Sweet or Not?

Ruamgirl · Post by **Ruamgirl** » Fri May 11, 2012 4:29 pm

Is a sweet defined by how sweet it tastes or by how much sugar it actually contains? This morning for breakfast, I had three frozen eggo pancakes with just smart balance butter (no syrup). They were not sweet, but when I looked at the ingredients later, I saw that they contained 12 grams of sugar total. So did I mess up? I also ate a handful of almonds and half a banana.

osoniye · Post by **osoniye** » Fri May 11, 2012 5:23 pm

My opinion would be that's not that much sugar. A serving of a sweet is defined as 75g by some, and my off brand V8 juice has 8g per glass, I think!

Blithe Morning · Post by **Blithe Morning** » Fri May 11, 2012 5:35 pm

If you have to look at the label to see if something is a sweet, then it's probably not. Our tastebuds and culture generally indicate what is food for a meal and what is food for dessert or sweet treat.

Now, if you had eaten the waffles and thought "Boy howdy, that's like eating a donut!" I would say you should call the waffles a sweet even if it's your opinion and the rest of the world thinks waffles are just dandy for breakfast.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Fri May 11, 2012 7:56 pm

In the past "sweet" has been defined by as "is this something you would eat for dessert?" or is it something you would consider a sweet treat? The 12 grams is less than a tablespoon as an ingredient. I wouldn't worry about it. I wouldn't even worry about using syrup on my waffle. To me, it's not a sweet, but a complement to a savory dish.

Don't over think this.

EDIT: I've been drinking cranberry juice to fight off a bladder infection. I looked at the label after replying to your post. An 8-ounce serving contains 30 grams of sugars. Nearly 3 times as much as the waffles and perfectly "legal."

milliem · Post by **milliem** » Sat May 12, 2012 8:58 am

I generally go by the 'would this count as a dessert' rule, but also if sugar is one of the main (say first or second) ingredients in whatever it is. So an english muffin is fine, but a blueberry muffin with a load of sugar in it isn't. Homemade pancakes where I haven't used sugar are fine, shop bought pancakes loaded with sugar aren't. Those are just my rules though

Dale · Post by **Dale** » Sat May 12, 2012 9:08 am

I've wondered about that too. I often have muesli and greek yoghurt for breakfast which is definitely sweet and sugary (due to the dried fruit), but I think it still fits with the spirit of No S. The book says not to worry about checking ingredients, taking sugar in coffee, etc., so I feel for me that it's best not to obsess. I'll sometimes have sweet condiments with a meal such as chutneys, pickles, etc., and I don't count those. I don't see it as "no sugar shall pass my lips". I'm just trying to avoid the obvious things like deserts, cake, biscuits, chocolate, etc. I want to be able to stick to this diet for life, and don't want to be checking ingredients for life.

I don't have a sweet tooth, though, so I don't feel that that sugar is something I have to obsess about it. It's not going to make me look for more!

determined · Post by **determined** » Sat May 12, 2012 1:38 pm

I absolutely agree so I really don't have much to add. I think you had a great breakfast. If you had smothered those puppies in syrup, then you'd probably need to re-think that decision. But, you didn't. You ate a balanced meal. You're wise to look at the labels to find out what's in any prepared food, but I'd agree with the others who answered...be careful not to over-think this. Enjoy your meals, stick to the rules and enjoy your freedom....it's a great way to eat!

janie

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Sat May 12, 2012 2:06 pm

Something I've done with pancakes, waffles and French toast is to sprinkle sugar over the top instead of using syrup. It's amazing how far one teaspoon of sugar goes when using it that way. I've also used fruit butters instead of syrup.

Post by **reinhard** » Thu May 17, 2012 2:13 pm

I tend to reserve stuff like this for S-days because in my mind it's inextricably linked with great pools of maple syrup. In fact, pretty much every Saturday we have dessert-sweet Challah french toast for breakfast.

Speaking of French Toast, great tip that I can't remember how I discovered: squeeze a fresh lime into the liquid before soaking the bread. My 7 year old daughter likes it so much this way, she doesn't even want syrup because it would distract from the "flavor." (I, however, am not so refined in my tastes, and still pour liberally for myself).

Another fantastic use of lime (for an un-sweet breakfast!) is with avocado. An avocado, either straight and eaten out of the skin with salt, pepper and lime, or with the same accoutrements on a slice of mestemacher black bread, is a divine thing on an N-day morning.

Reinhard

Dale · Post by **Dale** » Thu May 17, 2012 4:50 pm

I like French toast with salt (nothing sweet). If we're talking about the same thing (fried egg-soaked bread).

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Fri May 18, 2012 9:02 pm

If you have a problem with sweets, I would say a sweet is defined by what makes you want more sweets to eat afterwards, as well as whether the defining taste is sweet. I would be set off by pancakes with any syrup on N day. I would even be set off by fruit juices, so I have them sparingly, even though they are technically legal. Others don't seem to be affected, so they can be more liberal.

I don't tend to make my decisions by the caloric content, but rather by the food's effect on my appetite.

BabsPlease · Post by **BabsPlease** » Wed May 23, 2012 12:09 pm

I had a dilemma this morning too! Plum jam...sugary not only from the fruit but added sugar..I think I'll allow it for today but I won't later because I always spoon the stuff. Plus dried plums boiled until they're a lovely paste is so much more divine!
As for your waffles, I'd say try to get some whole grain waffles. Had some this morning and they have 1.5 grams of sugar each (van's 8 whole grain)

they have a lovely cinnamon taste too.

Everyday Systems

Sweet or Not?

Sweet or Not?

Who knows?