Coming to Food Labels - Added Sugars

The Food and Drug Administration has been working to update the Nutrition Facts panel that appears on packaged  foods. The new proposal includes many changes to help make choosing more healthful foods easier but one big change is the proposed addition of "Added Sugars."

The addition of the line "Added Sugars" will help consumers see the difference between naturally occurring sugars and those that are added to the food. While the body might not recognize any difference in natural or added sugars the amount of added sugar that we are consuming is much higher than the recommended amount.

Colleagues at Appetite for Health have created a useful infographic that shows amounts of added sugars we consume, common names of added sugars and some of the foods that contribute the largest amounts of added sugars to our diets. This infographic can be a useful tool to guide you as you read food labels, plan menus and work to balance your nutrition.

Checkout the infographic at - http://www.appforhealth.com/2014/12/names-for-sugar/

Connie Diekman, M.Ed., RD, CSSD, LD, FADA
Nutrition Communications Consultant