More and more often, recipes and products are being incorrectly labeled sugar-free. Don’t be fooled!
Hi Friends-
This is a random little blog post…but it’s been something that’s been on my mind a lot lately so I feel the need to just throw it out there. I’ve noticed an irritating trend, in the blog world, on pinterest, etc about incorrectly using the term sugar-free to describe recipes and label products.
Here’s the thing:
As an RD, I’m a definite proponent of eating less sugar. As Americans, we’re eating too much of it. Research is showing that it could be more to blame for the obesity epidemic than things like saturated fat. I’m all for reducing the amount of sugar in your diet….so are a lot of other people. In fact, similar to the low-fat/fat-free craze that swept the nation for many years, sugar-free foods and recipes seem to be a hot trend right now.
I just want to point out that even though many things are labeled sugar-free, it does NOT always mean that there is no sugar in the product or recipe.
This article hits the nail on the head. When you see the “sugar-free” label on a recipe or product, it could mean a few things:
1) It’s free of added sugar like white sugar or brown sugar.
Great…but check the ingredient list. You could very well see other sources of sugar like honey, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, agave nectar, date puree, molasses, etc on the list, meaning it’s not sugar-free.
2) There’s no added sugar.
Again, does not always mean sugar-free. Many foods contain naturally occurring sugars. For example, fructose is the naturally occurring sugar in fruit and lactose is the naturally occurring sugar in milk. So, say you’re drinking a glass of orange juice. It may be made from just one ingredient- oranges- and therefore have no added sugar, but there’s still 20+ grams of sugar in that glass.
3) It’s made with sugar substitutes.
While the product technically may be sugar-free, it does contain artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, etc. It’s up to you to make the choice whether you want to consume these products, but you should, at a minimum, be aware of the ones you’re consuming so you can do your research.
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So, the main point of this post is just to serve as a reminder to read carefully. Food labels, packaging and recipe titles can be confusing and misleading. It’s up to you to be diligent about reading recipes and ingredient lists and making the best choices.
- Do I actively make an effort to reduce the amount of sugar in my own diet and the recipes I create? Yes.
- Do I often create recipes that use natural sources of sugar (like fruit), instead of processed forms, as a sweetener? Yes. But I do not label those recipes as sugar-free.
So, when you see a recipe for Sugar-Free Granola Bars on Pinterest, read the recipe. If it contains bananas, raisins and honey then, while they may be a much healthier choice than a store-bought bar…they are not, in fact, sugar free.
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
PS. On a more serious note, please take a moment to reflect on the terrible events that occurred 13 years ago today and forever changed our country. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who lost a loved one in connection with the attacks.
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This was a perfect reminder. Thank you!
and I SOOO NEED TO SEND THIS TO THE HUSBAND 🙂
he always comes home from grocery with the, uh, “sugar free” 🙂
love this, Linds. It grinds my gears when I see those recipes claiming to be sugar free when in reality, its chock full of agave, honey or other forms of syrup!
i hear ya!
I always laugh when someone labels their recipe as sugarfree and then the whole thing is made out of dates and figs, haha!
So very true! Glad you posted about it! 🙂
Although what upsets me is when the British media gives you the tsps of sugar in coke and then the tsps in OJ – and because OJ is higher (and they never mention it is a natural sugar), people choose the coke to drink believing it is healthier!!
very true! that can be frustrating as well!
This is such a great post Lindsey. In my public health and nutrition courses, we learned a lot about the terms “sugar free, low sugar, fat free, low fat…” and it’s so shocking to hear their information you know? You would think absolutely no sugar, but obviously that is the not the case.
definitely eye-opening!
I tend to ignore all fat-free, sugar-free claims now. Most of the time I much prefer natural foods anyway.
me too!
This is such a great reminder on a topic that is widely misunderstood.
Agreed! Chances are, if the item tastes sweet and doesn’t have added artificial sugars, the item itself actually still has sugar in it, its just that none has been added.
exactly!
So very true! I get wild when I read the recipes that claim to be “sugar-free” yet contain a 1/4 cup if not more of maple syrup lol.
me too!
I am just going to jump in here with an “amen” and say that I love when Arman says something “grinds his gears.” So thank you for getting that phrase out of him this fine morning 🙂
haha my pleasure!
Yes yes yes! It’s a pet-peeve of mine when a recipe gets the label “sugar free” when the main ingredient is something like dates. Uh, no, that is not sugar free. Lots of misinformation out there.
there definitely is! so frustrating!
LOVE this post! Thanks for posting on such an important topic.
one word —> AMEN
As a fellow RD I could not agree with you more!! The same goes for “skinny’ drinks you see at the bar. Something may have less sugar and calories than a frozen margarita but that does not make it ‘skinny’. Anyway, love this post!
exactly 🙂
You have to read the labels and know what’s what — that’s where my chemistry degree comes in! 😉
putting it to use! i like it 🙂
One of the blessings of being a type 1 diabetic is learning to be a sugar detective early on. Now I just wish they would make labels clearer!
ah that’s definitely a good lesson to learn early!
It’s so true! When I did my first round of whole 30 you really had to look at labels and see what was in the packaged food you were buying. I found table salt that had added sugar! SUGAR dextrose added to table salt! Now I check everything for sugars.
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Yes!! We need to read labels & KNOW what’s in our food!
#fosho!
Well said, Lindsay! I couldn’t agree more.
So true! I have learned to always read the labels, and generally- the less ingredients the better! And when I don’t understand a lot of the ingredients I become very skeptical:)
me too 🙂
Thanks for the reminder Lindsay! It’s so important to read the labels on what we’re buying.
definitely one of the most important things to focus on!
Great reminder, Lindsay! I’ve -totally- been guilty of mislabelling a few recipes in the past, but these days I try to be more specific and say that a recipe is free of refined sugars since I tend to stick to more natural sweeteners like fruit, honey, and maple syrup. Thanks for the great post!
i’m sure a lot of people have been there! good for you for making the switch to correctly label your recipes now!
I’ve been trying to watch my sugar intake lately. It’s amazing how much better I feel when I eat less sugar, but it can be tricky to decipher the ingredient labels. I understand why so many people become frustrated when they think they are making better choices but don’t see any changes. Thanks for this important reminder!
i agree! it can definitely be confusing. good for you for making the effort!
exactly!! you’re welcome!
THe orange juice secret drives me crazy–
So many people are clueless how packed it is with sugar! It’s amazing what the industries do to cover their sugar tracks. THANKS for talking about that!
I used to be “afraid” of sugar. I thought that products that were “sugar free” were better for me. However, the majority of those tend to contain other added ingredients that are not good for me or artificial sweeteners. I feel okay about Stevia on ocassion, but now I generally tend to just add honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar if I feel like I really need it! Great post, Lindsay!
So glad to see this post! Mislabeling drives me nuts! Actually, my mom and I are sitting here eating breakfast and she just asked me a question about sugar labeling. I just passed over this article for her to read so perfect timing!
Yep, this has been annoying me, too! What I find even MORE annoying, are the recipes being pinned that say, NO white sugar!!! And then you look, and whoops, they contain brown sugar. Um, brown sugar IS white sugar with molasses added. Ugh. False advertising.
I address this often with diabetics who stock up on “sugar-free” products. Thanks for the post, love it!
A good reminder that we need to be diligent label readers and THINK about what we are seeing/reading.
Great post and such a good point!
Thanks for sharing thing. It’s a huge peeve of mine as well. And food labeling doesn’t really help a lot of people who don’t get the difference between naturally occurring sugars in real foods and added or fake sugars. There is talk in Canada of changing food labels to include both total sugars and added sugars separately. I think this is a great idea!
I am a T1D (Type One Diabetic) and reading the labels on stuff is super important. I have been a label detective for awhile and they can be very misleading. I have come to think that I am a lot better off making things myself, even condiments than buying them from the store, then I at least know exactly what went into the pot. I think naturally occurring sugars like those in fruits are much better for me, but I still need to be able to count those sugars and know what I am ingesting. Great post! P.S I only drink OJ if I am having a low!
its so frustrating to see products being labeled at the store with all these fancy labels. Being a RD, I get tricked so many times…
I agree completely, Lindsay! It’s so frustrating to think that people are being duped into believing that they’re making better choices by choosing “sugar free” products that are anything but!
Sugar substitutes are my biggest pet peeve – unfortunately, many Americans think they’re healthy when they are straight up toxic. Great reminder =)
Labeling on food drives me crazy. It is so political instead of doing what is right and healthy. Just had this conversation with my parents about whether they could give my daughter canned mandarian oranges. Felt like I was hitting my head against a brick wall.
Years and years ago, I was allll about packaged sugar-free snacks and jams. When I got to college, I finally realized that “sugar-free” doesn’t really mean anything significant. I can’t believe that companies can get away with that kind of packaging!
Thanks for breaking this down Lindsay!
I love this… people are so quick to think things are sugar free but they aren’t! Or filled with crappy additives to make up for it!
darn marketing schemes!!
Gah – I am one of those who has mislabeled a recipe or two – I put down “no refined sugar” but that’s no different right?
Thanks for this post Lindsay!!!
I love this post, Lindsay- very well-written! All these marketing gimmicks drive me nuts, especially as a huge percentage of the population actually fall for them. I know Quest bars are the rage these days but I can’t say I have any desire to try them out. They are touted as being “low sugar” & “clean” yet both stevia & sucralose are present….er what!
I’ve noticed this around the internet/Pinterest/blogs lately as well, and it always perplexed me a bit! Because in my head (totally not an RD, but still pretty aware of nutrition), maple syrup, agave nectar, honey etc. is still sugar! Glad you addressed this!
Great post Lindsey. It alwasys bothers me when I see false claims about this. Not all sugar is white table SUGAR but it is still sugar.
SO TRUE!! such a good reminder and smartly written – I despise fake sugars and any sugar substitute really. fake sugars taste…fake, why not real, why not reduce the amount of sugar and do exactly that – use a natural substitute, like fruit, not fake. Great read my friend!
Yes!! Delayed response and I told you on Instagram, but this is one of my pet peeves. Thanks for the clarifying info!