Sometimes a “No Sugar Added” label on a container of food or drink means that all that is included in the package is 100% fruit or juice.
Sometimes.
It is very important that we read the fine print and read the list of ingredients! Unfortunately, “No Sugar Added” almost always means, “We didn’t add sugar. Instead, we’ve added artificial sweeteners like Splenda, Sorbitol, or Aspertame. It could be that we added all three. Don’t worry though. We didn’t add sugar. Sugar is bad.”
Packages of fruit and juice with a “No Sugar Added” label are especially deceiving. See these Mixed Fruit Cups?
The “No Sugar Added” label makes you think that all that’s included in those mixed fruit cups is fruit. But read the ingredients:
Along with your fruit, these cups also contain Sorbitol, Natural Flavor, and Sucralose (which is Splenda).
Sorbitol, for the record, is a sweetener made from pulling the glucose out of fruit, which then goes through a chemical process to produce a “sugar alcohol” by adding hydroxil. (I don’t know what hydroxil is. Please add it to my fruit cup and tell me it’s healthy, because yay, “no sugar added.”)
Sucrolose (Splenda) is also made in a lab in which three chlorine molecules are added to a sucrose or sugar molecule. (Mmm, chlorine added to my food. Please pass me a fruit cup.)
By the way, why are we trying to make fruit sweeter than it already is? I do not understand this. But back to the point of this post…
Please, please, please don’t buy into the lie that artificial sweeteners are healthier for us than sugar. And please don’t be deceived by a “no sugar added” label. Our bodies don’t know what to do with artificial sweeteners and in the long (or short) term, they can make us very ill. Too much real sugar isn’t good for us either, but at least our bodies recognize it.
As always, I advocate for eating real food and for eating on purpose for the sake of nourishment.
Nourishment. Real food. It’s what our bodies crave.
Now go eat a naturally sweetened, God-made-perfect piece of fruit. Apples, pears, oranges, and bananas are “no sugar added” foods, but there’s no need for a label because they come pre-packaged and contain all they were ever meant to contain because they are delicious pieces of fruit for goodness sake. (Subjects like this often inspire me to write run-on sentences.)
It would seem as though eating well is not nearly as complicated as our culture tends to make it, wouldn’t you agree?
Katie says
I’ve also read that “Natural Flavor” on an ingredient list is a code word for “MSG”.
Lana says
Acesulfame potassium is also an artificial sweetener!
Laura says
Goodness, I hadn’t even heard of that one and just skipped right over it. Again…why are we trying to make our fruit sweeter? And why are they adding THREE artificial sugars?! (Rhetorical questions…)
Hilary says
I think its good to have this information. However, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with “artificial flavoring” or chemically altering foods in a lab as long as its safe–which the FDA has determined that it is. And as long as you are eating splenda or any of these foods or sweeteners in moderation, i.e. not 1 pound per day, I think you’ll be okay. I’m not necessarily worried about the fact that splenda has chlorine molecules added to a sugar molecule. Regular table salt is sodium chloride, and you are eating a lot more chlorine when you eat salt then the tiny bit that comes with eating splenda.
I think a lot of the fear with chemically altered foods comes from fear of what we don’t understand, and distrust of government safety organizations such as the FDA. And I can understand that. I appreciate that every one should have their own opinion. I believe these foods are safe.
Kimberly Andrus says
Way to go! Life and food should not be that complicated. If you think artificial sweeteners are healthy, check out this link. https://www.womentowomen.com/healthy-weight/sugar-substitutes-and-the-potential-danger-of-splenda/
I agree everything should be eaten in moderation and poison is Always poison.
Amy says
Yes, I totally agree on the “no sugar added”!! It is so frusturating and misleading. I find it very difficult to locate the 100% fruit juice cups. Walmart seems to carry them, but other stores like Target and Kroger that I frequent do not stock them regularly. They are something I like to have on hand then pantry for kids lunches when I don’t pack whole fruit.
Sherry says
What about truvia? I have type 1 diabetic who can’t have carbs. Honey etc all natural is carbs. Insulin required with all food intake. So used to use Splenda then told bad. Now trying truvia because other stevia products bitter she hates. Trying to do best with what we can. Thanks for any info :)
Laura says
I’m not a big fan of Truvia because along with stevia, it also has erythritol in it, which is chemically altered corn. Try NuNatural brand of stevia. That one is my favorite (the liquid form). If I use too much (my own fault), it does have a bit of an after taste, but as far as stevia goes, I have found NuNaturals to be a great tasting brand!
Mary says
I wholeheartedly agree with your perspective, Laura! All those added ‘ingredients’ that we can neither pronounce nor spell are not recognizable to our bodies as healthy nutrients, either, and it puts a huge toxic burden on our liver and kidneys to get rid of and eliminate them from our bodies. Those synthetically-created chemicals are added to the food for the purpose of ‘long shelf life’ in the stores, certainly not for the sake of long human life for us. When we eat things that are fresh and whole, we also get the added benefit of a maximum of the nutrients and enzymes, which tend to be destroyed through the canning and packaging processes.
Kristin says
I’m with you on the fruit cups. I used to buy the fruit cups packed in real juice(no added sweeteners) as a once a week school snack, for some variety in winter months when berries are expensive. Then one day I compared the grams of sugar in an unsweetened applesauce cup to a cup of fruit and yikes the fruit cup had MUCH more. (darn juice!) I realize it is fruit sugar, but juice without the fiber to slow the sugar absorption was something I was already avoiding. Now, I just spend a little extra and buy more fresh fruit.
Laura says
I agree! I can hardly eat the 100% juice/fruit cups as they are so super sweet with all the juice! They are a fun treat now and then for our family to take on the road, but as always, fresh fruit is best. :)
Julie says
I was in Target today and was looking at applesauce. There was a sale on a particular brand and when I looked at the label the second ingredient was high frutose corn syrup. I don’t understand why applesauce needs HFCS. I put it back down and shook my head about how the food industry has messed up something as simple as applesauce.
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
I really am disgusted by the lack of labeling laws in our country. Advertising can be so deceptive and it make the consumer have to be very diligent to educate themselves.
Thanks so much for working so hard to bring awareness to these health issues. I couldn’t agree with you more when it comes to artificial sweeteners or the need to sweeten fruit.