The Truth About Sugar In Your Food!!

If someone told me that my food contained 4.2 grams  of sugar, I wouldn't have a clue how much that was. If you told me it had 1 teaspoon of sugar, I would know. But what if you don't cook or bake much and can't reference a teaspoon easily? If I told you it had 1 sugar cube in it...now you have a reference that makes sense, right?


I'm sure you've been told that all the packaged food you eat has sugar in it. But what does that mean? Do you have any idea how much? Do you even want to know? Or is it easier to ignore it and keep wondering why you "can't lose weight"?


So now I will tell you that 4.2 grams of sugar is EQUAL to 1 teaspoon of sugar which is EQUAL to 1 sugar cube.

Okay, so what? Let's put that into perspective...

Ever wonder why you get such a rush when you drink a coke?

 Or a mountain dew...(not to mention the caffeine!) 

Or a few red bulls... 

Well, it should be okay to have a little cup of iced tea 

or lemonade. 

But orange juice is healthy, right? 

And they sure wouldn't overdo something I give to the kids with lunch, right before nap time.... 

How about that mid-afternoon snack?

 

Which one to choose?

 Or that after dinner snack. Hmmm...wonder if that affects how I sleep? (and it's not even ice cream! It's sorbet!)

 Maybe I'll just have a glass of milk and a few cookies.

 But Bill Cosby promoted Jell-0 for kids, it's gotta be okay! 

 Are you making an effort to cut out sugar? Don't forget condiments.

   

Quick trip to the mall - have to grab something on the run? Seriously, 14 sugar cubes in my cinnamon bun?? 

So you were strong enough to walk past Cinnabon; you'll just stop by Starbucks on the way home...

Seriously, would you ever purposefully add 12 sugar cubes to your coffee or 15 to your smoothie? Do you ever feel like it MUST be a good choice just because it's called a smoothie?

Are you kidding? More than 1/2 CUP of sugar in a milkshake!?

Smaller doesn't make it any better.

 I know the cereal is pre-sweetened (then why do so many people sprinkle sugar on top of it?)

I thought Cheerios were okay. Oh, they ARE!! Now that's an acceptable amount of sugar in your cereal.

If you like sweet, and want the energy boost of sugar, there are ways to get it naturally.

This is why I recommend eating fresh fruit first thing in the morning.

The natural sugar provides instant energy.

Pick whatever fruit you like.

Want to give your kids an energy boost in the morning?

Fresh fruit will do it and jump start their metabolism without giving them a sugar crash 2 hours later.

Cut it up on Cheerios...

Or even better, on Not Your Mothers Oatmeal or Gourmet Overnight Oatmeal.

Let them think they are getting a treat for breakfast.

Throw some baby carrots in their lunch...high in fiber, low in sugar, will help keep them level all afternoon.

Fresh corn, cooked when ripe is very sweet on it's own...needs no toppings.

Sure makes you think about what you're eating, doesn't it. Take a look at the label; it will show you (in grams) how much sugar it contains per serving. I now know that my favorite hot fudge contains a little more than 4 sugar cubes (17 grams) per 2 Tablespoon serving...ouch!! I'm not sure I want to know how much is in the ice cream I would put it on and the caramel and whipped topping that go with it. What I do know is that it is more than I want to ingest. I think I'll have a bowl of pineapple instead!!

Is there a food that you will cut back or cut out now that you know how much sugar it contains? You may leave a comment by Clicking Here.