60+ Sneaky Names for Sugar - and Why You Crave Every One of Them!

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The unsweet, granulated truth is that sugar is added to many processed foods, and manufacturers often use several different types, by several different names, so they can hide the real amount.

If you think about it, it’s no wonder we crave sugar so often (and intensely), as it’s everywhere - and avoiding it is no easy task, either.

Let’s sprinkle some sweetness into what’s really in a name, and uncover a number of healthier natural sweeteners and sugar alternatives.

What causes sugar cravings?

Reportedly up to 97% of women and 68% of men say they experience some sort of food craving, including cravings for sugar.

Your body may experience a craving for the sweet stuff (sometimes rather intensely) because it needs sugar to function optimally and for an energy boost. Sugar cravings can be just as reward-based, habitual, or even psychological as much as they are physical.

Common reasons for craving are:

  • Poor sleep

  • Response to high stress

  • Dehydration

  • Skipping meals and unbalanced diet - including too little carbohydrate (and sugar) intake

  • Nutrient deficiency, including low iron levels

  • Using too many artificial sweeteners

  • Always using sugar/sweet food as a reward

  • Depression and depressed mood

60+ other nicknames for the sweet stuff!

Look for ingredients listed on packaged foods ending in -ose and ingredients or foods labeled as ‘syrup’ -- both are just code for SUGAR! As adapted from Experience Life online magazine, here are 60+ names for sugar:

  1. Agave nectar

  2. Barbados sugar

  3. Barley malt

  4. Barley malt syrup

  5. Beet sugar

  6. Brown sugar

  7. Buttered syrup

  8. Cane juice

  9. Cane juice crystals

  10. Cane sugar

  11. Caramel

  12. Carob syrup

  13. Castor sugar

  14. Coconut palm sugar

  15. Coconut sugar

  16. Confectioner’s sugar

  17. Corn sweetener

  18. Corn syrup

  19. Corn syrup solids

  20. Date sugar

  21. Dehydrated cane juice

  22. Demerara sugar

  23. Dextrin

  24. Dextrose

  25. Evaporated cane juice

  26. Free-flowing brown sugars

  27. Fructose

  28. Fruit juice

  29. Fruit juice concentrate

  30. Glucose

  31. Glucose solids

  32. Golden sugar

  33. Golden syrup

  34. Grape sugar

  35. HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup)

  36. Honey

  37. Icing sugar

  38. Invert sugar

  39. Malt syrup

  40. Maltodextrin

  41. Maltol

  42. Maltose

  43. Mannose

  44. Maple syrup

  45. Molasses

  46. Muscovado

  47. Palm sugar

  48. Panocha

  49. Powdered sugar

  50. Raw sugar

  51. Refiner’s syrup

  52. Rice syrup

  53. Saccharose

  54. Sorghum syrup

  55. Sucrose

  56. Sugar (granulated)

  57. Sweet sorghum

  58. Syrup

  59. Treacle

  60. Turbinado sugar

  61. Yellow sugar

Keep it sweet, but make it natural

There's no need to avoid naturally-occurring sugars found in whole foods as fruit and veggies do contain small amounts of carbohydrate (sugar). But, they also contain beneficial nutrients and other health-promoting compounds like fiber and antioxidants.

However, the negative effects of sugar consumption (that we’re made abundantly aware of in the media) are due to the staggering amount of added sugar that is present in the standard Western diet.

At the most basic level, the most effective way to reduce your overall sugar intake is to eat a diet rich in whole and unprocessed foods. However, if you do buy packaged foods, be aware of all those different names that sugar goes by! Remember, just because it’s a natural sugar doesn’t mean it’s healthy. It’s still sugar.

Keeping that in mind, be a savvier shopper, and don’t be swayed by claims of “all natural,” “unrefined,” or “organic” on sweetener packages. While these claims may even be true, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a healthier product, has fewer grams of sugar, fewer calories, or confers any health benefit. Always beware the “health halo,” especially when it comes to packaged foods.

But, when you are going to make a purchase of a sweetener or need to use one in a recipe, here are your best bets:

  1. Xylitol (from birch sugar)

  2. Erythritol

  3. Honey, raw/unrefined

  4. Pure maple syrup

  5. Stevia (my top choice because it’s calorie-free!)

  6. Coconut (palm) sugar

  7. Medjool dates/date sugar

  8. Monk fruit

  9. Blackstrap molasses

  10. Yacon

Take a look through your cupboards and see if you have any of the sneaky sugars I’ve listed. Then, consider replacing them with one of the alternatives that won’t cause such a negative impact to your health, and may help with those pesky sugar cravings too!

Health, NutritionKelly MorganHealth, NutritionComment