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New Delhi .For people trying to reduce sugar intake, simply avoiding tea, sweets and sweet dishes is not considered enough. There are many everyday foods that don't taste very sweet, but they may contain added sugar. Products like sauces, tomato ketchup, packaged juices and flavored yogurt can unknowingly increase the amount of sugar in the daily diet.

Excessive sugar consumption is considered a matter of concern from health point of view. Excessive sugar in the diet can increase the risk of weight gain and obesity. Long-term unbalanced eating habits can also be linked to many other health problems. So experts generally recommend keeping an eye on total added sugar intake throughout the day rather than just focusing on visible sugar.

Cutting back on sugar doesn't mean eliminating naturally occurring sugars from every food. The real challenge is to identify products that contain added sugar for taste, texture or preservation. Reading labels when purchasing packaged foods can be important in this case.

Tomato ketchup and other sauces are common examples. These products may taste salty or sour, but they may contain added sugar. According to available information, one tablespoon of ketchup can contain up to four grams of added sugar. If a person regularly consumes sauce or ketchup with meals, the total sugar consumption for the day may increase.

Caution is also necessary regarding packaged juices. Just because it is made from fruit or has a picture of fruit on the package does not automatically make a juice a low-sugar product. Many packaged drinks may contain added sugar. Apart from this, the amount of fiber in juice may be less compared to whole fruit, due to which the experience of filling the stomach is also different. That's why eating fruits is often considered a better option than drinking juice.

Flavored curd can also be included in those products which people eat considering it to be a healthy option. Yogurt can be a nutritious food in its natural form, but sugar or sweet flavors may be added to it to enhance the taste. When purchasing such products it is useful to look at the nutritional information and ingredient list.

Biscuits, breakfast cereal, granola and some other packaged snacks may also contain added sugar. Many products are marketed as healthy or fitness friendly, but it is not right to make decisions based only on the claims written on the packaging. It may be more useful to look at total sugar and added sugar information on food labels.

According to experts, it is important to limit the amount of sugar in the daily diet. Generally, it is advisable to keep the share of free sugar in total calories less than 10 percent. This is equivalent to approximately 50 grams of free sugar on a 2,000 calorie diet. However, individual needs may depend on age, health and overall diet.

Therefore, to reduce sugar, just removing the sugar can is not enough. Reading labels on packaged foods, choosing options without added sugar, and prioritizing natural foods like whole fruits can help reduce unnecessary sugar in the diet.