Many people are now trying to minimize their sugar intake, but it’s easy to underestimate how much you’re actually consuming. One of the reasons is that many foods contain hidden sugars, including some foods that you wouldn’t even consider to be sweet.
What is Added Sugar?
During processing, sugar is added to food to enhance flavor, texture, shelf life or other properties. Added sugar is usually a mixture of simple sugars such as glucose, fructose or sucrose. Other types, such as galactose, lactose and maltose, are less common.
Unfortunately, food manufacturers often hide the total amount of sugar by listing it under several different names on ingredients lists.
In fact, even products marketed as “light” or “low-fat” often contain more sugar than the regular versions.
The American Heart Association recommends that women limit their added sugar intake to 6 teaspoons (24 grams)per day, while men should limit their intake to 9 teaspoons (36 grams).
Here are 16 foods and drinks that contain way more sugar than you would think.
1. Low-Fat Yogurt
Yogurt can be a highly nutritious food. However, not all yogurt is created equal. Like many other low-fat products, low-fat yogurts have sugar added to them to enhance flavor. For example, a single cup (245 grams) of low-fat yogurt can contain up to 47 grams of sugar, which is 12 teaspoons.
It’s best to choose full-fat, natural or Greek yogurt. Avoid yogurt that has been sweetened with sugar.
2. BBQ Sauce
BBQ sauce can make a tasty marinade or dip. However, 2 tablespoons of it can contain around 14 grams of sugar, or over 3 teaspoons). In fact, up to 40% of the weight of BBQ sauce may be pure sugar.
3. Ketchup
Ketchup is one of the most popular condiments worldwide, but like BBQ sauce, it is often loaded with sugar. Try being mindful of your portion size when using ketchup and remember that a single tablespoon of ketchup contains 1 teaspoon of sugar.
4. Fruit Juice
Like whole fruit, fruit juice contains some vitamins and minerals. However, despite seeming like a healthy choice, these vitamins and minerals come with a large dose of sugar and very little fiber.
It usually takes a lot of fruit to produce a single glass of fruit juice, so you get much more sugar in a glass of juice than you would get by eating whole fruit.
In fact, there can be just as much sugar in fruit juice as there is in a sugary drink like Coke. It’s best to choose whole fruit and minimize your intake of fruit juices.
5. Spaghetti Sauce
All spaghetti sauces will contain some natural sugar given that they’re made with tomatoes. However, many spaghetti sauces have extra sugar added to them as well. Check the label of pre-made spaghetti sauce and pick one that either doesn’t have sugar on the ingredients list or where it’s listed very close to the bottom. This indicates that it’s not a major ingredient.
6. Sports Drinks
Sports drinks can often be mistaken as a healthy choice for those who exercise. However, sports drinks are designed to hydrate and fuel trained athletes during prolonged, intense periods of exercise. For this reason, they contain high amounts of added sugars that can be quickly absorbed and used for energy.
In fact, a standard 20-oz (570 ml) bottle of a sports drink will contain 32 grams of added sugar and 159 calories, which is equivalent to 8 teaspoons of sugar.
7. Chocolate Milk
Chocolate milk is milk that has been flavored with cocoa and sweetened with sugar. Despite having all the nutritious qualities of milk, an 8-oz (glass of chocolate milk comes with an extra 2 teaspoons of added sugar.
8. Granola
Granola is often marketed as a low-fat health food, despite being high in both calories and sugar.
However, the oats in granola have been combined with nuts and honey or other added sweeteners, which increases the amount of sugar and calories. In fact, 100 grams of granola contains nearly 400 calories and over 6 teaspoons of sugar.
9. Flavored Coffees
Flavored coffee is a popular trend, but the amount of hidden sugars in these drinks can be staggering. A large flavored coffee in some coffeehouse chains can contain up to 25 teaspoons of sugar.
10. Iced Tea
Iced tea is a chilled tea, usually sweetened with sugar or flavored with syrup. Most commercially prepared iced teas will contain around 33 grams of sugar per 12-oz (340 ml) serving, which is about the same as a can of Coke.
11. Protein Bars
Foods that contain protein have been linked with increased feelings of fullness, which can help with weight loss. This has led people to believe that protein bars are a healthy snack. While there are some healthier protein bars on the market, many contain around 30 grams of added sugar, making them similar to a candy bar.
12. Vitaminwater
Vitaminwater is marketed as a healthy drink containing added vitamins and minerals. However, like many other so-called “health drinks,” Vitaminwater comes with a large amount of added sugar. In fact, a bottle of regular Vitaminwater contains 120 calories and 32 grams of sugar.
13. Pre-Made Soup
Soup isn’t a food that you generally associate with sugar. However, many commercially prepared soups have a lot of added ingredients, including sugar. To check for added sugars in your soup, look at the ingredients list for things like sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, barley malt, dextrose, maltose and other syrups.
14. Canned Baked Beans
A cup of regular baked beans contains about 5 teaspoons of sugar.
15. Bottled Smoothies
Many commercially produced smoothies come in large sizes and can be sweetened with things like fruit juice, ice cream or syrup, which increases their sugar content. Some of them contain ridiculously high amounts of calories and sugar, containing over 96 grams, or 24 teaspoons of sugar in a single serving.
16. Breakfast Cereal
The cereal you choose could greatly affect your sugar consumption, especially if you eat it every day.
Some breakfast cereals, particularly those marketed at children, have lots of added sugar. Some contain 12 grams, or 3 teaspoons of sugar in a small 30-gram (1-ounce) serving. Instead of cereal, wake up a few minutes earlier and cook a quick healthy breakfast with a high-protein food like eggs. Eating protein for breakfast can help you lose weight.