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Looking for healthy food and snacks can be quite confusing due to the various claims about sugar on the packaging. Not all sugars are the same, and we definitely need sugars in a healthy diet. But it is important to choose the right sugars.
Sometimes you find ‘no added sugars’ on the snack packaging, but sometimes also ‘no sugar’ or ‘no refined sugar’. Do these 3 claims mean the same thing, and can you be sure that you have a healthy snack with these claims?
Not necessarily, there is a clear difference between the 3 claims, and in this article, we will go deeper into what ‘no added sugars’ actually means. You can read more in detail about the claims ‘no sugar’ and ‘no refined sugar’ in 2 separate articles, but we would like to briefly explain the difference here to provide clarity for you as a consumer:
‘No sugars’
When a product ‘contains no sugars’, you can be sure that this product contains no more than 0.5 grams of sugar per 100 grams or 100 ml. This rule is also legally established.
‘No refined sugars’
When you read on a product that it contains no refined sugars, this means that no refined sugars, such as crystal or cane sugar, were added to the product.
‘No added sugars’
The claim ‘no added sugars’, on the other hand, means that the product contains no added sugars or mono- or disaccharides, but it can still contain naturally occurring sugars.
No added sugars means no sugar at all?
No added sugars does not mean no sugar at all. If you read on a package that there are no added sugars in the product, this means that no sugars were added to the product, but it can still contain naturally occurring sugars. Does that mean these products are automatically healthy?
Not necessarily. Whether a product contains added sugars or not says nothing about whether the product is healthy or not and does not mean you can eat unlimited amounts of it. These products can still contain sugar-containing ingredients such as honey or rice syrup, and even though these are natural sugars, it is best to consume them in moderation.
Snack in moderation
‘No added sugars’ can be a good guideline in the search for healthy snacks, but it is important to realize that you should also enjoy natural snacks in moderation. Because sugar is sugar, and even naturally occurring sugars should not be overdone.
Not only the sugars, but also the presence of other essential nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals are important when choosing your healthy snack. These provide your body with what it needs and keep you feeling full longer.
It is always important to use your common sense when choosing a snack, so you can enjoy your break healthily!