Sugar is often hidden in various foods and drinks that we regularly consume in our day-to-day lives, even those we might consider healthy or savory. Whether it’s seemingly healthy breakfast options or your favorite drink, there are many surprising items that contain a high amount of sugar. Being able to identify these secretly sugary foods and beverages can help you control your sugar intake and make healthier choices. Here are 18 foods and drinks that are packed with more sugar than you would expect.
Breakfast Cereal
According to Business Insider, “Americans eat twice as much sugar as we’re supposed to on average, and one of those sources of sugars could be your morning cereal.” Many popular breakfast cereals contain added sugars, with some having up to 12 grams per serving! Even cereals marketed as healthy or whole grain can be high in sugar, so it’s important to check the nutrition labels on cereal when doing your grocery shopping.
Pasta Sauces
You might not think there would be a lot of sugar in pasta sauces, but sugar is often added to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Shockingly, store-bought pasta sauces can actually have 6-12 grams of sugar per serving. Being vigilant when shopping for your groceries and checking labels is crucial, as some brands have a significantly higher sugar content than others, and it’s possible to find healthier pasta sauces with less sugar.
Ketchup
Ketchup is a staple in many people’s kitchens, but most of us don’t ever stop to think how unhealthy it is. Ketchup contains roughly 4 grams of sugar per tablespoon. This sugar is added to enhance the flavor of the ketchup and to help preserve the product. When it comes to ketchup, people also rarely ever use just one serving, meaning their sugar intake can quickly increase by using this condiment.
Bread
Bread is an everyday item that’s an integral part of most people’s diets. However, you might be consuming far more sugar from bread than you realize! Sugars are added to bread to improve its taste and texture, and depending on how much bread you eat, you could be consuming quite a lot of sugar. Commercially baked breads often contain 4-6 grams of sugar per slice, and even whole grain and multigrain breads can be high in sugar.
Canned Fruit
If you prefer to buy canned fruit instead of fresh fruit, it could be negatively impacting your health pretty dramatically! Canned fruit is often packed with syrup, which adds extra sugar to the food. Light or heavy syrup can contain an excessive 10-20 grams of sugar per serving. To avoid consuming too much sugar and reduce your sugar intake, you should opt for canned fruit that’s packed in water or its own juices.
Sports Drinks
Designed to replenish energy, sports drinks can include 20-30 grams of sugar per bottle. These drinks are purposely marketed towards athletes, as their healthy and active lifestyle can more easily offset the high amount of sugar in the drink. However, sports drinks are often consumed by the general public, meaning their high sugar content can quickly lead to an excessive calorie intake and contribute to various health problems.
Yogurt
Verywell Health explains that “many types and brands of yogurt contain added sugar [and] this is especially true for some of the low-fat varieties.” Low-fat and fruit-on-the-bottom varieties of yogurt typically have added sugars, and flavored yogurts can contain 20-30 grams of sugar per serving. It’s important to carefully pick your yogurt, and choosing plain yogurt and adding fresh fruit for flavor might be the smartest and healthiest option.
Granola
There can be quite a lot of sugar hidden behind the healthy mask and reputation of granola. Some brands of granola contain up to 20 grams of sugar per serving. Sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and brown sugar are also commonly added to granola, which further increases its sugar content. Despite often being considered a healthy food, granola can actually be as sugary as some desserts. Don’t be fooled by healthy marketing!
Protein Bars
Another food that’s often marketed as a healthy snack is protein bars. However, calling them healthy can be misleading, as many protein bars have 15-20 grams of sugar in a single bar. With this amount of sugar, it turns out protein bars can be just as sugary as certain candy bars! It’s a good idea to check labels for added sugars and choose low-sugar options when doing your grocery shopping.
Chocolate Milk
While milk can be healthy, chocolate milk is not so much. Chocolate milk contains around 25 grams of sugar per cup, including added sugars. If you couldn’t tell from the name including the word chocolate, this is a much less healthy drink option. It’s a popular choice of drink with children, but since it can contribute to high sugar consumption, you should probably opt for lower-sugar versions or dilute it with regular milk to make it healthier.
Baked Beans
You can probably find baked beans in most people’s cabinets, but did you know they include quite a lot of sugar? Commercial baked beans can have 12-15 grams of sugar per serving. Many people don’t realize that molasses and brown sugar are commonly added ingredients in baked beans, which greatly increases their sugar content. It can be beneficial to look for reduced-sugar versions to cut down on your sugar intake.
Flavored Coffees
Many of us can’t start the day without a coffee, but be careful what type of coffee you’re drinking, as some can make your sugar intake skyrocket! Specialty coffee drinks can contain as much as 30-50 grams of sugar per serving. Syrups, whipped cream, and flavored milk can also add to the sugar content of your coffee. It might be best to opt for plain coffee or use sugar-free flavorings.
Fruit Juice
This might come as a surprise to some people, but fruit juices can have 20-30 grams of natural sugar per cup. Many juices use added sugars to enhance their flavor too, further increasing the sugar content. The Cleveland Clinic reports that “100% fruit juice is also loaded with enough sugar to draw unflattering comparisons to soda.” Stick to whole fruits instead, as their fiber content makes them a much better and healthier option.
Barbeque Sauce
One of the nation’s favorite condiments, barbeque sauce isn’t much healthier than ketchup. BBQ sauce often includes 6-12 grams of sugar per tablespoon. The sugar is added to balance out the signature tanginess of the sauce. If you want to limit your sugar intake but can’t give up barbeque sauce, just make sure you use it sparingly or make a homemade version instead so you can control the sugar levels.
Pre-made Smoothies
It’s easy to underestimate how much sugar is in a smoothie. Pre-made store-bought smoothies can have a whopping 30-60 grams of sugar in a single bottle! They also often contain added sugars in addition to the natural fruit sugars from the ingredients. It might be easier and more convenient to buy pre-made smoothies, but making your own can let you control the amount of sugar used and can be much more healthy.
Iced Tea
Often marketed as a refreshing and reasonably healthy drink, iced tea can have an unexpectedly high sugar content in reality. Bottled iced teas can contain 20-40 grams of sugar per serving, as it’s typically sweetened with sugar or flavored with syrup. If you enjoy drinking tea, choose unsweetened varieties of tea or simply brew your own tea at home to make sure you’re not consuming an unhealthy amount of sugar.
Pre-made Soup
Pre-made soup is a go-to dinner for many people, especially if you’re feeling ill. However, while you might eat soup to make you feel better and healthier, it can actually be pretty unhealthy! Canned and packaged soups can have 6-8 grams of sugar per serving, as sugar is typically added to enhance the flavor of the soup. When you’re next looking to buy soup, be sure to check the labels for added sugars and choose lower-sugar options.
Salad Dressings
You’ve probably never considered how much sugar is hidden in salad dressings, and the answer might surprise you. Many commercial dressings have 5-7 grams of sugar per serving. Low-fat and fat-free versions also often have added sugars to enhance the taste, which further increases the sugar content. If you’ve got the time, making your own salad dressings at home can be a good way to manage your sugar intake.
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