10 Foods That Contain Way More Sugar Than You Think

It’s common knowledge that sugar is bad for your health. I’m not talking to the naturally occurring sugars in foods like fruit and honey, which are negligible compared to the amount of sugar in products that falsely advertise themselves as sugar-free. You don’t have to eat sweets like cookies and chocolate bars on a daily basis; there are sugar-filled foods that aren’t sweet. The canned tomato soup sold in stores actually contains the daily sugar allowance. If you want to drastically cut down on your sugar intake, you should know a few things. Take a look at these 10 unexpectedly sugary foods.

1. Soda

In order to deceive customers, food manufacturers often give their products misleading names that conceal the high levels of sugar they actually contain. You can find alternatives to table sugar such as sucrose, carob syrup, fructose, and dextrose. You’ll need to step up your chemistry skills if you want to know, with any degree of certainty, how much sugar is in the product you’re considering buying. Soda may seem like the logical option, but just one can of soda has 29 grams of sugar, which is more than the daily maximum. Sugar intake guidelines for men are higher at 36 grams per day, compared to 25 grams for women.Sugar intake guidelines for men are higher at 36 grams per day, compared to 25 grams for women.

2. Flavoured Yoghurt

Flavored yogurt, despite marketing to the contrary, is typically not a healthy option. Even more so with the low-fat options, where extra sugar is often added to compensate for the lack of flavor, flavored yoghurt is about as healthful as a bowl of ice cream. It’s important to read labels because the amount of sugar in a single 8-ounce serving of yoghurt varies widely (from zero to 33 grams). The best alternative is to buy plain yogurt and sweeten it with honey and fresh fruit.

3. Agave Syrup

While agave syrup may be promoted as a sugar substitute, it does not have the same nutritional value as regular table sugar. Long-term consequences on the liver from the high fructose content are real. The body has a harder time processing fructose than it does something like sucrose, but ultimately, they’re both just sugars. Despite agave’s supposed ease of digestion, your body will have an easier time processing cane sugar.

4. Granola Bars

Although agave syrup is promoted as a healthier option to sugar, this is not the case. The liver is negatively impacted by the high fructose content (85%). While it’s true that fructose is more difficult to digest than, instance, sucrose, the two are essentially equal. Still, your body will have an easier time processing cane sugar than it would agave.

5. Barbecue Sauce

Sugar is a major component of traditional barbecue sauce, and even a small amount can have an impact. You wouldn’t think it from looking at the bottle, but even just a few teaspoons of BBQ sauce has a lot of sugar. Two teaspoons of sugar and two tablespoons of this sauce make a delicious combination. BBQ sauce contains as much as 33% sugar. Prepare your own sauces and watch your serving portions when you can.