Sugars & Sweeteners

With most foods and drinks, the sweeter it is, the higher in carbs. That's why it's important to understand the ins and outs of naturally occurring sugars, added sugars, and artifcial sweeteners. Naturally occurring sugars exist in fruits and vegetables, and all dairy products. (You've heard of lactose? It's a sugar!) Added sugars include table sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, molasses, etc. And last, there are artificial and nonnutritive sweeteners, which are either low in calories and carbs or calorie- and carb-free. These include aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose -- the colored packets you see on the counters of coffee shops. If you know a little bit about all the different ways foods and drinks are sweetened, you will have a head start on making smart decisions about what fits into your healthy eating plan and what doesn't. 

Reviewed by Susan Weiner, RD, MS, CDE, CDN. 05/12