Nutritional info on food packs as regards equiv sugar intake

[FGFlan]

I was looking at the Freshwell Low Carb Project app and was shocked to see the levels of sugar in everyday foods I eat. I know it was only a guide but they had a 150ml helping of porridge at 4.4 tsp of sugar! They didn't spec if it was made with milk or water or how many grams of oats it contained (I'm guessing 50g from a quick google) so not really helpful at all but as I say it was just a rough guide.
This got me worried as I eat a large helping of porridge (90g oats) once a week so I became curious. According to the nutritional info on the side of the pack per 100g of porridge oats is:
Carbohydrates 58g
of which sugars 1g

Okay so what does this equate to because from what I can see it equates to 1g or sugar which is a quarter of a tsp!

Same with white rice, according to the Freshwell Low Carb Project a 150g serving of boiled rice is 9.6 tsp of sugar!
Nutritional Info 100g on a pack of dried rice:
White Rice
Carbohydrates 32g
of which sugars 0.1g

When I see sugars listed in the nutritional info I'm assuming this encompasses natural and added sugar. What am I missing when I'm looking at their values?

 

[harbottle]

Sugar is just a ‘simple’ carb.
oats are more complex, but still get turned into glucose in the body and raise blood sugar.

 

[FGFlan]

Okay so I should be looking at the Carb level. Does this mean per 100g of oats 58g (Carb content) is glucose and equal to 14 tsp of sugar?

 

[harbottle]

Yes, 32g of carbs can end up as a lot of glucose in the blood. It may be digested slower than pure sugar, but it’ll end up in your bloodstream as glucose.

The total carbs is what you use.
(Unless you’re in the US)

 

[Leadinglights]

Okay so I should be looking at the Carb level. Does this mean per 100g of oats 58g (Carb content) is glucose and equal to 14 tsp of sugar?

You should be looking at the carb value, it will usually be per 100g or on some things will give per cracker or per recommended portion.
The reason you may look at the sugar is if deciding between 2 products with the same carbohydrate when you may choose the one with the lower 'sugar'.
When it comes to looking at the information the devil is in the detail.
Something may say so many carbs per slice but the slice may be smaller than another one which looks as if it has higher carbs but when you look at it per 100g it may be the same. So easy to be misled.

 

[Inka]

I really hate the way popular shows/people/sites do this with food - look your baked potato contains X teaspoons of sugar, ooh, shock horror!. It actually misleads and confuses many people. I had to spend a ridiculous amount of time explaining the ‘sugar’ rubbish to someone who thought it actually meant potatoes had sugar/sucrose in. It’s stupid and counterproductive.

@FGFlan just look at the carbs per portion and the portion size (many people eat far more than the recommended portion size of things like cereal, pasta and rice).

 

[s'nic]

Another thing to check when looking at carbs info per 100g is whether the numbers are 'as sold', or 'when cooked as directed'.
This particularly impacts the carbs eaten if it's a dried product, eg beans/pulses, or if your cooking method is very different from theirs, eg dry heat compared to boiling something will impact the cooked weight. These manufacturers can be annoying

 

[mashedupmatt]

This infographic shows how to work it out (the W is usually 100g)

So if something is 40g carbs per 100g of food and you are having 60g of it the calculation would be:

40 / 100 = 0.4

and 0.4 x 60 = 24g of carbs

 

[Drummer]

Okay so I should be looking at the Carb level. Does this mean per 100g of oats 58g (Carb content) is glucose and equal to 14 tsp of sugar?

No. In 100gm of oats there are 58gm of carbohydrate - it can be digested and will end up in the bloodstream - it does not mean that the glucose is in the oats.
In fruit, for instance the carbohydrate might be starches and sugars such as fructose, in table sugar the carbohydrate is sucrose, but they all add up.

 

[FGFlan]

Yes, 32g of carbs can end up as a lot of glucose in the blood. It may be digested slower than pure sugar, but it’ll end up in your bloodstream as glucose.

The total carbs is what you use.
(Unless you’re in the US)

Damn that's really, really scary. Porridge oats look so harmless and healthy but put huge amounts of glucose in my blood.

Looks like I'm going to have to change a few things. Thank you for confirming 🙂

 

[FGFlan]

Another thing to check when looking at carbs info per 100g is whether the numbers are 'as sold', or 'when cooked as directed'.
This particularly impacts the carbs eaten if it's a dried product, eg beans/pulses, or if your cooking method is very different from theirs, eg dry heat compared to boiling something will impact the cooked weight. These manufacturers can be annoying

Like what they do with sausages. It used to be that it was the total fat content before you cooked the sausage now they quote the fat content as a ratio post cooking i.e. grilling so it's a lot lower and looks healthier

 

[FGFlan]

No. In 100gm of oats there are 58gm of carbohydrate - it can be digested and will end up in the bloodstream - it does not mean that the glucose is in the oats.
In fruit, for instance the carbohydrate might be starches and sugars such as fructose, in table sugar the carbohydrate is sucrose, but they all add up.

Yes I know this, me just being a bit clumsy with my wording. What I meant was it will end up that amount as glucose in my blood.

 

[s'nic]

Like what they do with sausages. It used to be that it was the total fat content before you cooked the sausage now they quote the fat content as a ratio post cooking i.e. grilling so it's a lot lower and looks healthier

Exactly, it is essential to notice these things.
I had some raw salmon and the nutrition info said 'when cooked as directed' and their directions said to put oil in the pan. So their nutrition info was based on the amount of oil they chose to use. I personally would not have added that much as I was dealing with high cholesterol.
So yup, watch out for the silliness of the labelling

 

[Drummer]

Yes I know this, me just being a bit clumsy with my wording. What I meant was it will end up that amount as glucose in my blood.

As it is starchy grain, yes the breakdown product will be - I think - all glucose - it is half a century since I finished my degree course - but the amount and the rate of accumulation in the blood can be very different. I break down starches very quickly so my BG levels shoot up if I eat grains, peas and beans, starchy veges and high carb fruit is rocket fuel. Others can eat porridge and their levels are fine, legumes - no great problem - so there is no one answer.

 

[Inka]

Damn that's really, really scary. Porridge oats look so harmless and healthy but put huge amounts of glucose in my blood.

Looks like I'm going to have to change a few things. Thank you for confirming 🙂

I wouldn’t say they put “huge” amounts of glucose in (unless you’re eating bucketfuls!). Oats can be a good choice for some people and have heart health benefits. They’re not harmful. Why not a) eat a moderate portion; and b) test your blood sugar with a glucose meter before eating and again 2hrs after eating to see how your body deals with them?

A low carb diet can be anything up to 130g carbs per day.

 

[saffron15]

@FGFlan I loved porridge before diagnosis in July. As a result of info on the forum my usual breakfast now is full fat Greek style yoghurt berries, seeds and sometimes nuts. I still have an unopened packet of oats. I make with water cook in micro then add a splash of milk. I don't have sugar on cereal, I gave up sugar in drinks as a teen and later on cereal nothing to do with diabetes. I intend to try it and test before winter. I may start eating it again next winter.

At the moment my alternative breakfasts are omlette with cheese or mushrooms, frittata, poached egg or occasionally if late morning a fry up ( without beans or hash browns)

I cater for myself so sometimes I have " lunch/supper" for breakfast and yoghurt and fruit for the other meal. In fact I'm busy today so may have haggis, cauli, carrot for breakfast and yoghurt tonight.

 

[FGFlan]

As it is starchy grain, yes the breakdown product will be - I think - all glucose - it is half a century since I finished my degree course - but the amount and the rate of accumulation in the blood can be very different. I break down starches very quickly so my BG levels shoot up if I eat grains, peas and beans, starchy veges and high carb fruit is rocket fuel. Others can eat porridge and their levels are fine, legumes - no great problem - so there is no one answer.

That's so interesting how porridge and essentially any food can breakdown so differently in other people. I've just started wearing a glucose monitor and when I last ate porridge I noticed a big spike and was puzzled as my perception was porridge was a safe food with hardly any sugar but that's not how it works as I now know. I'm slowly going to be moving over completely to the Freshwell diet plan. It seems to be such an amazing resource and what's even more amazing she and they are not asking for any money in return for the work they've put in. That's rare these days.

 

[FGFlan]

I wouldn’t say they put “huge” amounts of glucose in (unless you’re eating bucketfuls!). Oats can be a good choice for some people and have heart health benefits. They’re not harmful. Why not a) eat a moderate portion; and b) test your blood sugar with a glucose meter before eating and again 2hrs after eating to see how your body deals with them?

A low carb diet can be anything up to 130g carbs per day.

From what I'm gleaning and I'm getting this message from the Glucose Goddess is one should aim to not necessarily have a flat glucose line but one that doesn't spike and to avoid rises/spikes of more than say 1.6 mmol/l. There didn't seem to be a focus and what your daily carb intake was but to have a line that doesn't go above, I think it was a figure just below 9 mmol/l.

 

[Inka]

The Glucose Goddess is very marmite. Many people have criticised her comments, and I think she’s very overhyped personally.

Spikes are normal in people without diabetes. Blood glucose moves up and down within the normal range. Only going up 1.6mmol would be ridiculous. I’ve measured friends’ blood sugars and they most definitely go up more than 1.6! None of them have diabetes.

I suggest reading from less….extreme? obsessed?…..sources.

 

[FGFlan]

@FGFlan I loved porridge before diagnosis in July. As a result of info on the forum my usual breakfast now is full fat Greek style yoghurt berries, seeds and sometimes nuts. I still have an unopened packet of oats. I make with water cook in micro then add a splash of milk. I don't have sugar on cereal, I gave up sugar in drinks as a teen and later on cereal nothing to do with diabetes. I intend to try it and test before winter. I may start eating it again next winter.

At the moment my alternative breakfasts are omlette with cheese or mushrooms, frittata, poached egg or occasionally if late morning a fry up ( without beans or hash browns)

I cater for myself so sometimes I have " lunch/supper" for breakfast and yoghurt and fruit for the other meal. In fact I'm busy today so may have haggis, cauli, carrot for breakfast and yoghurt tonight.

I will see how the diet goes and will introduce the right food gradually. I have a stash of food which I thought was good for me esp boxes of Granola. I'm not going to throw them out but once it's gone I won't be buying it again. As a matter of fact I see it as poison which if I keep taking I will be edging towards type 2. I'm currently 45mmol/l. As long as I can remember I've had highish glucose and colesterol and I'm going back over 20 years. I will be trying out a CGM again once I've pushed out all the carby stuff to see what effect the new food regime is having. I'm hoping I'll notice the difference in my health anyways.