product has carbs or not?
  • theblondetrick
    theblondetrick Posts: 192 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Acg67 wrote: »
    Why do you have to go for snacks? Why not just fruit instead?

    Cause fruit def isn't mostly sugar

    Yes it's sugar, but it's just fructose, there's no hidden white sugar or corn syrup or whatever. What I meant is why go for industrial stuff, why not just go for the natural, meaning fruits, veggies, nuts and such. We don't need crap like chips or sweets.

    because sugar = sugar

    and if you are in a calorie deficit and hitting macro/micro targets it does not matter…

    unless, of course, you have a medical condition. …

    Are you seriously saying that bananas or oranges for example are not healthier than say oreos or kitkats? Cause in my mind it's not all the same.

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited April 2015
    Acg67 wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Yeah, but is the sugar in fruit hidden sugar? I get so confused.

    Seriously, if you try logging foods you can see what's in it. Fruit, dairy, and stuff with sugar has sugar. Also veggies, but not in huge amounts. One way in which MFP is a helpful tool is that you can see how much sugar you are eating and where it's from and find out if there are any surprises or things you want to switch out.

    Best way to lower sugar intake is to reduce portions of sweet stuff or stuff with lots of added sugar (which is generally not the "hidden" sugar--which isn't really hidden). Or at least I can't imagine eating that much bread or ketchup or whatever such that the sugar is an issue. You can also try going with whole foods, which obviously won't have added sugar, although again they might well have sugar.

    There's no such thing as hidden sugar, only ignorant idiots can't determine if something has sugar or not

    I was trying to be nicer about it. Also, I blame Katie Couric.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Acg67 wrote: »
    Why do you have to go for snacks? Why not just fruit instead?

    Cause fruit def isn't mostly sugar

    Yes it's sugar, but it's just fructose, there's no hidden white sugar or corn syrup or whatever. What I meant is why go for industrial stuff, why not just go for the natural, meaning fruits, veggies, nuts and such. We don't need crap like chips or sweets.

    Why is making rhubarb sauce with rhubarb + a little sugar somehow less healthy than making apple sauce with just apples (in that apples just tend to have more sugar if you don't add any)?

    I don't like my oatmeal sweetened, but say that someone does. Why does adding a bit of sugar to steel cut oats if you think it improves the flavor make the oats no longer healthy? (The calories in a tsp of sugar are minimal and would be logged, of course.) These are the illogical things that frustrate me about the sugar discussion (among others).
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Acg67 wrote: »
    Why do you have to go for snacks? Why not just fruit instead?

    Cause fruit def isn't mostly sugar

    Yes it's sugar, but it's just fructose, there's no hidden white sugar or corn syrup or whatever. What I meant is why go for industrial stuff, why not just go for the natural, meaning fruits, veggies, nuts and such. We don't need crap like chips or sweets.

    because sugar = sugar

    and if you are in a calorie deficit and hitting macro/micro targets it does not matter…

    unless, of course, you have a medical condition. …

    Are you seriously saying that bananas or oranges for example are not healthier than say oreos or kitkats? Cause in my mind it's not all the same.

    I have a chocolate chip cookie recipe in my recipe folder. When I compare a cookie to an apple or banana, of course the nutritional profiles are different. But the cookie also has LESS sugar than the apple or banana. The reason it also has MORE calories is because the main calorie source in the cookie is butter, followed by flour. To claim that the issue with the cookie, then, is sugar, and that the sugar in the cookie is different and worse than the sugar in the apple is really to misunderstand the issue.

    But, again, obviously, a cookie is not an apple. No one claims otherwise.

    And if someone wants to decrease their sugar, eating fewer cookies (if they eat lots of cookies) is probably a good place to start.

    That said, what does a cookie (either mine or an oreo or kitkat) have to do with "hidden" sugar. Seems pretty out in the open to me.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Acg67 wrote: »
    Why do you have to go for snacks? Why not just fruit instead?

    Cause fruit def isn't mostly sugar

    Yes it's sugar, but it's just fructose, there's no hidden white sugar or corn syrup or whatever. What I meant is why go for industrial stuff, why not just go for the natural, meaning fruits, veggies, nuts and such. We don't need crap like chips or sweets.

    because sugar = sugar

    and if you are in a calorie deficit and hitting macro/micro targets it does not matter…

    unless, of course, you have a medical condition. …

    Are you seriously saying that bananas or oranges for example are not healthier than say oreos or kitkats? Cause in my mind it's not all the same.

    nope, never said that at all.

    here is what I am saying:

    100 calories of oreos = 100 calories of apples from an energy standpoint.

    however, oreos and apples are not nutritional twins.

    At the end of the day if my day consists of an apple, eggs, whole wheat toast, whole wheat bread, turkey, fish, rice, vegetables, and oreos for dessert, what does it matter? As long as I hit my calorie/micro/macro targets I have no issues.

    Are you trying to say that if you eat some oreos that your day is then "bad" because oreos?

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Acg67 wrote: »
    Why do you have to go for snacks? Why not just fruit instead?

    Cause fruit def isn't mostly sugar

    Yes it's sugar, but it's just fructose, there's no hidden white sugar or corn syrup or whatever. What I meant is why go for industrial stuff, why not just go for the natural, meaning fruits, veggies, nuts and such. We don't need crap like chips or sweets.

    because sugar = sugar

    and if you are in a calorie deficit and hitting macro/micro targets it does not matter…

    unless, of course, you have a medical condition. …

    Are you seriously saying that bananas or oranges for example are not healthier than say oreos or kitkats? Cause in my mind it's not all the same.

    nope, never said that at all.

    here is what I am saying:

    100 calories of oreos = 100 calories of apples from an energy standpoint.

    however, oreos and apples are not nutritional twins.

    At the end of the day if my day consists of an apple, eggs, whole wheat toast, whole wheat bread, turkey, fish, rice, vegetables, and oreos for dessert, what does it matter? As long as I hit my calorie/micro/macro targets I have no issues.

    Are you trying to say that if you eat some oreos that your day is then "bad" because oreos?

    I hope you have this response saved to copy & paste it...I fear for your poor typing fingers & wrists if you have to type this out each and every time lol.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    In for sugar lulz.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I need some suggestions for low (hidden) sugar (fructose, corn syrup, fruit concentrate--what ever you call it) foods & snacks...I'm trying to lower my total sugar intake. TIA. Pip

    The WHO is calling these sugars "free sugars". Limit your consumption of processed foods and "low fat" products in the middle aisles of the store. Do you like eating sweet things?

    Here's where you find the total sugars in a product:

    nutrition_facts1.gif
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    Acg67 wrote: »
    Why do you have to go for snacks? Why not just fruit instead?

    Cause fruit def isn't mostly sugar

    Yes it's sugar, but it's just fructose, there's no hidden white sugar or corn syrup or whatever. What I meant is why go for industrial stuff, why not just go for the natural, meaning fruits, veggies, nuts and such. We don't need crap like chips or sweets.

    because sugar = sugar

    and if you are in a calorie deficit and hitting macro/micro targets it does not matter…

    unless, of course, you have a medical condition. …

    Are you seriously saying that bananas or oranges for example are not healthier than say oreos or kitkats? Cause in my mind it's not all the same.

    nope, never said that at all.

    here is what I am saying:

    100 calories of oreos = 100 calories of apples from an energy standpoint.

    however, oreos and apples are not nutritional twins.

    At the end of the day if my day consists of an apple, eggs, whole wheat toast, whole wheat bread, turkey, fish, rice, vegetables, and oreos for dessert, what does it matter? As long as I hit my calorie/micro/macro targets I have no issues.

    Are you trying to say that if you eat some oreos that your day is then "bad" because oreos?

    I hope you have this response saved to copy & paste it...I fear for your poor typing fingers & wrists if you have to type this out each and every time lol.

    sadly, I have not, but I probably should...
  • Boreo
    Boreo Posts: 10 Member
    Avoiding sugars for weight loss makes sense if sugars trigger food craving and overeating - in this case, you just avoid anything sweet.

    Fruits high in sugars: apples, pears. Soda has a lot of sugar. When a food has so little sugar you don't taste the sweetness so you consider it as "hidden sugar" it won't help you lose weight much...
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    Boreo wrote: »
    Avoiding sugars for weight loss makes sense if sugars trigger food craving and overeating - in this case, you just avoid anything sweet.

    Fruits high in sugars: apples, pears. Soda has a lot of sugar. When a food has so little sugar you don't taste the sweetness so you consider it as "hidden sugar" it won't help you lose weight much...
    So are you saying hidden sugars hinder weight loss?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Boreo wrote: »
    Avoiding sugars for weight loss makes sense if sugars trigger food craving and overeating - in this case, you just avoid anything sweet.

    Fruits high in sugars: apples, pears. Soda has a lot of sugar. When a food has so little sugar you don't taste the sweetness so you consider it as "hidden sugar" it won't help you lose weight much...

    so person A is in a 500 calorie deficit and eats hidden sugar and Person B is in a 500 calorie deficit and eats no hidden sugar, then you are saying Person B will lose more weight, because no hidden sugar???????????
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    The only sugar I'd call "hidden" is the added sugars in some savory foods where you might not expect it. Like jarred spaghetti sauce...some brands have added sugar, some don't. So, you might make a few grams difference there without realizing it.

    But, as others said, sugar is not an evil demon from the depths below. If you have a medical condition, you may have to monitor it, but, then, I can't think of a medical condition where you monitor sugar...even for the Beetus, you monitor all carbohydrates, not just TEH SUGARZ OF DOOOOOM.
  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
    Wow, how many sugar threads can we have in one day? Could it be because it is April 1st? Or is it just a normal day at MFP?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    jkwolly wrote: »
    Boreo wrote: »
    Avoiding sugars for weight loss makes sense if sugars trigger food craving and overeating - in this case, you just avoid anything sweet.

    Fruits high in sugars: apples, pears. Soda has a lot of sugar. When a food has so little sugar you don't taste the sweetness so you consider it as "hidden sugar" it won't help you lose weight much...
    So are you saying hidden sugars hinder weight loss?

    I interpreted Boreo as saying the opposite--if the sugar is "hidden" such that you don't even taste it, it's probably not enough to matter, even for those who claim that they find sweet foods provoke cravings. (It's certainly not many calories, at least if we are talking about the actual sugar in something like bread.)