Watching Your Sugar Intake? These 6 Foods May Be Tricking You…
Whether your doctor recommends you cut back on sugar, or you’re trying to reduce it yourself, there are some very sneaky ways sugar creeps into our food.
The American Heart Association recommends that men intake no more than 36g of added sugar and women intake no more than 25g of added sugar a day. Thats 100-150 calories, maximum.
When we think about added sugars, what comes to mind is normally: candy bars, cake, cookies, and all those sweet treats.
What we typically forget are the foods whose sugar content are not conspicuous: the foods that will unknowingly put us over our daily dose of sugar.
So, what are these 6 surprising sources of sugar?
1. Yogurt
Yoplait Yogurt
This yogurt has 19g of sugar
Many companies add sugar to yogurt to make it taste better. Even yogurts “sweetened with fruit” often soak the fruit in sugar before packaging.
As a healthier alternative: buy plain greek yogurt and add your own fresh fruit. Fage yogurt is a popular plain option. Find it here. My current favorite is Chobani’s new product line of zero sugar. They have many delicious flavors and zero sugar. Find it here.
2. Fat-Free Salad Dressing
Kraft Fat-Free Thousand Island
6g of sugar in just 2 tablespoons
Sweet types, like Thousand Island and French Dressing have the most sugar about 5 to 7 grams in just 2 tablespoons of dressing. That easily adds up.
As a healthier alternative: A homemade oil-based dressing with vinegar has just 1g of sugar in 2 tablespoons of dressing.
3. Condiments and Pasta Sauce
Condiments are very sneaky. Barbeque sauce, ketchup, and pasta sauces are loaded with surprising amounts of sugar. Many people rely on condiments to add flavor to meat. And pasta sauce is a stable of a good Italian meal.
As a healthier alternative: Seasoning can add wonderful flavor to meats. I love seasoning packets cooked with my chicken. Find my favorite here. Additionally, try no-sugar added pasta sauce and add some spices, like oregano, to it. Yo Mama’s Award Winning Pasta Sauce is a favorite. Find it here.
Dole Mandarin Oranges
One cup has 32g of sugar
4. Packaged and Dried Fruits
Packaged fruits in light syrup have around 39 grams of sugar per 1-cup serving. While dried fruit seems like a healthy option, A small box of raisins has more than 25 grams of sugar.
As a healthier alternative: Nothing beats fresh fruit. From a cost perspective, frozen fruit will keep longer and can be used in smoothies, or heated up for oatmeal or yogurt.
5. Instant Oatmeal
Maple & Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal
12g of Sugar Per Packet
While it can be an easy option, Instant and flavored oatmeal contain both added sugar and salt. They also have less soluble fiber.
As a healthier alternative: Steel Cut Oats have only 1g of sugar and are a wonderful option to get the health benefits of oatmeal.
6. Coleslaw
It’s often thought of as a “healthy” side dish at the barbeque or burger joint. But, one regular-size side of coleslaw from the average restaurant has about 15 grams of sugar.
As a healthier alternative: When you want coleslaw, you can always make a low-sugar version at home. Or, look at the labels at the store and choose a lower sugar option.
At the end of the day, the excess sugar we consume is stored in the body as fat, which can lead to many health problems including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
The most empowering action we can take is making a conscious effort to read ingredient lists on our food products, and making the choices our bodies need to keep us healthy.