Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Sponsored: Added sugar

ingles dietitianThe new Nutrition Facts panel will go into effect in a little over a year (July 2018).  

For the first time the Nutrition Facts will feature a line for grams of added sugar.  Foods like plain milk, whole fruits, and canned or dried beans have naturally occurring sugars, but added sugar is "...sugar or syrup that is added to foods when they are processed or prepared." 

Many of us can easily think of sources of added sugar in our meals like sweetened beverages, desserts, and candy - but how about condiments [sauces, ketchup, salad dressing],  breads, and pasta sauce which may have "hidden" or be surprising sources of added sugars?  

We also tend to think of sugar in its  familiar white, crystaline form; but added sugar may appear in many different forms in a list of ingredients: honey, molasses, cane syrup, coconut sugar, evaporated cane juice, malt syrup, maple syrup are just a few. 

The new "added sugar" line on the Nutrition Facts panel may help you make better decisions about the foods you choose to eat.

Source: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/what-are-added-sugars

Related Items

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Ingles Markets Corporate Dietitian

twitter.com/InglesDietitian

facebook.com/LeahMcgrathDietitian

800-334-4936

 

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.