You’re a health-conscious person. You know that sugar is harmful in large quantities but OK in moderation. You also know that includes less-obvious sources like honey, agave and maple syrup.
But did you know that you could unknowingly be eating a number of sugar bombs every day? The sweet stuff goes by numerous aliases, all of which could be sneaking into your diet.
Here, eight alternative names for sugar you need to know to make even more informed health choices.
What it is: A dried cereal grain, malted barley is a main ingredient in beer as well as candies like Whoppers.
What it is: Just in case the ingredient “buttered syrup” wasn't enough of a red flag, steer clear of anything with “syrup” in its name. Notable examples include carob syrup, golden syrup, rice syrup and sorghum syrup.
What it is: Found in soda and candy, maltodextrin is also used in light peanut butter to reduce its fat content but maintain its texture. It’s also used to improve the mouthfeel of beer.
What it is: Muscovado is partially refined to unrefined brown sugar. It tastes very similar to molasses. Because of its deep flavor profile, it’s often found in marinades, barbecue sauces and other savory packaged items.
What it is: Similar to ingredients containing the word “syrup,” the suffix “-ose” (as in fructose, glucose, maltose, sucrose and more) often signifies sugar of some sort.
What it is: Treacle is the uncrystallized syrup made during the refining of sugar. It’s used frequently in British desserts--most notably treacle pudding and treacle tart, favorites of a fictional wizard named Harry Potter.
What it is: A white solid with a smell similar to caramel, ethyl maltol is a commonly used sweetener and is often found in chewing gum.
What it is: While its name sounds like an ingredient in a diet pill, dextran is actually a sugar that occurs naturally in refined crystalline sugar, maple syrup and honey.
