Sugars in foods

what is the magic number in regards to sugars that are already in foods? Ex- yogurt, protein bars, oatmeal?? Obviously, we aren't supposed to have many....how much is too much?

My nutritionist told be to stay inder 5 grams sugar per item. 

I only track protein and portion sizes, everything else falls in to place on its own.  

I don't think there is a 'magic number' for everyone. While you're trying to lose, I'd avoid ANY added sugars, and I'd be very careful about 'natural' sugars as well. Most fruits have a lot of 'natural' sugar, so you want to eat those in very limited amounts. Milk has a good bit of 'natural' sugar, and some people dump on it. (Most cheese, on the other hand, is very low carb---the lactose gets used up in the cheese-making process.

You really need to be looking at ALL carbs, not just sugar. Carbs get broken down into simple sugars in the digestive process. And keep in mind that when foods are made artificially low-fat or no-fat, the fat gets replaced with...CARBS.

I was told under 10 gms/serving but I keep it at under 5 gms/ serving. I was also told to watch for sugar alcohols although I am still unclear as to what those are......

Sugar alcohol info here.

Most sugar alcohols end in '-itol'. They have slightly fewer calories per gram than simple sugars (most of which end in '-ose', like glucose, lactose, fructose, etc.), but they're not calorie-free. They can also have a laxative effect, if you know what I mean. (*grin*)

my magic number is 4 Oreo's  

There is a book out by JJ Virgin called "Sugar Impact" or something like that.  It is written for people with normal GI tracts - not bariatric folks.  I found it helpful to learn where there are hidden sugars and that the glycemic index is not a good measuring tool but the "glycemic load" is a better indicator for what sugar/carb do in our bodies once we eat them.

There are so many names for sugar and the US allows them to be listed indiviaually - so sugar isn't the #! ingredient in the ingredient listing.

I try to really limit processed foods  - they all have hidden sugar/carbs/salt.  Stick with whole food - meat, veggies, fruit, nuts & seeds, full fat milk/cheese and unsweetened yogurts.

I like to see ingredient lists with one or two ingredients,  No chemicals.

By the way - if protein bar, yogurt, etc. has more than 7 grams of sugar/per serving - I put it back.

Penny