Let’s not sugarcoat it – we are eating way too much of the bad stuff. Not only is it ‘the easy option’ in our increasingly busy lives, it’s also become acceptable for big companies to mass produce high sugar, low quality food which in undeniably causing huge problems. Low sugar is more important than ever before.
Figures show that more than two-thirds of men and almost six in 10 women are overweight or obese in the UK – a figure which is on the rise faster than your order at McDonalds.
A total of 62% of adults are bigger than they should be, compared with just over 50% two decades ago. With more and more of us ditching home cooking for processed, high sugar alternatives, what are those stats going to look like in another 20 years?
Sneaky Sugar
Perhaps more worryingly than the fact that we eat too much sugar, is the fact that we don’t always know when we’re eating it. In an age of processed food for maximum profit, really high amounts of sugar can be found in foods we don’t expect. Some of the main offenders for sneaky sugar include:
Salad dressing
Dressings like this are high in sugar
Dressings, salad creams, even a splash of ketchup or dollop of mayo, can turn your healthy meal into an overly sweet sugar-fest. Pre-made sauces like that are absolutely loaded with sugar, and if you ask anyone on a low carb diet, they’ll probably tell you they avoid them like the plague.
Breakfast smoothies
Watch out for added sugar
As we already know, fruit is loaded with natural sugars, but this isn’t even the problem. Shop-bought, “ready to go” smoothie concoctions are (shock horror) swimming in sugars. In some cases, you may as well just chomp on a lump of chocolate for breakfast. It’s ALWAYS worth checking the label, or better still, make your own smoothie at home.
Pasta sauce
Buy Nowt Poncy sauce for guaranteed low sugar
Perhaps one of the biggest culprits in terms of ‘surprise sugar’ – as a number of people tend not to think of pasta sauce as something which is particularly high. Nothing can beat a little home cooking here if you want to make sure you are limiting your sugar intake, but if you are buying shop-bought, it’s always worth checking the label. Nowt Poncy pasta sauces and cooking sauces are famous for their low sugar content 🙂
Yoghurts
Sugar content can be very high in yoghurt
We all love a good yoghurt, but again, watch out for the cheaper ones of the ones that seem really good value for money. You get what you pay for, and in many cases, you can be loading up on sugar without meaning to. Go for a Greek yoghurt and add a little honey for a healthier option.
Reducing your Sugar Intake
You don’t have to fully commit to a low carb diet or never eating sweet things ever again, as that would be a miserable existence. But what you CAN do is shop more wisely. Cutting back just a little bit on your sugar intake can have a noticeable effect on your weight, your energy levels, sleep, and even chance of getting type 2 diabetes.
Nowt Poncy Sauces
Well, we’re not into boasting, but on this occasion we can’t resist. One of Nowt Poncy’s proudest moments was being certified “low sugar” by international food authority Sugarwise.
The cooking sauces were taken away and tested in a lab, and the results were impressive, with all 5 coming in as either ‘certified low sugar’ or ‘certified free from added sugars’.
“This is a notable achievement by the Nowt Poncy Food Company”, says Sugarwise CEO Rend Platings. “We are in an age where we have to be vigilant, the sugar content in so many products these days are verging on criminal. There is a growing problem with obesity and diabetes, yet the food on the shelves is notoriously bad for us. Well done to Nowt Poncy for making these great products which are honest, delicious and good for you. More companies should follow in their footsteps.”
Low Sugar Cooking Sauces from Nowt Poncy
These lovely creations are known as “The Big 5” and Nowt Poncy has just put an offer on to get them ALL at a discounted price! Tomato and Basil, Big Easy Creole, Arrabbiata Sauce, Curry Sauce AND L’Amore É Pizza Sauce, imagine all the low sugar, delicious cooking you could do with them all?
