From Gulaab Jamun to Granola: Understanding Sugar

“Ek chai, biscuit...aur thoda sugar please”.

Sugar isn't just an ingredient in India; it's practically our love language! From the mandatory peda after pooja to your grandmother's insistence that you need "just one more ladoo", sweetness is how we show love, celebrate victories, and yes even bribe our way through life!

But somewhere between "just one more rasgulla" and "this fruit juice is healthy", we forgot to ask: is all this meetha actually making our lives... less sweet?

Today, I am going to uncover what this crystallized culprit is really doing in our diets; how it's secretly hiding in everything from our morning bread to our fancy dal makhani masala, and whether you actually need to break up with your beloved gulab jamun. Don't worry, I'll also reveal how to enjoy your mithai moments without sending your pancreas into panic mode!

Let's start by understanding what sugar actually is. Sugar is an umbrella term for many types of simple carbohydrates, including white table sugar. Some sugars are natural, living happily in your fruits, veggies, dairy, and some grains. But then there are the "added sugars" which are sneaked into almost everything during processing by the food companies.

Are all forms of sugar bad for us?

Your body actually NEEDS sugar! Our cells are basically tiny vehicles running on glucose (that's sugar's chemical name).

But, there's a HUGE difference between the sugar in your mango and the sugar in pacakged drinks. Natural sugar sources come with a nutritious entourage - fruits have fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Even raw honey and maple syrup have antioxidants and minerals.

Meanwhile, added sugar is like that friend who shows up empty-handed at a party, eats all your food, and then creates drama! It offers zero nutritional benefits but plenty of problems: insulin resistance, dental cavities, increased triglycerides, and the notorious duo - obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

Bottom line? You don't need to block sugar's completely, just be selective about it!

So why is sugar added to foods?

Sugar makes things taste amazing, preserves foods longer, and improves texture and color. The sneakiest sugar source, the "healthy" packaged juice can be practically liquid candy!

Here's a pro tip - when you see "low-fat" or "fat-free" on the label, your sugar radar should start beeping wildly. These products often contain sugar to keep you saying "yum" instead of "yuck."

The favorite hiding spots

Sugar basically plays an epic game of hide-and-seek in your kitchen smirking at your "healthy lifestyle" attempts:

Common foods with added sugars

Beverages	Packaged Foods	Condiments & Sauces	Snacks
Energy/sports drinks	Breakfast cereals	Ketchup	Granola
Flavoured milk	Breads	Barbecue sauce	Protein bars
Fruit-flavoured drinks	Canned fruits and beans	Salad dressings	Health bars
Iced tea	Soups	Pasta sauces	Yogurt
Soft drinks	Meal replacement drinks

A few mindful ways to cut back

Check the food label

• Ingredient position matters: sugar in any of the above forms in first 3 ingredients = high sugar content

Smart Shopping

• Go unsweetened: plain yogurt, unflavoured oatmeal, plain plant milks

• Whole foods focus: fresh produce, whole grains, legumes, nuts

Kitchen Hacks

• DIY control: make your own sauces and dressings

• Cardamom (elaichi), cinnamon (dalchini), vanilla, and nutmeg (jaiphal) add perceived sweetness

• Use mashed bananas, dates, or applesauce as sweeteners

Dining Out

• Control your portions of often sugary additions such as sauces

• Question "healthy" items, as even smoothie bowls and granola can be sugar bombs

• Choose grilled over glazed or sauced options

Lifestyle Shifts

• Thirst often disguises itself as sugar cravings

• Include protein, fiber and health fats at meals to prevent sweet cravings

• Sleep deprived bodies crave sugar for quick energy

Compare nutrition labels and find the brands that are low sugar without compromising on taste (they exist, I promise!). It takes some detective work initially, but your future self will thank you with better health reports!

Remember: The natural sugars in whole fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes come packaged with fiber, nutrients, and water - they're on the "keep enjoying" list!

ICMR’s take on added sugar

Let’s break down what the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and World Health Organization (WHO) recommendtions are for sugar intake -

Keep sugar intake to less than 5% of your total energy intake (including naturally occuring sugar). A 250 ml Coke bottle contains 11g of sugar, essentially burning through HALF your daily sugar budget.

The health authorities want us to train our taste buds to enjoy less sweetness overall. The guidelines reflect growing scientific consensus about sugar's health impacts. The question is - are we ready to follow this sugar shastra in our daily lives, or will we continue our sweet rebellion?

Sweet freedom

Giving up sugar is hard. It's everywhere, it makes everything taste amazing, and it's linked to practically every happy memory from childhood to last weekend's celebration.

Start small, maybe switch your daily fruit juice for actual fruit, or experiment with reducing sugar in your chai by half a spoon each week until your taste buds recalibrate.

Now that you're armed with the knowledge, you can make smarter choices. Remember, this isn't about never enjoying mithai at a family function again. It's about being smart in a world that's sugar-saturated.

At Netrin, we’ll tell you when you’ve burned off a boondi laddu, but that doesn’t mean you need to earn your food. Our training and tech helps you move with purpose, celebrate progress, and build a lifestyle where fitness and fun can co-exist.

References

WHO guideline : sugar consumption recommendation 

Sugar: the facts .

ICMR guidelines: https://www.nin.res.in/dietaryguidelines/pdfjs/locale/DGI07052024P.pdf

WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline 

About the Author

Coach Sheetal, an ACSM-certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist and marathon trainer, is a Subject Matter Expert at Netrin. She holds an MSc in Exercise Physiology, a PGD in Sports Science and Nutrition and various other certifications. With experience spanning clinical rehab to high-performance sports, she has worked with patients managing chronic conditions and athletes across 11 Olympic sports. A lecturer, startup consultant, and international presenter, she is a gym enthusiast and a dedicated, albeit somewhat reluctant marathoner, winning her age category at NEB-My Samay Pune FM (2022) and debuting as an ultramarathoner with a 50K at TUM (2023).