People are becoming much more aware of the amount of sugar their food contains. It’s something I’ve been conscious of for many years, and have tried my best to reduce the sugar in my diet. However, there are plenty of foods that contain massive amounts of sugar that you wouldn’t even consider. Here are some popular foods that contain the most sugar.
1. Ketchup
If you’ve ever looked at the label for a bottle of ketchup, you might be amazed at how much sugar it contains. However, you might also think that because you’re not eating that much that it doesn’t matter. Well, a tablespoon of ketchup contains around a teaspoon of sugar! That’s around a third of its weight. On that note, try to opt for organic ketchup that has low added sugar.
2. Fruit juice
Fruit juice has always been offered as the “healthy choice”, but nowadays, this couldn’t be further from the truth. A 150ml glass of orange juice can contain around 15g of sugar! While this might be naturally occurring sugar (most of the time it is not and actually added into the juice), by not eating the whole fruit you miss out on the most important part: the fiber. Consider buying your own juicer and making your own fruit juice without any added sugar!
3. Granola
Again, this is something that’s labeled as a healthy food choice. Again, it can be pretty inaccurate. While oats are a great source of food, granola is coated in honey to make it stick, and commercial brands add plenty of extra sugar on top. 100g of granola can contain more than 6 teaspoons of sugar. If you enjoy granola, consider making your own instead.
4. Store-bought smoothies
Making your own smoothies at home gives you complete control over the ingredients, but obviously the same isn’t true for store-bought smoothies. These are often sweetened with fruit juice or syrup, and can contain as much as 24 teaspoons of sugar in one serving!
5. Flavored/iced coffee
Flavored coffee is an incredibly broad topic, but if you enjoy a pumpkin spice latte then you’ve probably seen them squirting that syrup into your cup. This is mostly sugar, and makes a huge difference. In fact, a flavored coffee can contain around 25 grams of sugar. This is also true for canned and iced coffee.
6. Sports drinks
These are seen as a great choice for those working out because they replace essential vitamins and minerals lost during exercise. However, they also contain massive amounts of sugar, often on par with Coca Cola. A 570ml bottle of sports drink will contain around 32 grams of sugar! They’re often overlooked because they’re seen as healthy, but they almost make working out pointless!
There are so many more popular foods that contain massive amounts of sugar. In fact, once you start looking into the issue you’ll be amazed where companies are hiding it in your food.
If you’re thinking of cutting back on sugar in your diet, the best thing I’d recommend is making your own food. Similarly, if you like flavored drinks then infused water is a great choice. Also, make sure you check packaging carefully, and keep track of what you eat.