Ah, summer. I LOVE summer. I love being outside, at the beach, in the ocean, by the pool… basically everything great about summertime. I complain about the cold all winter long, but you will never hear me complain about the heat. Once the weather gets warm, everyone fires up those grills and barbecue season begins. I love this too. Grilling is an easy clean up and it is a simple way to cook. However, BBQ season brings with it a hidden source of added sugar: sauces.
The two big sauces in summertime are ketchup and barbecue sauce. Unfortunately, both can be loaded with sugar and/or corn syrup – it’s what makes them so sweet. Most ketchup and barbecue sauces have at least 4 grams of sugar per tablespoon, and some have more. Government guidelines are vague with respect to how much added sugar should be consumed, but the American Heart Association recommends limiting intake of added sugar to no more than 100 calories a day for women, and 150 calories a day for men. Since sugar and corn syrup is added to so many foods, it is helpful to be aware where these hidden calories may be lurking.
I am not saying to avoid all sauces. Seriously, smoked ribs need their barbecue sauce! However, it is important to be aware of what you are eating. Many people try to avoid sugar for health reasons or to promote weight loss, but they may not realize how much sugar is in the sauce on their grilled chicken breast.
It is not difficult to determine whether sugar is added – just take a look at the ingredient label. Heinz ketchup lists “high fructose corn syrup” as one of the main ingredients. If you are searching around for a barbecue sauce, look at any words on the label that end with “-ose”, such as fructose, maltose or sucrose. Ingredients are listed on a label in descending order based on their content, so the higher up the sugar is in the list, the more sugar is contained in the item.
Some sauces are made without added sugar, and you always have the option to make your own sauce or just use spices. If you opt for those regular yummy sauces, at least you can be aware of what you are consuming.
I know that I will be enjoying some awesome barbecue next weekend for the 4th of July. I hope you all do the same!
Leave a Reply