Many people would like to lessen sugar's impact on their body to lose weight and reduce the risk of many health problems, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, even colds and flu.
However, there appears to be a lot of confusion about which foods have the greatest sugar impact. Below are some foods that have a low sugar impact, as well as some ones with a high sugar impact that may be surprising.
However, there appears to be a lot of confusion about which foods have the greatest sugar impact. Below are some foods that have a low sugar impact, as well as some ones with a high sugar impact that may be surprising.
SPAGHETTI SQUASH
This is a great substitute for regular spaghetti, which has a high sugar impact. Just cut it in half (carefully!) scrape out the ;seeds and pulp, oil the cut part, then put each half, cut side down, on a baking sheet and roast at 375 for 40 minutes.
HOMEMADE SALAD DRESSINGS
This is a lower sugar impact substitute for bottled salad dressing. Just whisk together one part vinegar (not balsamic) and three parts olive oil and season to taste. Salt and pepper are fine, I also add some Dijon mustard, crushed garlic and Italian Seasoning.
HOW TO SOAK BEANS
(excerpted from JJ Virgin's Sugar Impact Diet)
If you can, buy your beans dry, and rinse and soak them before cooking them. They'll be more nutrition, lower in salt, and less expensive than canned beans. Soaking also ensures they'll cook evenly and cuts down on the gas they generate.
There are two main ways to soak beans: the long soak methods and the quick soak method.
This is a great substitute for regular spaghetti, which has a high sugar impact. Just cut it in half (carefully!) scrape out the ;seeds and pulp, oil the cut part, then put each half, cut side down, on a baking sheet and roast at 375 for 40 minutes.
HOMEMADE SALAD DRESSINGS
This is a lower sugar impact substitute for bottled salad dressing. Just whisk together one part vinegar (not balsamic) and three parts olive oil and season to taste. Salt and pepper are fine, I also add some Dijon mustard, crushed garlic and Italian Seasoning.
HOW TO SOAK BEANS
(excerpted from JJ Virgin's Sugar Impact Diet)
If you can, buy your beans dry, and rinse and soak them before cooking them. They'll be more nutrition, lower in salt, and less expensive than canned beans. Soaking also ensures they'll cook evenly and cuts down on the gas they generate.
There are two main ways to soak beans: the long soak methods and the quick soak method.
- LONG SOAK
To long soak, rinse the dried beans, put them in a bowl, and add enough water to cover them by about 3 inches. Then just put them in the fridge overnight, and they'll be ready for you to drain, rinse, and cook in the morning. - QUICK SOAK
When you're in a hurry, pour the bean into a large pot and add water until they're covered by about 3 inches. Boil for 1 minute, then cover and let stand for an hour. When the beans are tender and have doubled in size, they're done and ready to drain. - Click the READ MORE link for a list of foods that would be considered low sugar impact, medium sugar impact and high sugar impact.
VEGETABLES
LOW SUGAR IMPACT:
• Acorn squash
• Artichoke
• Asparagus
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Butternut squash
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chard
• Cucumber
• Eggplant
• Kale
• Kale chips
• Lettuces
• Mushrooms
• Okra
• Onions
• Peppers
• Pumpkin
• Snow peas
• Spaghetti squash
• Spinach
• Turnips
• Zucchini
MEDIUM SUGAR IMPACT:
• Beets
• Parsnips
• Rutabaga
• Sweet potatoes
• Yams
HIGH SUGAR IMPACT:
• Beet Juice
• Carrot juice
• French fries
• Mashed potatoes
• Potato chips
• Root veggie chips
• Sweet potato fries
• White potatoes
FRUITS
LOW SUGAR IMPACT:
• Acai berries (no sugar added)
• Avocado
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupe
• Cranberries
• Gazpacho
• Grapefruit
• Guava
• Lemons
• Limes
• Nectarines
• Olives
• Oranges
• Peaches
• Persimmon
• Raspberries Star fruit
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
MEDIUM SUGAR IMPACT:
• Apples
• Apricots
• Bananas
• Cherries
• Dates
• Fresh figs
• Grapes
• Honeydew
• Kiwi
• Mango
• Papaya
• Pears
• Pineapple
• Plums
• Pomegranate
• Sundried tomatoes
• Tangerines
• Tomato juice
• Tomato paste
• Tomato sauce
• V8 juice
• Watermelon
HIGH SUGAR IMPACT:
• All dried fruit
• Fruit leather
• Fruit juices
• Jams
• Preserves and conserve
• Nectar
• Sorbet
• Fruit juice concentrates
• Canned fruit cocktail
• Fruit juice Popsicles
SWEETENERS
LOW SUGAR IMPACT:
• 100% dark chocolate
• 85% dark chocolate
• Erythritol
• Inulin
• Chicory
• Monk fruit
• Stevia
• Xylitol
MEDIUM SUGAR IMPACT:
• 70% or higher dark chocolate
• Blackstrap molasses
• Cane syrup (non-GMO)
• Coconut palm sugar
• Coconut sugar
• Glucose (aka dextrose(non-GMO)
• Local organic raw honey
• Mannitol
• Raw brown sugar (nonprocessed)
• Rice syrup
• Sorbitol
HIGH SUGAR IMPACT:
• 70% dark chocolate
• Acesulfame-K
• Agave
• Candy
• Caramel sauce
• Chocolate syrup
• Crystalline fructose
• Fruit juice concentrate
• High fructose corn syrup
• Honey (processed)
• Licorice
• Maltodextrin
• Maple syrup
• Marshmallows
• Milk chocolate
• Molasses
• Neotame
• Processed brown sugar
DAIRY
LOW SUGAR IMPACT:
• Flax milk (unsweetened)
• Full-fat cheeses (avoid blue cheese due to gluten)
• Full-fat cream cheese
• Full-fat grass-fed milk
• Full-fat organic milk
• Full-fat plain cottage cheese
• Monk fruit sweetened coconut ice cream
• Mozzarella
• Coconut creamer (no sugar added)
• Coconut, cashew or almond milk (no sugar added)
• Organic creamer
• Organic, plain full-fat Greek-style yogurt
• Plain dairy or coconut kefir
• Ricotta cheese
MEDIUM SUGAR IMPACT:
• Cream cheese spread (low-fat or full-fat)
• Half-and-half
• Low-fat cheese
• Neufchatel cheese
• Organic low-fat or non-fat plain Greek-style yogurt
• Part-skim mozzarella
• Part-skim ricotta
• Soy cheese
• Sweetened coconut milk creamer
• Unsweetened rice milk
• Whipped cream cheese
HIGH SUGAR IMPACT:
• 94% fat-free microwave popcorn and/or kettle corn
• Breakfast bars
• Carnation Instant Breakfast
• Creamsicles
• Dried fruit snacks
• Ensure
• Fat-free baked chips
• Fat-free muffins
• Fat-free pudding
• Flavored almond milk yogurt
• Flavored kefir
• Frozen yogurt
• Fruit-added cream cheese
• Fudgesicles
• Gelato
• Granola bars
• Hot cocoa
• Ice cream
• Lite Cool Whit
• Low-fat and Fat-free cookies
• Low-fat graham crackers
• Low-fat or fat-free ice cream
• Low-fat or light frozen dinners
• Low-fat Oreos
• Low or reduced-fat crackers
• Non-fat cheeses
• Non-fat cream cheese
• Pineapple cottage cheese
• Pretzels
• Protein bars
• Pudding
• Reduced-fat macaroni and cheese
DRESSINGS AND CONDIMENTS
LOW SUGAR IMPACT:
• Avocado oil
• Hot sauce
• Macadamia nut oil
• Mustard
• Olive Oil
• Olives
• Pesto
• Salsa
• Sesame
• Sour Dill pickles
• Tabasco
• Tapenade
• Vinegar
• Walnut oil
• Wheat-free tamari
MEDIUM SUGAR IMPACT:
• Bread and butter pickles
• Caesar dressing
• Fish sauce
• Green curry sauce
• Italian dressing
• Marinara sauce (no sugar added)
• Pickle relish
• Red curry sauce
• Sweet pickle relish
• Sweet pickles
• Tomato sauce
HIGH SUGAR IMPACT:
• Asian-style salad dressing
• Balsamic vinaigrette
• Balsamic vinegar
• BBQ sauce
• Blue cheese dressing
• Brown sauce
• Catalina dressing
• Cocktail sauce
• French dressing
• Hoisin sauce
• Honey mustard
• Honey mustard dressing
• Hot and sour sauce
• Ketchup
• Marinara sauce (sugar added)
• Peanut sauce
• Ranch dressing
• Raspberry vinaigrette
• Steak sauce
• Sweet chili sauce
• Tartar sauce
• Teriyaki sauce
• Thousand Island dressing
• Worchestershire sauce
DRINKS
LOW SUGAR IMPACT:
• All teas
• Green drinks (greens only-no fruit, carrot, or beet added)
• Green tea (no sugar added)
• Coffee and decaf coffee
• Sparkling mineral water
• Unsweetened coconut water
• Unsweetened fruit essence teas
• Water
MEDIUM SUGAR IMPACT:
• Tomato juice
• V8 (not with fruit juice)
• Kombucha tea (no sugar added)
HIGH SUGAR IMPACT:
• Capri Sun
• Carnation Instant Breakfast
• Carrot juice
• Commerical "smothies"
• "Enhanced" waters (with sweeteners)
• Fruit juices
• Fuze
• Gatorade
• Kool-Aid
• PowerAde
• Rockstar energy drink
• Slim-Fast
• Sobe
• Soda
• Sweet tea
• Sweetened coconut water
• Vitaminwater and most vitamin-supplemented waters
*Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before starting any new treatment or discontinuing an existing treatment. Talk with your healthcare provider about any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
LOW SUGAR IMPACT:
• Acorn squash
• Artichoke
• Asparagus
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Butternut squash
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chard
• Cucumber
• Eggplant
• Kale
• Kale chips
• Lettuces
• Mushrooms
• Okra
• Onions
• Peppers
• Pumpkin
• Snow peas
• Spaghetti squash
• Spinach
• Turnips
• Zucchini
MEDIUM SUGAR IMPACT:
• Beets
• Parsnips
• Rutabaga
• Sweet potatoes
• Yams
HIGH SUGAR IMPACT:
• Beet Juice
• Carrot juice
• French fries
• Mashed potatoes
• Potato chips
• Root veggie chips
• Sweet potato fries
• White potatoes
FRUITS
LOW SUGAR IMPACT:
• Acai berries (no sugar added)
• Avocado
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupe
• Cranberries
• Gazpacho
• Grapefruit
• Guava
• Lemons
• Limes
• Nectarines
• Olives
• Oranges
• Peaches
• Persimmon
• Raspberries Star fruit
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
MEDIUM SUGAR IMPACT:
• Apples
• Apricots
• Bananas
• Cherries
• Dates
• Fresh figs
• Grapes
• Honeydew
• Kiwi
• Mango
• Papaya
• Pears
• Pineapple
• Plums
• Pomegranate
• Sundried tomatoes
• Tangerines
• Tomato juice
• Tomato paste
• Tomato sauce
• V8 juice
• Watermelon
HIGH SUGAR IMPACT:
• All dried fruit
• Fruit leather
• Fruit juices
• Jams
• Preserves and conserve
• Nectar
• Sorbet
• Fruit juice concentrates
• Canned fruit cocktail
• Fruit juice Popsicles
SWEETENERS
LOW SUGAR IMPACT:
• 100% dark chocolate
• 85% dark chocolate
• Erythritol
• Inulin
• Chicory
• Monk fruit
• Stevia
• Xylitol
MEDIUM SUGAR IMPACT:
• 70% or higher dark chocolate
• Blackstrap molasses
• Cane syrup (non-GMO)
• Coconut palm sugar
• Coconut sugar
• Glucose (aka dextrose(non-GMO)
• Local organic raw honey
• Mannitol
• Raw brown sugar (nonprocessed)
• Rice syrup
• Sorbitol
HIGH SUGAR IMPACT:
• 70% dark chocolate
• Acesulfame-K
• Agave
• Candy
• Caramel sauce
• Chocolate syrup
• Crystalline fructose
• Fruit juice concentrate
• High fructose corn syrup
• Honey (processed)
• Licorice
• Maltodextrin
• Maple syrup
• Marshmallows
• Milk chocolate
• Molasses
• Neotame
• Processed brown sugar
DAIRY
LOW SUGAR IMPACT:
• Flax milk (unsweetened)
• Full-fat cheeses (avoid blue cheese due to gluten)
• Full-fat cream cheese
• Full-fat grass-fed milk
• Full-fat organic milk
• Full-fat plain cottage cheese
• Monk fruit sweetened coconut ice cream
• Mozzarella
• Coconut creamer (no sugar added)
• Coconut, cashew or almond milk (no sugar added)
• Organic creamer
• Organic, plain full-fat Greek-style yogurt
• Plain dairy or coconut kefir
• Ricotta cheese
MEDIUM SUGAR IMPACT:
• Cream cheese spread (low-fat or full-fat)
• Half-and-half
• Low-fat cheese
• Neufchatel cheese
• Organic low-fat or non-fat plain Greek-style yogurt
• Part-skim mozzarella
• Part-skim ricotta
• Soy cheese
• Sweetened coconut milk creamer
• Unsweetened rice milk
• Whipped cream cheese
HIGH SUGAR IMPACT:
• 94% fat-free microwave popcorn and/or kettle corn
• Breakfast bars
• Carnation Instant Breakfast
• Creamsicles
• Dried fruit snacks
• Ensure
• Fat-free baked chips
• Fat-free muffins
• Fat-free pudding
• Flavored almond milk yogurt
• Flavored kefir
• Frozen yogurt
• Fruit-added cream cheese
• Fudgesicles
• Gelato
• Granola bars
• Hot cocoa
• Ice cream
• Lite Cool Whit
• Low-fat and Fat-free cookies
• Low-fat graham crackers
• Low-fat or fat-free ice cream
• Low-fat or light frozen dinners
• Low-fat Oreos
• Low or reduced-fat crackers
• Non-fat cheeses
• Non-fat cream cheese
• Pineapple cottage cheese
• Pretzels
• Protein bars
• Pudding
• Reduced-fat macaroni and cheese
DRESSINGS AND CONDIMENTS
LOW SUGAR IMPACT:
• Avocado oil
• Hot sauce
• Macadamia nut oil
• Mustard
• Olive Oil
• Olives
• Pesto
• Salsa
• Sesame
• Sour Dill pickles
• Tabasco
• Tapenade
• Vinegar
• Walnut oil
• Wheat-free tamari
MEDIUM SUGAR IMPACT:
• Bread and butter pickles
• Caesar dressing
• Fish sauce
• Green curry sauce
• Italian dressing
• Marinara sauce (no sugar added)
• Pickle relish
• Red curry sauce
• Sweet pickle relish
• Sweet pickles
• Tomato sauce
HIGH SUGAR IMPACT:
• Asian-style salad dressing
• Balsamic vinaigrette
• Balsamic vinegar
• BBQ sauce
• Blue cheese dressing
• Brown sauce
• Catalina dressing
• Cocktail sauce
• French dressing
• Hoisin sauce
• Honey mustard
• Honey mustard dressing
• Hot and sour sauce
• Ketchup
• Marinara sauce (sugar added)
• Peanut sauce
• Ranch dressing
• Raspberry vinaigrette
• Steak sauce
• Sweet chili sauce
• Tartar sauce
• Teriyaki sauce
• Thousand Island dressing
• Worchestershire sauce
DRINKS
LOW SUGAR IMPACT:
• All teas
• Green drinks (greens only-no fruit, carrot, or beet added)
• Green tea (no sugar added)
• Coffee and decaf coffee
• Sparkling mineral water
• Unsweetened coconut water
• Unsweetened fruit essence teas
• Water
MEDIUM SUGAR IMPACT:
• Tomato juice
• V8 (not with fruit juice)
• Kombucha tea (no sugar added)
HIGH SUGAR IMPACT:
• Capri Sun
• Carnation Instant Breakfast
• Carrot juice
• Commerical "smothies"
• "Enhanced" waters (with sweeteners)
• Fruit juices
• Fuze
• Gatorade
• Kool-Aid
• PowerAde
• Rockstar energy drink
• Slim-Fast
• Sobe
• Soda
• Sweet tea
• Sweetened coconut water
• Vitaminwater and most vitamin-supplemented waters
*Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before starting any new treatment or discontinuing an existing treatment. Talk with your healthcare provider about any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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