Every little dietary change you make adds up; focusing on one improvement at a time can encourage a lasting change.

This month we encourage you to take notice of the amount of added sugar in your drinks, foods and sweets. Take a look at the nutrition label to find the ingredient list.  You’ll know a food contains added sugar if you see any of the following terms: brown sugar, cane juice, evaporated cane juice, confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, invert sugar, honey, maple syrup, nectar, agave nectar, raw sugar, rice syrup, brown rice syrup or any term ending in “ose” like dextrose, fructose or sucrose.

Tracking added sugar isn’t always easy but it might get easier.  The FDA recently proposed separating added and natural sugars on new food labels.  Today, sugar amounts on the label include sugars manufacturers add to food (added sugars) and sugars that naturally sweeten fruits, vegetables and milk.  You’ll know most of the sugar is added sugar if any of the terms above are one of the first ingredients listed or if several sugar terms are listed.

Try lowering your added sugar intake this month by comparing labels and choosing foods with less sugar, reaching for a banana or grapes for dessert, making your own pancakes or cookies at home with less sugar, drinking more water, milk or 100 percent fruit juice instead of soft drinks, exploring different flavorings like almond or vanilla extract to satisfy your sweet craving, or simply eating smaller portions of your favorite sweet treats.

For more information about sugar, how to read labels, and to find more encouragement to make mindful choices that impact your health, visit the Student Association of Nutrition and Dietetics information table 12 to 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Memorial Student Center lobby.

MU SAND can be contacted at [email protected].