We know not to consume large amounts of candy and ice cream all day. So where’s the issue?
Well, it’s in the hidden, added sugars that you have to watch out for.
These sugars are cleverly buried in foods that are marketed as healthy, but these foods couldn’t be further from wholesome.
- 1. Flavored Yogurt
- 2. Fruit Juices
- 3. Sports Drinks
- 4. Energy Drinks
- 5. Asian Sauce
- 6. Salad Dressings
- 7. Oatmeal
- 8. Smoothies
- 9. Dried Fruit
Table of Contents
+1. Flavored Yogurt
I can’t help notice how empty the store shelves become anytime a Yoplait 10 for $10 sale hits.
While it’s promoted as a healthy snack, even a small yogurt cup can have a fair number of calories and sugar.
One or two of these on occasion isn’t a big deal, but many people think the calories from foods like this don’t count.
They do, and they need to be considered when you’re planning meals.
2. Fruit Juices
We all know that soda contains a shocking amount of sugar, but only drinking water can get boring. You may be tempted to reach for fruit juice to quench your taste buds. Although this probably seems like a good idea since you’re having fruit, fruit juices can be extremely high in calories.
In some cases, a serving of fruit juice can have as many calories as a serving of soda.
3. Sports Drinks
Sports drinks are great for times when you’re exercising for long durations (especially over 70 minutes or so), but that’s not the case for most of us.
The vast majority of people who drink sports drinks are sedentary or don’t do the kind of training that warrants them.
While it’s fine to include them in moderation, they can be relatively high in calories.
Luckily, there are companies like Nuun who offer an effervescent option with all the vitamins and minerals you need minus the added sugars.
4. Energy Drinks
The How Sweet Is It? research goes on to state that energy drinks like Redbull, Full Throttle Original, SoBe Adrenaline Rush, and Vault are just as loaded with sugars as common sports drinks.
These four energy drinks average around 45g of sugar, or roughly 11 teaspoons, per 12oz.
5. Asian Sauce
Who doesn’t love a good Chinese takeout every once in awhile?
Whether your favorite is Sesame Chicken or General Tso’s, you may be surprised to learn just how much sugar is in your everyday take out dishes.
While it’s fine to eat Chinese food every now and then, it is renowned for having large amounts of sugar. It’s possible to eat over 50 grams of sugar just from the sauces in a medium or large meal from a takeout Asian restaurant like Panda Express.
6. Salad Dressings
Salad dressings are what makes your salad. Without them, it’s just a bunch of raw vegetables.
But, it’s also possible to go overboard. If you don’t pay attention to serving sizes, it’s easy to get far more calories than you bargained for.
7. Oatmeal
It’s exciting to see fast-food chains like Panera and McDonald’s attempting to offer healthy options like oatmeal on their menu. But, they aren’t just oatmeal.
McDonald’s oatmeal is flavored with both fruit and maple syrup with 32g of sugar for a teeny tiny serving.
That’s not the end of the world, but if you order two servings, that adds up to a lot of calories very fast.
8. Smoothies
Smoothies are another trap I see people unknowingly falling into.
You pat yourself on the back for choosing a fruit blended smoothie when you really wanted a chocolate milkshake.
If you take a look at Jamba Juice, one of the most popular smoothie chains around, a small Banana Berry Smoothie has 60g of sugar and a fair number of calories.
Smoothies aren’t all bad, but they can be very high in calories.
9. Dried Fruit
Dried fruit is one of those foods that most people have a very hard time eating in moderation.
Part of this is because it’s delicious.
But the serving sizes are also small, and it usually takes us a while to start getting full after we eat it.
It’s not hard to polish off a large box of raisins or candied mango.
As long as you’re controlling your portions, however, it’s fine to eat in moderation.
Don’t just assume something is healthy because the advertisement mentioned a reduction in sugar.
Read nutrition labels and understand ingredient lists so you know exactly what will fuel or harm your body.
Your waistline will surely thank your brain for making just a few educated choices.
