hi Lisa,

You're right .. it's important to eliminate added sugar as much as possible. The trouble is .. sugar in one form or another is in almost everything, even foods we'd consider to be low carb and sugar free!!

Commercially made mayonnaise is just one example. Do you use heavy cream?? Chances are, unless you're buying certified organic, additive-free cream ( mega $$$) it's got dextrose added to it. Like mayonnaise, it's just a trace amount .. but still . I checked into this a few years back, apparently it's added in amounts of "less than 1/10'th of 1%" to adjust the pH for improved shelf-life. Not really a significant source of added sugar if you're only consuming small amounts, but could be a problem if you're swigging it down by the cupful.

Do you use powdered artificial sweetener, such as Splenda or SugarTwin?? Check the label, they've got dextrose and maltodextrin as the filler. This is true for both the little individual packets and the bulk "measures just like sugar" types. In fact, it's the filler that contributes *all* of the carbs and calories in those sweeteners. This is the main reason why Dr. Atkins recommended limiting sweetener packets to 3 per day while on Induction .

Most commercial brands of bacon have added sugar. Hint: I've found that sodium-reduced versions tend to have no added sugar, or much less than in the regular high-salt type. Of course, less salt and sugar as preservatives means low-salt bacon has a shorter shelf-life .. once the package is opened, you need to use it up -- or freeze -- within a few days.

Anyway .. this isn't meant to turn you off these things, if you're currently enjoying them. Personally, I don't worry about low carb foods that contain trace amounts of added sugar, keeping in mind the serving size and don't go overboard.


hth


Doreen