While eating sweet treats occasionally is perfectly healthy when consuming a balanced diet, most people eat far more added sugar than they realize.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6% of calories per day, which equates to no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar for women and no more than 9 teaspoons for men. However, the average adult consumes more than double that amount daily.
Eating too much sugar regularly has been linked to a higher risk of several health conditions, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even depression.
Most people know that soda, candy, and desserts are packed with sugar, but what about everyday staple foods like yogurt, cereal, and smoothies?
Here are 11 everyday foods that are surprisingly high in sugar.
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You may not realize that your daily coffee drink contains more sugar than a candy bar. For instance, a grande Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino Blended Beverage from Starbucks contains a staggering 60 grams of added sugar, or 15 teaspoons. For comparison, a 1.86-ounce Snickers bar contains 26 grams, or 6.5 teaspoons, of added sugar.
While these drinks can be enjoyed occasionally, drinking them regularly can significantly increase your added sugar intake without you even realizing it.
Studies show that excessive added sugar consumption from sugary drinks can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, and health conditions like nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and heart disease.
Tip: To reduce your sugar consumption, choose unsweetened coffee drinks or use non-caloric sweeteners like monk fruit instead.
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Homemade smoothies and protein shakes can be a healthy choice, but many store-bought or made-to-order versions are surprisingly high in sugar and calories.
Take the large Strawberry Banana Premium Fruit Smoothie from Orange Julius, for example. It contains 450 calories and 91 grams of sugar. While the exact amount of added sugar isn’t specified, the ingredient list includes sugar, corn syrup, and sugar syrup, all of which are sources of added sugar.
Tip: To keep your smoothies and protein shakes low in sugar, consider making them at home using ingredients like fresh or frozen fruit, unsweetened milk or nut milk, protein powder, and nut butter. If you’re purchasing a smoothie or shake on the go, ask for no added sweeteners to cut back on your sugar intake.
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Though energy drinks might give you a quick boost when you’re feeling tired, you may not realize that these drinks often pack more sugar and caffeine than soda.
For example, a 16-ounce can of Rockstar Energy Drink contains 260 calories and 63 grams of added sugar, which equates to nearly 16 teaspoons. It also delivers 160 milligrams of caffeine, about the same as two cups of coffee, which can leave you feeling jittery and anxious.
Tip: Cutting back on energy drinks can be a simple way to reduce your intake of added sugar and caffeine.
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“As much as I love yogurt, you do want to watch out for added sugars in flavored yogurts,” Amanda Sauceda, MS, RD, creator of The Mindful Gut, told Health.
Many popular yogurts are packed with added sugar. For example, a 6-ounce Yoplait Original Strawberry Yogurt packs 13 grams of added sugar, which equates to a little over 3 teaspoons.
Tip: Choosing plain, unsweetened yogurt whenever possible and adding your own flavorings, like fresh fruit, for a boost of flavor can help you keep your sugar intake in check.
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Ketchup is an everyday condiment that can contain high amounts of added sugar.
“Sugar hides under many names, like high fructose corn syrup, which is commonly found in ketchup,” Kimberley Rose-Francis, RDN, CDCES, told Health.
“Just one tablespoon of Heinz Tomato Ketchup contains 4 grams, or 1 teaspoon, of added sugar. While that may seem small, it quickly adds up with common servings on burgers, hot dogs, meatloaf, chicken nuggets or fries,” said Rose-Francis.
Tip: To reduce hidden sugar, Rose-Francis suggested choosing ketchup labeled sugar-free or made with no added sugar.
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Your favorite salad dressing may be packing more added sugar than you realize. “Some salad dressings contain up to 2.78 grams of sugar per tablespoon, over 17% sugar!” noted Rose-Francis.
Sweetened dressings, like honey mustard dressings, are particularly high in sugar. For example, a 2-tablespoon serving of Ken’s Steak House Honey Mustard Dressing, Topping & Spread packs 6 grams of added sugar.
Tip: Rose-Francis recommends making your own dressing at home with oil, vinegar or lemon juice, salt, and seasonings. It’s also important to be aware that low-fat or fat-free versions often replace fat with added sugar for flavor, meaning they can be higher in sugar than their full-fat counterparts.
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A 2-tablespoon serving of Kraft Sweet Honey Slow-Simmered Barbecue Sauce contains 12 grams, or 3 teaspoons, of added sugar. This means that just one serving can deliver up to half of the AHA’s recommended daily added sugar limit.
Tip: If you’re eating out, Sauceda suggested having your barbecue sauce on the side to cut back on added sugar, and finding a lower-sugar sauce to use at home. “You may also experiment with using low-sugar marinades and rubs as an alternative to barbecue sauce when you grill,” she said.
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If you start your day with a bowl of cereal, you might be surprised by how much added sugar your favorite breakfast contains.
A one-and-one-third-cup serving of Froot Loops packs 12 grams, or 3 teaspoons, of added sugar. And if you think granola is a lower-sugar alternative, think again.
A two-thirds cup serving of Nature Valley Protein Oats & Honey Crunchy Granola contains a shocking 15 grams, or just under 4 teaspoons, of added sugar, making it much higher in sugar than most breakfast cereals.
Tip: For a lower-sugar alternative, choose no-sugar-added cereals and top your cereal with nuts, seeds, and fresh fruit.
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Trail mix is an easy and nutritious snack choice, but some contain ingredients that are high in added sugar, like candy and sugar-coated dried fruit.
For example, a fourth-cup serving of Good & Gather Probiotic Fruit & Yogurt Trail Mix contains 17 grams, or over 4 teaspoons, of added sugar per serving.
Tip: For a lower-sugar trail mix, make your own at home using unsweetened dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.
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Coffee creamers add richness and sweetness to your morning brew, but many contain more added sugar than you might expect.
Some coffee creamers, such as Coffee Mate French Vanilla, contain 5 grams of added sugar per 1-tablespoon serving.
Tip: To make your coffee healthier, try lower-sugar coffee additives, like collagen, unsweetened milk, cinnamon, or coconut milk, instead of sweetened coffee creamers.
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“Generally, oatmeal is a healthy breakfast, but flavored instant varieties can contain as much as 29–35% added sugar,” said Rose-Francis.
For example, a packet of Quaker Maple Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal contains 12 grams, or 3 teaspoons, of added sugar.
For a healthier option, Rose-Francis recommended making your own oatmeal at home using healthy ingredients, like rolled oats, fresh fruit, and nuts.
Tip: If you’d like additional sweetness, you can use a small amount of sweetener, like maple syrup or honey, or use a noncaloric sweetener, like monk fruit.
While added sugar is easy to recognize in obvious sources like candy and soda, it also hides in many everyday foods.
Products like oatmeal, coffee drinks, salad dressings, trail mix, ketchup, and flavored yogurts can all pack a significant amount of added sugar, even though they might seem like healthy choices.
