What do you really know about the sugars you are consuming? I’ll now be the first to admit that I’m not very well educated in the sugar business. I recently took place in a pantry hunt and a mission to learn more about sugar and how much of it is in the food our family eats on a daily basis. I was under the assumption that High Fructose Corn Syrup should not be in anything we consumed or at least not in the top 5 ingredients, but I was wrong. Most sugars should in fact be treated equal. The scary statistic is just how much is in almost everything in my pantry.

I personally feel like the meals and snacks I prepare for my family are generally healthy. Upon inspection, they still are, I just really need to make sure that certain ingredients are used in moderation. Perhaps finding an alternative for certain dressings will be in affect. It turns out that it’s almost impossible to find an ingredient list that does not include at least one kind of sugar. My salsa was one of just a handful of that did not contain any added sugar. Even my beloved Nutella listed sugar as the first ingredient.

What you really need to pay attention to is how much of these foods with added sugar you are eating. If you’re in the mood for something sweet try a piece of fruit, that contains natural sugar. I’ve learned that even a serving of canned fruit, drained of its syrup, is just as nutritional as the real thing. Perhaps you need to lower portion sizes and eat more often. That would be a method that works well for me. I find that if I eat a healthy snack mid morning and a light healthy lunch that I’m less likely to want a candy bar at 3:00 and more likely to want an apple or a yogurt. Cereal with low fat milk can be a nutritional snack as well, just make sure you read the label! A recent box of cereal I bought, that I thought was reasonably healthy, has in fact more sugar than a box of Corn Pops (which I thought were super sugary). My bagels that I eat every morning? Yep, you guessed it.

Now with all that being said, it doesn’t mean I’m going to cut those foods and others out of our diet. I may cut portions by half or so, but will not eliminate them. I feel better knowing that I can make well educated and informed choices when it comes to meal time now. I can ease my anxiety when I see High Fructose Corn Syrup in the top 5 ingredients and just remember that I need to moderate all sugars in general.

I challenge you to a pantry hunt. How many different types of sugar will you find? Sugarstacks.com is a helpful website to show you in the form of cubes how much sugar you are taking down with a serving of every day foods.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of the Corn Refiners Association. I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”