Sugar is a family of substances that comes in a crystalline form that tastes sweet. At its most basic level sugar is a carbohydrate and is a food that is almost immediately absorbed and made available to the body for use.

 

Sugar is a natural substance but comes in many different forms and is known by many different names. Although sugar makes our food taste wonderful, it adds empty calories to our diet and in many cases (especially with prepared foods) is a completely unnecessary addition to our diet.

 

Below are some of the names for added sugars that may be listed on the label ingredients list. Sugar comes from natural sources so just because a product says its “All Natural” doesn’t mean that it is nutritious.