How to Read Nutrition Labels for Hidden Sugars
The average American consumes 77 grams of added sugar per day — more than triple the recommended amount. A big reason? Sugar is hiding in places you'd never expect, under names you wouldn't recognize. Here's how to become a label-reading expert.
The Basics: Understanding the Nutrition Facts Panel
The FDA updated the Nutrition Facts panel in 2020. Here's what each sugar-related line means:
Total Carbohydrates
This includes all carbohydrates: fiber, sugars, sugar alcohols, and starches.
Total Sugars
This is the sum of all naturally occurring sugars (like lactose in milk) PLUS added sugars.
Added Sugars
This line shows sugars that were added during manufacturing. This is the number you want to minimize.
The Allulose Exception
As of 2019, the FDA allows manufacturers to exclude allulose from Total Sugars, Added Sugars, AND Total Carbohydrates. Why? Because allulose doesn't behave metabolically like sugar. If a product contains allulose, you might see it listed in the ingredients but NOT reflected in the sugar numbers on the label. This is a good thing — it accurately reflects allulose's near-zero metabolic impact.
The 60+ Names for Sugar
Food manufacturers use dozens of different names for sugar on ingredient lists. Here are the most common, organized by category:
Syrups
- High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
- Corn syrup
- Rice syrup
- Malt syrup
- Maple syrup
- Agave syrup/nectar
- Golden syrup
- Refiner's syrup
- Sorghum syrup
- Carob syrup
- Tapioca syrup
"-ose" Sugars
- Sucrose
- Glucose
- Fructose
- Dextrose
- Maltose
- Galactose
- Lactose
- Trehalose
Other Common Names
- Cane sugar / cane juice / evaporated cane juice
- Coconut sugar / coconut palm sugar
- Turbinado sugar
- Muscovado
- Demerara
- Molasses / blackstrap molasses
- Honey
- Fruit juice concentrate
- Barley malt
- Dextrin / maltodextrin
- Caramel
- Panela / piloncillo
- Jaggery
- Sucanat
Tricky "Health" Sugars
These sound healthy but are metabolically identical to regular sugar:
- Organic cane sugar
- Raw honey
- Date syrup
- Coconut nectar
- Fruit juice sweetened
- "No refined sugar" (often means they used another type of sugar)
Where Sugar Hides: Surprising Foods
Savory Foods
- Pasta sauce: 6–12g of sugar per half cup. Many brands add sugar to balance acidity.
- Bread: 2–4g per slice. Even "whole wheat" bread often contains added sugar.
- Salad dressing: 5–8g per two tablespoons. Especially "light" and "fat-free" versions, which replace fat with sugar.
- Condiments: Ketchup has about 4g per tablespoon. BBQ sauce can have 10g+.
- Soup: Canned tomato soup often has 12g+ per serving.
"Health" Foods
- Yogurt: Flavored yogurt can contain 20–30g of sugar per serving — as much as a candy bar.
- Granola: Often 12–16g per serving. The oat clusters are held together with sugar.
- Smoothies: Store-bought smoothies can pack 40–60g of sugar from fruit juice concentrates.
- Protein bars: Many contain 15–20g of sugar. Always read the label.
- Dried fruit: Concentrated sugar. A small box of raisins has 25g of sugar.
Beverages
- Juice: "100% fruit juice" still contains massive sugar: apple juice has 24g per cup.
- Sports drinks: 21g per 12 oz bottle.
- Sweet tea: 22–30g per bottle (restaurant sweet tea can be even worse).
- Flavored water: Some "enhanced" waters contain 13g per bottle.
The Label-Reading System
When evaluating any packaged food, use this quick checklist:
Step 1: Check Added Sugars
Look at the Added Sugars line on the Nutrition Facts panel. The American Heart Association recommends:
- Women: no more than 25g (6 tsp) per day
- Men: no more than 36g (9 tsp) per day
- Children: no more than 25g per day
Step 2: Check Serving Size
Manufacturers sometimes use unrealistically small serving sizes to make sugar content look lower. A bottle of soda might list "2.5 servings" — multiply the sugar by 2.5 for what you'd actually consume.
Step 3: Scan the Ingredients
Ingredients are listed by weight, from most to least. If any form of sugar appears in the first three ingredients, the product is sugar-heavy. Also watch for multiple types of sugar spread throughout the list — this is a common tactic to avoid having "sugar" as the first ingredient.
Step 4: Calculate Sugar Percentage
Divide the grams of sugar by the total grams per serving, then multiply by 100. If more than 20% of the product by weight is sugar, it's a high-sugar product.
Step 5: Look for Better Alternatives
Many products now come in reduced-sugar or allulose-sweetened versions. Compare labels between brands to find options with less added sugar.
Sugar-Free Label Claims: What They Mean
- Sugar-Free: Less than 0.5g of sugar per serving. May still contain sugar alcohols.
- No Added Sugar: No sugars added during processing. May contain naturally occurring sugars.
- Reduced Sugar: At least 25% less sugar than the regular version. Could still be high.
- Unsweetened: No added sweeteners of any kind. The most reliable claim.
- Lightly Sweetened: Not an FDA-regulated term. Means nothing specific.
Action Steps
- Start checking labels on the foods you buy most frequently
- Download a grocery app that flags high-sugar products
- When a product has more than 5g of added sugar per serving, look for alternatives
- Gradually swap high-sugar pantry staples for lower-sugar or allulose-sweetened versions
- Cook more at home, where you control exactly what goes into your food
The goal isn't perfection — it's awareness. Once you start reading labels, you'll naturally gravitate toward better choices. And you'll be shocked at where sugar has been hiding all along.