“Hidden” Sugars

Question: "I try to watch 'hidden' sugar intake and wonder why you don't list sugar in your recipes' nutrition numbers." —Cathi Poston, via e-mail

Answer: Most nutrition analysis programs, like the one we use for our recipes, only evaluate total sugars, which include natural ones (like the sugar found in fruit, for example) plus added ones (like, well, sugar). It's the same scenario on a food package's Nutrition Facts Panel, where sugar is sugar, regardless of the source. Your best bet for avoiding added sugars (and extra calories): Check the ingredient list. Look for sugary stuff like syrup, sugar, dextrose, honey, or fructose. The lower sugar is on the ingredient list, the less added to a product. The same goes for recipes; those with syrup, honey, or added sugars will obviously contain additional calories from those carbs.

See more information on sugar.