Are you concerned or confused about sugar? You’re not alone. The list of foods once deemed healthy, enjoyed by our grandparents, and fed to our children, seems to be shrinking every day. We’re constantly bombarded with news that something once considered good for us is now harmful. And before we’ve had a chance to adjust to the bland, cheaper substitutes pushed by big food companies, we discover that these solutions are worse than the original—or that we’re being asked to accept something that tastes awful for the sake of our health. Our understanding of what is good for our health is continually evolving, and it’s time to include sweeteners in that evaluation.

Let’s dive into sugar. Don’t worry, I’m not here to either praise or vilify it. Instead, let's look at the full picture.

What is Sugar?

Sugar is a carbohydrate. While not as appetizing in its raw form as a plate of pasta, it is a carb nonetheless. Sugar comes in four primary forms (though there are specialty sugars like maltose, which we won’t cover here):

• Glucose
• Fructose
• Sucrose
• Lactose

The body processes these sugars differently. While they may taste similar unless you have a very talented palate, they have different impacts on the body.

Your body recognizes carbohydrates (including sugar) and uses them for energy. This energy is used immediately or stored in our muscles and/or liver as glycogen—energy held in reserve for when we need that sudden burst, like when a saber-toothed tiger jumps out at us. While it might sound helpful to have some energy in reserve, this energy is often stored as fat in our muscles and liver. Although fat is an efficient energy source, it’s not the first one your body seeks out (unless you’re on a keto diet). This can lead to fat accumulation, which in turn leads to various health issues. As sugars in all forms—from fruit concentrates to high fructose corn syrup to artificial sweeteners—have become more prevalent, our weight and stored body fat have skyrocketed.

• Glucose is your body’s favorite. Your body breaks down carbs into glucose, a simple sugar (monosaccharide) that floats around in your bloodstream, using enzymes to kickstart your metabolism. Any excess glucose that isn’t used in that last sprint around the block gets stored as energy. Plus, your body is smart—if you consume too much glucose, it will release insulin, which helps store the leftover glucose in your muscles as energy. A healthy body will know just how to handle glucose when everything is in balance.

• Fructose is a tricky little molecule (and also a monosaccharide). It occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables, and when consumed in its natural form, the high fiber content in these foods slows the absorption of fructose. This is important because your body prefers glucose and will use it first. Fructose is not used as an energy source for the brain or muscles; what doesn’t get burned is stored as fat, particularly in the liver.

Fructose is added to many products because it’s cheap and very sweet. In its processed form—without fiber—fructose is absorbed quickly through the small intestines, leading to a sugar high. This rapid absorption disrupts our body’s natural ability to regulate energy, hunger, and satiety levels, and it desensitizes us to sweetness, training us to crave sweeter foods. Sometimes called fruit concentrates, processed fructose is more damaging on a gram-per-gram basis than other natural sweeteners. It impairs insulin sensitivity and, since it is stored as fat in the liver, can harm liver function. Fructose from an apple, a date, or grapes is not the same as eating a whole fruit. When fructose is processed, the fiber is eliminated, turning it into a processed sugar rather than a whole food filled with fiber, phytonutrients, and naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. Processed fructose can be unhealthy.

• Sucrose is what we commonly think of as table sugar. It can be highly processed or used in its raw form. Sucrose is a disaccharide, meaning it has two molecules: one glucose and one fructose. Your body breaks down sucrose into the individual molecules and uses each as previously described. Remember, glucose is the preferred source and will be used first, while fructose will either be immediately burned if needed or stored in the liver as fat. The amount of fructose in products using sucrose is much lower than in those using strictly fructose sweeteners.

• Lactose is the sugar naturally occurring in the milk of all mammals. Children and infants have a natural sweet tooth, and milk has sugars. We are programmed to like sweetness from the start, which helps infants with nursing and bonding with their mothers. Lactose is a disaccharide consisting of glucose and galactose. Galactose is crucial for brain and nerve tissue development, especially in infants. Lactose in milk, especially in breast milk, aids in the development of bacteria in the gut, helping build a strong immune system. Lactose is generally not found in non-dairy foods but can sometimes be used as fillers in capsules and tablets.

Fun Fact: Lactose is sometimes used as a sweetener in beer. Yeast does not metabolize lactose into alcohol, making beer sweeter, creamier, and more full-bodied.

Hidden Sugars

When is zero not really zero? When you see it on the back of the nutrition panel on most processed foods as 0 grams of sugar. It doesn’t really mean zero, not in most cases. In many instances, it means that the product is loaded with alternative sweeteners. Sugar alcohols, Stevia (technically not a sugar but used as a sweetener), and sometimes, under specific labeling laws, fructose, are common culprits. Anything ending in ‘ose’ or ‘ol’ are either sugar alcohols or products used as sweeteners that do not have to be listed as sugar on a nutrition label. They’re added because we like the taste, they’re cheap, and we want that zero added sugar label on the package.

Sugar alcohols, such as erythritol and xylitol, are commonly used sweeteners and/or thickeners that don’t have to be listed as sugars. They’re a mix of sugar molecules and alcohol, often combined with artificial sweeteners to boost sweetness or taste. While sugar alcohols are usually lower in calories than sugar, they can be significantly sweeter to the taste. Erythritol, one of the most common sugar alcohols, is a fermented genetically modified cornstarch. These sugar alcohols are not easily absorbed in the small intestines, which can cause bloating and gas. They can be particularly hard on children’s stomachs or anyone with sensitive digestive issues.

Let’s face it: we usually buy products that taste good. We want healthy, but we want healthy that tastes good. And we want it to be cheap. So, we end up with processed foods packed with sugar, salt, and fat.

So, What’s the Fix?

A little more honesty in labeling practices would help. New labeling guidelines were implemented in 2020 for large companies and in 2021 for smaller companies, so help is on the way. But more importantly, a better understanding of sugar and food labeling is critical. Don’t just look at the nutrition panel—read the ingredient list. It gives you a complete list of everything in the product and an idea of how much of each ingredient is used. The first ingredient listed is the largest by percentage, while the last is the smallest. Companies often use three or four different types of sugars and alcohols to sweeten their products, allowing them to break up the individual sugars and/or sugar alcohols into smaller amounts and move them down the ingredient list. It’s sweeteners hiding in plain sight. If three of the first five ingredients end in ‘ol,’ then the product has a ton of sweeteners, even if it claims to have 0, 1, or 2 grams of sugar on the nutritional panel. Now you know.

The Right Way to Think About Sugar

Sixty percent of all American calories come from “ultra-processed” foods. We all know the best foods are fresh from our gardens and free of pesticides and additives, but let’s be real. We live busy, modern lives. Most of us don’t have vegetable gardens or even access to farmers’ markets. It’s just not possible to get all of our daily calories from only whole, unprocessed foods. This is a worldwide problem, not just an American one. Since 1980, the obesity rate has doubled in 73 countries and increased in 113 countries. In that same period, not one nation has reduced its obesity levels (for more information on obesity, please read “Everything You Know About Obesity Is Wrong” by Michael Hobbes, 2018).

Slicing and dicing our diets into individual ingredients will not improve our health or help us lose weight. We need to look at our entire diet, including sugar. Sugar is not the devil. I’m not telling you to eat more sugar, but a healthy diet high in whole foods that includes vegetables and fruits can handle a little sugar. Studies show that overall calorie count is more important to weight loss than any individual ingredient. A study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition conducted on 350,000 adults over a decade found that an increase in sugar was not linked to an increase in death, heart disease, cancer, or Alzheimer’s. Moderation is the key. Natural sugars are better, and it’s wise to stay away from sugar substitutes.

Understand what you’re eating. Read the labels. It’s easy to get too much sugar if you believe that 0 grams of sugar on the nutrition panel really means sugar-free. Stick with food companies that have clean label policies. A glass of milk has about 12 grams of naturally occurring sugar (lactose), which is significantly better for your child than a diet soda or sports drink that has “zero” calories. One large carrot has approximately 4 grams of naturally occurring sugar and is much better for your child’s health than a cookie claiming to have “zero” grams of sugar and added vitamins. A medium-sized apple has about 16 grams of natural sugar, but it’s still healthier than a glass of apple juice, which has about 36 grams of sugar without the fiber content.

Be aware of sugar, but don’t be afraid of it.

Top 3 Common Sugar Myths

1. Sugar Alternatives Will Help You Lose Weight: Aspartame, Sucralose, Saccharin, and other sugar substitutes are popular because they mimic the sweetness of sugar while boasting zero or low-calorie content. But fewer calories don’t necessarily mean weight loss. Studies show that consumption of these sugar substitutes can lead to weight gain. They’ve also been linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and metabolic disorders. Sugar substitutes can disrupt your blood sugar, make it harder to control your hunger, and negatively impact your gut biome.

2. Raw Sugars Are Healthier Than Refined Sugars: While raw sugars do have small amounts of phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, the amounts are minimal and don’t offer more substantive health benefits than refined sugars. Sugar from plants, such as cane sugar, maple syrup, brown sugar, coconut sugar, and sugars from fruits, all break down in your body the same way. Your body will digest it, and either burn it as energy or store it as fat.

3. Don’t Eat Fruit; It’s Filled with Sugar: Let’s use some common sense. Fruit is packed with fiber, phytonutrients, and vitamins and minerals that your body can easily absorb. Fruit is a great natural sweetener for your morning smoothie or as an addition to cereal or yogurt. Fruits and vegetables are also excellent sources of hydration. Instead of juicing your food, try eating your water by consuming whole fruits and vegetables with high water content. You’ll feel better, stay hydrated, and lose weight as part of a sensible diet. Eat your fruit. Eat your veggies. Eat your water.

Sneakz and Sugar

We’re always looking for ways to improve our products, including reducing sugar and increasing vegetables. We’re committed to using whole food ingredients and believe that organic cane sugar is the best sweetener at this point. It’s easy for your body to digest, a stable and safe form of sugar, and has a low impact on your glycemic index when combined with fiber. Your body won’t differentiate between organic cane sugar, maple syrup, date sugar, coconut sugar, or other natural sugars, so we’ll stick with cane sugar for now. It’s reliable. We’re conscious of the overall calorie count and sweetness levels. Our products are nutrient-dense due to our vegetable content, yet low in calories—perfect for an overall healthy diet.

Eat healthier foods, and you’ll get healthier. It’s not a simple problem, and there aren’t any immediate answers. But we can do better, and it starts with understanding what’s in the foods we eat. The secret is in the label.

We’re dedicated to helping you get less processed foods and more vegetables into your diet.

The first product we will be re-introducing is our Meal2Grow Super Food Mix. And by 'super foods' we mean vegetables you've heard of; carrots, cauliflower, spinach. sweet potatoes, and more. This product will be packed full of nutrients that every child needs but especially kids that have fallen behind on the height and weight chart. Or kids that are picky eaters. We may not add any sugar at all. We're researching. It will be up to you, the parent, to add the sugar that you have the most confidence in. 

But you do what works and tastes best for you.

We promise to keep researching and studying overall nutrition and especially sweeteners. If we learn of better ways to prepare our products, or make them healthier, either in production methods or ingredients, we will make the changes.

We will keep learning and improving.