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Trying to follow a whole food plant-based lifestyle but sugar keeps sneaking its way in? You're not alone! It can certainly feel like refined sugar is everywhere...because it kind of is. Worst of all, it's not always easy to identify as you're reading nutrition labels because manufacturers often use sneaky names for refined sugar! But rest easy, here's how to spot refined sugar in packaged foods.

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On This Page 

The Dangers of Refined Sugar Consumption

Refined vs. Natural Sugar 

Other Names for Refined Sugar on Food Labels 

5 Refined-Sugar Free WFPB Dessert Recipes 

Key Takeaways

The Dangers of Sugar Consumption

According to the American Heart Association, the daily recommended maximum amount of added sugar a person should consume is 38 grams for men and 25 grams for women. That's nine and six teaspoons respectively.  But in reality, the average person today consumes 42.5 teaspoons of sugar per day! 

Why is this a problem? Well, excess sugar consumption has serious adverse effects on your health. It contributes to weight gain, increasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. It impairs the immune system, leaving it more susceptible to infections and illnesses. It also speeds up the aging process on a cellular level, and may increase the risks for depression, and cancer. 

But something to note: not all sugars are created equally. Natural sugar is found in fruit, vegetables, and grains, and it's inherently already in foods, while added sugars are created artificially and added to foods during the manufacturing process. 

Here's why it matters what type of sugar you're ingesting. 

Refined vs. Natural Sugar: What You Need to Know on a WFPB Diet

Have a friend who told you not to eat too many fruits since they're high in sugar? While it's true that fruit is often high in sugar, it's worth understanding that our bodies react different to naturally-occurring sugar in fruit, vegetables, and grains than they do to the refined sugars added artificially to packaged, processed foods. 

Natural sugar in whole foods also comes with fiber, vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants that slow down its absorption in the blood and don't cause a spike in your blood glucose levels. Added sugars, like refined sugars in packaged foods or baked goods, don't have fiber or any of the nutrition the whole food contains. This causes the sugar to enter your blood stream quickly, which can lead to blood sugar spikes and dips.

Other Names for Refined Sugar on Food Labels

With that in mind, it can be hard to identify refined sugar in packaged foods because sugar has many different names, which makes it really easy for manufacturers to hide it in food labels — and very difficult for consumers who try to stay away from it.  Good news though: below you can find other common names for refined sugar so that you can make informed choices when grocery shopping on a WFPB diet! 

Cane juice

Cane sugar

Caramel

Corn syrup

Corn syrup solids

Barley malt

Barbados sugar

Beet sugar

Brown sugar

Buttered syrup

Confectioner’s sugar

Carob syrup

Dextrose

Diastatic malt

Ethyl maltol

Free flowing brown sugars

Fructose

Castor sugar

Date sugar

Dehydrated cane juice

Granulated sugar

Grape sugar

High fructose corn syrup

Honey

Icing sugar

Demerara sugar

Golden syrup

Invert sugar

Lactose

Malt

Maltodextrin

Dextran

Fruit juice

Fruit juice concentrate

Galactose

Glucose

Molasses

Muscovado

Panocha

Powdered sugar

Refiner’s syrup

Rice syrup

Sucrose

Treacle

Trehalose

Glucose solids

Golden sugar

Maltose

Malt syrup

Mannitol

Maple syrup

Raw sugar

Turbinado sugar

5 Refined-Sugar Free WFPB Dessert Recipes to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

No sugar, no problem! These five delicious refined-sugar free WFPB desserts will prove to you that you don't need refined sugar to experience the sweet life. 

1. Beet Brownies 

Image and Recipe from Nutriplanet 

These WFPB brownies feature earthy heart-healthy beets, and are naturally sweetened with dates, so you can enjoy them without any blood sugar spikes. 

Image and Recipe from Feasting On Fruit 

2. Chocolate Cupcakes 

Can you believe there isn't a gram of refined sugar in these mouth-watering chocolate cupcakes? It's true!

3. Raw Orange Chocolate Pudding 

Image and Recipe from Dreena Burton 

Chocolate and orange is a match made in dessert heaven, and thanks to this creamy pudding you don't need refined sugar to enjoy it!

4. Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream 

 

Image and Recipe from Plant-Based Cooking 

WFPB ice cream? Yep! You don't need dairy or refined sugar to enjoy your favorite sunny day treat. See for yourself with this genius recipe for strawberry "nice" cream.

5. Vegan Ferrero Rochers

Image and Recipe from One Green Planet  

No more cravings for those heavenly hazelnut bites.  You can now make them at home with this recipe; zero refined sugar, a 100% deliciousness. 

Key Takeaways

• Sugar is often hiding in plain side! There are many names for refined sugar, making it easy for food manufacturers to fool consumers.

• By learning other names for refined sugar you can arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make informed purchases at the grocery store — and stick with your WFPB diet! 

• Our bodies react very differently to refined sugar and whole foods with natural sugars!

• You can still satiate your sweet tooth on a WFPB diet by making delicious refined sugar-free desserts!

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Rafaela Michailidou is a Vegan Lifestyle Coach, and a freelance health and wellness content writer, with a Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.