Deciphering Labels
It can be confusing to try to find out how much added sugar a food contains. The sugar listing on a Nutrition Facts label lumps all sugars together, including naturally-occurring milk and fruit sugars, which can be deceiving. This explains why, according to the label, one cup of milk has 11 grams of sugar even though it doesn't contain any sugar “added” to it.
To determine how much sugar has been added to a food product, follow these two tips:
- Read the ingredients list. Learn to identify terms that mean added sugars, including sugar, white sugar, brown sugar, confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, dextrin, honey, invert sugar, maple syrup, raw sugar, beet sugar, cane sugar, corn sweeteners, evaporated cane juice, high fructose corn syrup, malt, molasses, and turbinado sugar.
- Refer to the chart below for approximate amounts of hidden sugar in foods.
Hidden Sugars in Foods
|
Food
|
Serving Size
|
Added Sugar
|
|
Cakes and Cookies
|
|
Angel food cake
|
4 oz piece
|
7 tsp
|
|
Banana Cake
|
4 oz piece
|
2 tsp
|
|
Brownie, no icing
|
1 oz piece
|
4 tsp
|
|
Cheesecake
|
4 oz piece
|
2 tsp
|
|
Chocolate cake, iced
|
4 oz piece
|
10 tsp
|
|
Chocolate chip cookie
|
1 cookie
|
2 tsp
|
|
Coffee cake
|
4 oz piece
|
5 tsp
|
|
Cupcake, iced
|
4 oz piece
|
6 tsp
|
|
Fig Newtons
|
1 cookie
|
5 tsp
|
|
Gingersnaps
|
1 cookie
|
3 tsp
|
|
Glazed doughnut
|
1 doughnut
|
6 tsp
|
|
Oatmeal cookie
|
1 cookie
|
2 tsp
|
|
Candies
|
|
Chocolate candy bar
|
1 bar
|
7 tsp
|
|
Chocolate mint
|
1 piece
|
2 tsp
|
|
Fudge
|
1 oz piece
|
5 tsp
|
|
Hard candy
|
2 oz
|
10 tsp
|
|
Lifesavers
|
3 pieces
|
1 tsp
|
|
Peanut brittle
|
1 oz piece
|
4 tsp
|
|
Dairy Products
|
|
Chocolate milk
|
1 cup
|
5 tsp
|
|
Eggnog
|
1 cup
|
5 tsp
|
|
Hot cocoa
|
1 cup
|
5 tsp
|
|
Ice cream
|
4 oz
|
4 tsp
|
|
Ice cream soda
|
1 regular
|
5 tsp
|
|
Ice cream sundae
|
1 regular
|
7 tsp
|
|
Milkshake
|
10 oz
|
5 tsp
|
|
Sherbet
|
1/2 cup
|
6 tsp
|
|
Beverages
|
|
Carbonated soda
|
12 oz
|
8-10 tsp
|
|
Gatorade
|
12 ox
|
5
|
|
Jams, Icings & Sauces
|
|
Apple Butter
|
1 tbsp
|
1 tsp
|
|
Chocolate icing
|
1 oz
|
5 tsp
|
|
Chocolate sauce
|
1 tbsp
|
3-4 tsp
|
|
Jelly & Jam
|
1 tbsp
|
4-6 tsp
|
|
White icing
|
1 oz
|
5 tsp
|
|
Desserts
|
|
Apple cobbler
|
1/2 cup
|
3 tsp
|
|
Apple pie
|
1/6 of pie
|
7 tsp
|
|
Berry pie
|
1/6 of pie
|
10 tsp
|
|
Cherry pie
|
1/6 of pie
|
10 tsp
|
|
Chocolate pudding
|
1/2 cup
|
4 tsp
|
|
Cream pie
|
1/6 of pie
|
4-5 tsp
|
|
Gelatin dessert
|
1/2 cup
|
4-5 tsp
|
|
Peach pie
|
1/6 of pie
|
7 tsp
|
|
Pumpkin pie
|
1/6 of pie
|
5 tsp
|
|
Tapioca pudding
|
1/2 cup
|
3 tsp
|
|
Vanilla pudding
|
1/2 cup
|
3 tsp
|
|
Member Comments