but do not drink red Gatorade.

Even when my kids were small (they’re in their 30s now) we did not give them anything with artificial food colors (as much as possible) or lots of sugar. Artificial sweeteners as well.

Even gatorade with sugar often has fake sweetners. Much harder to spot with Sucralose and Asculfam whatever and other fake sugars, not just saccarin and asperteme (nutra sweet) any more. Baked goods and candy too, and not only the low or zero carbs ones.

You are correct, manufacturers put artificial sweeteners or corn syrup in way too many things. Just today I read a label on a jar of spaghetti sauce and it had High Fructose Corn Syrup in it. Gatorade ingredients look like a chemical factory.

I wasn't actually complaining about High Fructos Corn Syrup, as that came into processed food as it is a type of lubricant before the farm subsidies creating a glut of it. I was focused on actual toxic fake sugars like aspartame and the rest. And one of the "natural" ones Stevia already has a caution against daily use. I am a Type 1 diabetic and used some Aspartame from 83-90. Once when Crystal Lite first came out, I had a weird toxic reaction between it and something in Lucky Charms Cereal. I had 9 or 10 serious effects over 15 minutes, dissyness, nausia, I don't recall the rest anymore, but after that I have endeavored to avoid all fake sweetners beyond rarely Saccharin. I use sugar, as in measured amounts I can integrate it into my diet, insulin and activity levels. I realize those with Type 2 won't have that flexibility.

Here is a crude list for reference.

Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
Sucralose (Splenda)
Saccharin (Sweet'N Low)
Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K)
Neotame (Newtame)
Advantame

Sorbitol
Xylitol
Erythritol