1. Check the Recommended Daily Allowance
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for the foods we eat are listed on their packages in the "nutrition facts" section. Measurements for calories and other nutrients are displayed so you know exactly what you're eating. Sugars are listed with carbohydrates, since starches turn into sugar during digestion. The one problem with this is there is no recommended daily allowance for sugar independently, as we're just not certain how much our bodies are supposed to have. But look at the overall carb content and check the percentage. If the carb content percentage is above eight to 10 percent, then it is safe to identify that food as a high-sugar food.
2. Identify the Ingredients
Something many people don't know is that the ingredients of the foods we eat are listed by volume, not by alphabetical order or another sorting method. That means the first ingredient in the list is the most prevalent ingredient. If, for example, you're reading the ingredients of a loaf of bread, then flour or some variation thereof will be the first ingredient. The primary ingredient in a can of spaghetti sauce is tomatoes. Read the ingredient list and note where sugar falls on that list. If it's near the bottom and the RDA for that product is low, then it's a low-sugar food. If sugar is one of the first three ingredients, then count on it being a high-sugar food. Also, it's important to know the different names and types of sugars so you can identify them on the list. Sucrose, fructose, maltodextrin, dextrose, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup are common sugars used in everyday foods.
3. Give It a Taste
When in doubt, or when you don't have the nutritional content handy, give it a little taste. Just a teaspoon should be able to tell you, by taste alone, how sweet something is. If the food leaves your mouth feeling like there's a little film inside, or you feel like your mouth is very moist then it likely has a lot of sugar in it. It can be tough to tell with some foods, particularly those that use sugar to enhance their savory flavor (chilis and pasta sauces, for example), but you can always ask whoever is providing your food whether there is sugar in the dish and how much is present.
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