Have you been trying to eat a healthier diet, but nothing seems to work? Do you still feel tired and sluggish, and haven’t been seeing the results that you’re wanting? One of the problems that you might be experiencing could be hidden added sugars. There are a lot of foods that are labeled as healthy that have a surprising amount of added sugars in them. Here are some of these surprising sources of added sugars that you should avoid or eat sparingly.
Salad Dressings and Sauces
First of all, salad dressings and sauces are a common source of added sugars. One of the meals that is labeled as traditionally healthy is salad. However, when you dump on a ton of salad dressing that has a lot of sugars in it, it doesn’t end up being very healthy at all. When you’re selecting your salad dressings, make sure that you’re reading the ingredients to see how much sugars are being used. You can also start making your own salad dressings from fresh, healthy ingredients as a better alternative. You should also keep your eye on the different sauces you use. You might love putting a teriyaki sauce over your roasted chicken and veggies, but do you realize how much brown sugar goes into making that sauce? Sure, it tastes delicious, but is it really worth it when you’re trying to eat clean? Make sure that you screen your sauce ingredients before eating them. Like was mentioned before, you can always start making your own sauces as a healthier alternative if you can’t find better options at a natural foods store.
“Healthy” Cereals
Another pitfall of hidden sugars are the cereal types that are labeled as “healthy.” These cereals often have nuts, dried fruits, and granola, which can be great sources of immunity-boosting nutrients. However, they often also have lots of added sugars to sweeten the cereal pieces that are made from grains and other ingredients. Remember, not all cereals are created equally. You’ll likely be able to find much healthier options if you shop at a natural foods store than if you just stroll down the cereal aisle at any grocery store. You can also make your own granola or cereal by combining healthy ingredients and flavoring with coconut and honey.
Sports Drinks
Sports drinks are labeled as huge energy boosters. Many athletes and trainers might insist that they boost their performance and potential. It is true that some sports drinks do include helpful ingredients and antioxidants. However, they’re often packed with unnecessary added sugars to add flavor to their water-based drinks. If you love to guzzle down a sports drink after your workout or like to take them on hikes or road trips, take a closer look at the nutrition information. You might just be consuming a ton of secret added sugars that will harm you more than they’ll help you.
Bread Products
Finally, bread products are another type of food that you should keep your eye on when it comes to added sugars. Bread products often contain added sugar since sugar can help them to get the nice rise and soft texture that makes bread so delicious. This pertains to white breads and wheat breads alike. You might think that you’re choosing the healthier option by buying wheat bread with seeds and omega 3s. Yes, these ingredients are helpful, but you’re probably consuming a lot more sugar than you think each time you make a nice sandwich or piece of toast.
How to Avoid Added Sugars
If you’re wanting to avoid these added sugars and eliminate them from your diet, the first thing you’ll need to change is your awareness of them. Do some research to figure out more sources of added sugars and be conscious of your consumption of those foods. Shopping at a natural foods store can also help you to eliminate added sugars from your diet, since the foods that are carried there are healthy and nutritional alternatives.
So, now that you know about some of the most common surprising sources of added sugars, make sure that you are applying this counsel to your healthy eating. Make sure that you avoid eating too much of salad dressings and sauces, “healthy” cereals, sports drinks, and certain bread products. This will help you to eliminate unnecessary sugars from your diet and you’ll start looking and feeling better.
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