We all know that too much sugar is really very bad for our health and could increase the risk of different diseases. Sugar has been linked to increased diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and even cancer. Because of this, a lot of people are now trying to lessen their sugar intake, but it is not easy to determine exactly how much sugar you are actually consuming every day because of hidden sugars.
There’s a lot of food that has hidden sugars in them, including the food you do not consider sweet.
Food and beverages marketed as low fat or light often contain way more sugar than their regular counterparts.
The AHA (American Heart Association) recommends that women should limit their added sugar intake to 25 grams or six teaspoons per day. In comparison, men should limit their sugar intake to 37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons per day.
Now, let’s discuss the top foods and drinks that contain hidden sugar.
Fruits
While fruits are healthy, they are relatively sweet and contain a lot of sugar. This is why it is important to check how much sugar per serving there is in your favorite fruit.
Low Fat Yogurt
Yogurt is nutritious and healthy, but not every yogurt is created equal. Like other low-fat products, low-fat yogurts contain sugar added to them to enhance their flavor and taste.
It is better to choose full fat, Greek, or natural yogurt and avoid yogurt that contains sugar.
Pre-made Soup
When it is cooked fresh with organic ingredients, soup is a healthy choice and could be a ground way to increase your vegetable intake without much effort.
But many commercially prepared, pre-made soups have a lot of different ingredients that have hidden sugar in them.
Here are some of the hidden sugars that you can find in pre-made soups:
- sucrose
- dextrose
- barley malt
- maltose
- high fructose corn syrup
Condiments
Condiments like barbecue sauce and ketchup contain hidden sugar. Unfortunately, these tasty condiments that we add to our food to make it tastier are often loaded with sugar.
This is why it is vital to be mindful of your portion size when using condiments and always remember that a single tablespoon of ketchup has one teaspoon of sugar and two tablespoons of bbq sauce contain about nine grams of sugar.
Sports Drink
A lot of people think that sports drink is a healthier choice when working out, but it is not. Water is still the best to satisfy your thirst, and it has zero calories and has absolutely no hidden sugar.
Sports drinks are categorized as a drink with high sugar. Just like fruit juice and soda, they are also linked to metabolic disease and obesity.
Granola
Most of the granola brands are marketed as low-fat, healthy food, but it has a lot of sugar and calories in a single serving.
Granola’s main ingredient, oats, is well-balanced cereal containing fat, protein, fiber, and carb. But, the oats in granola have nuts, honey, and different sweeteners that increase the number of calories and sugar in them.
If you love granola, you can make it your own to have complete control over how much sugar you put in it.
The Bottom Line
Eating too much sugar can have negative effects on our health. Excessive sweetened foods and beverages could lead to blood sugar problems, weight gain, and it could also increase the risk of heart disease, among other deadly conditions.
For these reasons, you should always check the food you are eating if there is hidden sugar in them. Sugar intake should be kept to a minimum whenever it is possible.
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