Cutting back on sugar can be tricky. It’s hiding in so many foods! Eating too much sugar can lead to weight gain. It increases your risk of chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Sugar is also bad for your teeth – just ask your dentist.
Adults shouldn’t get more than 30 g of sugar each day.1 But even if you ditch soda and candy, there’s still sugar lurking in everyday food. Here are nine sources of hidden sugar that you should avoid.
9 Foods With Hidden Sugar
1. BBQ Sauce
Condiments are some of the biggest culprit foods with hidden sugar. BBQ sauce is at the top of that list, with about 7 g in 1 Tsp. Obviously, BBQ recipes use much more than 1 Tsp so you end up consuming a lot of sugar in just one bite.
Play it safe by choosing sugar-free BBQ sauce. You can even try making your own at home.
2. Ketchup
In America, ketchup is a standard condiment. But it also has a lot of hidden sugar, so don’t overdo its consumption. 1 Tsp has 4 g of sugar, which give you 16 calories.
3. Salad Dressings
A salad isn’t complete without dressing, but most kinds contain hidden sugar. The ones with the most sugar are ketchup-based dressings, like Thousand Island or French dressing. 1 Tsp can have up to 9 g of sugar. Reach for vinaigrettes instead. You can easily make them at home with olive oil, spices, and balsamic or apple cider vinegar.
4. Pasta Sauce
There’s nothing better than a bowl of hot spaghetti. Yet, this seemingly savory dish is actually packed with sugar. An average jar of pasta sauce has about six cubes’ worth of sugar! Making your own pasta sauce with fresh tomatoes is a healthy option. You can also mix equal parts of pasta sauce and pureed veggies for a healthier version. Carrots, pumpkin, and avocado are great options.
5. Flavored Yogurt
Yogurt is packed with protein, calcium, and vitamins. But if you choose the flavored kind, you’ll also get hidden sugar with it. Even yogurt with fruit at the bottom has added sugars to make it taste like the real thing. Instead of buying flavored yogurt, mix fresh fruit with plain yogurt. Add natural sweetness with honey, dates, or coconut flakes.
6. Granola Bars
Healthy foods like granola bars also have hidden sugars. They’re usually pegged as a nutritious snack, but be careful. Many store-bought granola bars use syrup to hold the ingredients together.
Look for sugar-free versions or bars that have been sweetened with dates or honey. You can even make your own with oats, dried fruit, and your favorite nut butter.
7. Bottled Fruit Juice
Despite the name, bottled fruit juice is rarely made of real fruits. Most are made with a concentrate and sugar – lots of it. One cup of orange juice has 21 g of sugar, while one cup of apple juice has 24 g.
If you must drink bottled fruit juice, dilute it with water. Otherwise, buy 100% fruit juice without added sugars. Another option is to infuse water with real fruits for a tasty beverage.
8. Sports Drinks
Sports drinks might seem healthy, but they’re far from it. One 20 oz bottle of Gatorade hides 34 g of sugar.
Water is the best way to hydrate. But if you’re concerned about electrolytes, add sea salt and calcium magnesium powder to juice diluted with water.
9. Dried Fruit
Dried fruit has more hidden sugar than fresh fruit. This is because dehydration removes water, leaving just sugar. You’re more likely to eat more dried fruit in one sitting, leading to higher sugar intake.
In moderation, dried fruit is just fine. It tastes great in salads and yogurt. However, when possible, always opt for fresh fruit.
Always check the label before buying a product. Sugar is often disguised by names like corn syrup, molasses, fruit juice concentrate, maltodextrin, and muscovado. Words that end in “ose,” like fructose and dextrose, are also sugar.2
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