REAL OR FAKE –
March 11, 2025 – Low-sugar! Sugar-free! Made with natural sugars! These are all claims you might see on food packages, bloggers’ recipes or social media. With so many ways to say something has—or does not have—sugar, it can all get confusing. Read on to learn about the difference between natural and added sugars, plus how to reduce your intake of added sugars.
Sugar is added to food for three reasons. The sweet stuff enhances flavor, improves texture and helps extend the shelf life as a preservative, Chewning says. You’ll find added sugars in foods like sweetened yogurt, breakfast cereals and granola bars, sodas and juice drinks, desserts, and condiments like ketchup and barbecue sauce, among many products.
