With colder temps and pumpkin spice everything, Fall means it's officially soup season. I was picking up some veggie broth to make sweet potato, butternut squash, and white bean soup [1] soup when I overheard an older woman saying to her spouse, "There's sugar in this, too!" I had just placed a container of organic vegetable broth in my cart, but I picked it up, quickly scanned the ingredients, and was shocked to see "organic cane sugar."

This was the store brand of organic vegetable broth, and I couldn't believe it contained sugar! Veggies and spices I'd expect, but not sugar. I checked a few other well-known brands, and they had sugar as well; even the jar of bouillon I use had cane sugar [2]. I always look for dairy, but didn't think I'd have to check for sugar.

I've had a history with sugar upsetting my stomach [3], so I try to avoid it, and I especially wouldn't put it in a savory dinner recipe. If I'm going to have sugar, I want it to be chocolate, vegan ice cream [4], or a homemade banana chocolate muffin [5]!

So check your labels if avoiding sugar is important to you (or if you're following Whole30, keto, or a paleo diet), not only in broths and stocks, but also in packaged and canned soups. You'll be happy to know that Trader Joe's Organic Vegetable Stock is sugar-free, as well as both the Pacific brand [6] and Imagine Organic Vegetable Broth [7].