Foods You Didn't Realize Are Loaded with Sugar
By Sara Butler
Most people crave a little of the sweet stuff from time to time. The problem is that sugar isn't good for your health. Naturally occurring sugars are fine and dandy, but added sugars are what you should be on the lookout for. They add empty calories that take the place of other foods that are more nutrient dense. Here are some foods that are unexpectedly packed full of added sugar and you need to be on high alert for!
How Much?
According to the American Heart Association, you should have no more than six teaspoons, or 25 grams, of sugar per day. You can avoid the obvious suspects in order to avoid sugar such as candy, ice cream, and pastries, but it's the less obvious sources of added sugars that can cause you to go way over the recommended amount in one day.
Flavored Yogurt
Sure, yogurt is healthy. It's full of probiotics that are good for your gut bacteria as well as protein, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. But regular and Greek yogurt flavored with fruit usually has much more added sugars than you think.
Some yogurts have as many as 33 grams of sugar per serving. Some of this is natural sugars from the milk, but this yogurt is still sweetened with sugar. It's best to choose yogurt with fewer than six grams of added sugar per serving. Or better yet, get plain yogurt and add some fruit yourself!
Condiments
Barbecue sauce, ketchup, and salad dressings may seem innocent, but take one look at their nutritional label and you'll realize they're anything but. Condiments are notorious for having a lot of added sugars. So, make sure to read the label of your favorite sauce before indulging or switch to mustard, which often has almost no added sugar at all.
Pasta Sauce
There's more sugar than you may realize in jarred pasta sauce. Many commercially produced sauces are full of added sugar in an effort to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. On average, a half-cup of pasta sauce has about eight grams of sugar. Just another reason to look at the nutrition label of the foods you're buying and look for one that has no added sugars.
Sugar is hiding everywhere, so it's important to be a savvy consumer to avoid added sugar in your diet!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Wayne, N.J.