Wellness for the Family: How to be the Sugar Detective

October is National Dental Hygiene Month, and in addition to brushing and flossing our teeth daily, cutting down on our sugar intake – can decrease the chances of tooth decay and/or cavities. But, it can be hard to cut out the sugar, especially when it’s hidden in unsuspecting foods.

“The average person consumes about 150 pounds of sugar every year,” says BCBS registered dietitian, Shanthi Appelö. “Many of those sugars are hard to detect”.

When we see food items that are low-fat or fat-free, we tend to think they are 100% healthy. To compensate for the lack of flavor, some ‘health’ foods like salad dressings, greek yogurt, and protein bars add in processed sugar. “Depending on the protein bar, it can have as much sugar in it as a 2-pack of Reese’s peanut butter cups”.

In this edition of Wellness for the Family, Shanthi shows us how to be ‘Sugar Detectives’ – and why making our own ‘health foods’ can give us more control over what we put into our mouths and bodies.

Check out her recipes below for low-sugar alternatives to some of our favorite health foods.

Lower-sugar Pumpkin Greek Yogurt Breakfast Parfait

Ingredients

• 2 individual serving containers Greek pumpkin yogurt of your choice
• 1 large container plain Greek yogurt, nonfat
• 1 apple and 1 pear of your choice, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 cup slivered almonds
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 ^o
2. Combine apples pears, brown sugar, cinnamon, and slivered almonds in an oven-safe dish. Bake covered for 30-45 minutes, or until your desired softness.
3. Layer plain Greek yogurt, pumpkin yogurt, and cinnamon apple/pear mixture in an 8 oz glass.

Simple and Classic Vinaigrette – Your Way

Ingredients

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 small shallot, minced
• 1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional – make the dressing your own by adding your choice of herb or fruit (a few chives, a sprig of tarragon, orange peel, strawberry, or another favorite)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender.
2. Store any extra in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

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