"Healthy" foods you wouldn't expect to have added sugar (but they do!)
Just when you think you're eating well, you turn over the bottle and notice (dun, dun, dun!)...sugar*! (gasp!) listed in the ingredients. Here are some surprising foods that contain sugar.Check out the ingredient list if any of these are in your fridge or pantry and let me know what you find.*In this post, "sugar" means sugar cane.
Ketchup
Tomatoes! Healthy, right? Why would they have to add sugar and ruin a beautiful thing? But...they did.
Salad dressing
When we think of salads we think of the epitome of health, right? Not all salad dressings have sugar but many do!So I always make my own. Check out my favorite "Goddess Style" Tahini Salad Dressing Recipe.I also often just do: organic olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Sometimes also a splash of apple cider vinegar. So easy, so delicious.
Dried cranberries
A lot of dried fruit has sugar, but dried cranberries almost always do. I especially have to watch for these sneaky little things when I go out to eat at a restaurant. A salad with dried cranberries *seems* healthy, but not if it's laden with sugar.Similarly, watch out for candied walnuts or pecans. "Candied" means it was roasted with a sugar coating.Fruits have fiber and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) but any health benefits are canceled out when we add sugar. Dried and fresh fruit starts to taste SO MUCH BETTER when we wean our taste buds off sugar. Subtle flavors can be detected again. It's a beautiful thing.
Sushi rice
Most sushi rice is made with sugar. Sad, I know. If you sign up for the 8-week Give Up Sugar For Good Program and you sneak in a little sushi here and there, I won't tell anyone (shhh!). The program is not about feeling guilty all the time, it's about being more aware and mindful of what we put in our bodies and how food makes us feel.
Bacon
This was a heartbreaking discovery by my January 1, 2017, Give Up Sugar For Good cohort. All the bacon has sugar! Someone did find some at Costco with no sugar. I googled it and it appears to be called "Smithfield No Sugar Added".
Almond and soy milk
Not all non-dairy milk has sugar but when you order a soy latte at Starbucks, that kind does have sugar. Goodbye Starbucks lattes! They taste way too sweet now to me anyway but it was a sad discovery.Be sure to check the ingredients and buy sugar-free. Many hipster coffee shops make their own sugar-free almond milk, like Ascendo in San Luis Obispo.