No added sugar...

Well no added sugar usually means no refined sugar but juices and squash could still have natural fruit sugar which some say they would not drink but others find them ok. I personally would have no problem with drinking reduced sugar squash but not pure juice. Many many here drink the zero and diet Pesi and Coke and say they are fine with them but a few people do have tummy problems with the artificial sweeteners in them but if you can tolerate that then it is ok. As for the jelly well it is low in carbs and after all jelly is just mostly water

hoolyuk said:

Artificial sweeteners, that was my next question...I presume they are ok [if tolerated] have read bad reports about Aspartame....had a couple of Stevia tablets in my tea at 9am along with 2 boiled eggs so will know soon enough

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Well I think of all the sweeteners stevia as it is natural is about the best to use at home...Pure Stevia though not Truvia that has other sweetener added to it. I mostly sprinkle it on frozen fruit but I do not have any sweetener in hot drinks. I have never had any problem with artificial sweetener in anything I have bought but for some it means frequent visits to the loo so you can only try them and see how you tolerate it

Go by the nutritional labelling (i.e. total carbs per 100g) - "No added sugar" can be nasty weasel words, as some foods/drinks will have a natural (and sometimes high!) sugar content, and sugar is sugar in whatever form.

As for sweeteners, I only use stevia and erythritol (alone and in combination) as these don't raise glucose levels, are virtually zero calorie, and won't (normally) cause any "gastric upsets". Watch for sugar alcohols with names ending in "itol" as these will generally do so, exceptions being erythritol and xylitol. Also check ingredients - e.g. stevia is extremely sweet and in powdered form may have other bulking agents added in the form of starches, etc, to enable it to be used in measurable quantities, which can affect glucose levels. Stevai/erythritol is a good safe combination.

And finally many sweeteners will have a high carbohydrate content but these carbs don't get processed by our bodies, so don't affect our glucose levels - but as I've mentioned, may have some unpleasent side effects instead. So it can pay to so a little homework!

Robbity

Some foods can be no added sugar, but still have loads of carbohydrate in the form of starches, or be naturally high in sugar - dried fruit for instance.