low cal vs. low sugar

nc1191

I was just wondering when reading the labels of different foods in the grocery store, (for me it was protein/nutrition bars yesterday) what is the most important part to pay attention to on the label? I tend to choose things with the lowest amount of calories and try to get things with a low amount of sugar but when I have to choose, I always pick lower cal/higher sugar over higher cal/lower sugar. I'm over my sugar allotment everyday so should I be more concerned about sugar instead of calories?

mamaredhead

A high sugar intake is often the result of too much processed food. If you stick with fresh fruit and vegetables as the main source of calories you will take in much less calories and much less sugar. Yogurt is also a great source for protein, as well as dairy cheeses and vegetables as well. Fruit bars e.g. are okay to chose if you need something fast, but they should not be your first choice.

Eat homemade foods, focus on fresh and natural meals and you'll be fine. If you follow that plan it doesn't even matter which kind of readymade-food you buy, because you won't buy it regularly.

Best of luck -- don't be too hard on yourself and be patient. You are too young to already start yo-yo-ing! ;-)

wiggleroom

I go over sugar all the time, but it's from the copious amounts of fruit I eat. I stopped eating bars awhile ago because I realized that I could eat a lot more volume for the same number of calories, but I totally understand the convenience.

Have you tried Think Thin bars? At least ten varieties have no sugar at all. Of course -- that means they don't taste as decadent as some other brands, but taste buds can be trained.

In general, I think calories matter more; but sugar still matters, especially when it's coming in a processed form, like in cereal or bars or yogurt.

Also, make sure you're getting fiber and protein. If the bar is low in calories, high in sugar, and it's not providing much protein and/or fiber, then it's a waste!

jbucci1186

I think it depends on where you are in your stage of weight loss. I used to eat the fiber bars ALL the time, because fiber is very good for you, but then as i kept going, i started caring more about sugar and getting fiber from other sources.

I will say that I am ALWAYS over my sugar (I eat around 150g of sugar a day) but I would say that at least 80% of that is from fruit. I try to avoid eating anything with over 10g of added sugar per serving, but I still definitely eat added sugar. I also like to use stevia or even splenda in my oatmeal/cream of wheat. I'm also all about sugar-free things. I was worried for awhile because I've heard bad things about artificial sweeteners, but I talked to my doctor about them and she told me not to worry, so I don't... (I've also been using them for such a long time, and I've experienced none of the side effects I've read online).

In the beginning, I definitely went for low calorie over low sugar, but now I would say I do the opposite or low cal AND low sugar. Except for a select few items... I am in love peanut butter, but only the sweeter kinds (and there are some VERY good brands out there if you look haha).

Hope that helps?
good luck!