October is here. The beginning of the holiday season and pumpkin spice everything! This is also a time when we eat more sugary foods than normal. We all know the obvious foods that contain sugar – cake, cookies, and sodas – but it’s the hidden sugars that we need to become aware of.
- COFFEE DRINKS…Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latte has 50 grams of sugar (in a grande).
- SWEETENERS…Stevia in the raw packets, which sound healthy, contain dextrose (sugar) as its first ingredient.
- DRIED FRUIT…We don’t think anything about pouring Craisens (for example) over our salads or cereal, but ¼ cup contains 29 grams or 6 tsp of sugar.
- SMOOTHIES….These are another surprise! We are lead to believe that they are a fast, healthy meal option. Unfortunately, most commercial smoothies contain at least 12 tsp of sugar!
- GREEN JUICES….The variety found at the grocery store sounds like an easy way to hit our daily veggie quota, and most bottles say “no added sugar.” Yet despite its name, the drink is mostly fruit juice and contains 12 tsp of sugar.
Look closely at labels and nutritional information to find these sneaky sugar foods and limit the amount you consume. Your dental health, as well as your whole health, will be much better for it. If you do consume some sweet treats you can swish with water to help immediately cleanse your teeth. Of course, brush and floss twice a day. That is the very best thing we can do for our gums and teeth!
