If you’re trying to cut down sugar in your diet, be on high alert for these sneaky culprits!
Breakfast cereal
Plain breakfast cereals are few and far between. Most of them contain a lot of sugar. The obvious culprits are children’s cereal. But even so-called healthy cereal often contains some added sugar.
Fruit juice
Pure fruit juice contains the vitamins of whole fruit- and the sugars. One serving of fruit juice is the equivalent of numerous whole pieces of fruit. So you’re taking in a lot of fruit sugar in one go. There can be just as much sugar in a glass of fruit juice as in a glass of fizzy cola.
Granola
Granola is not always the healthy option it’s made out to be. It can be loaded with sugar, honey, and other sweeteners. It can also contain hefty amounts of dried fruit, and sometimes even chocolate.
Fancy coffee drinks
Those tasty seasonal coffees from high street chains can have sky high levels of sugar. Some can be more calorific than a full meal. Check out the nutritional information online before deciding whether you want to use so much of your calorie allowance on one drink.
Bottled smoothies
It’s best to make your own smoothies. Most shop bought ones are sweetened with fruit juice concentrate, puree, syrup, honey, or pure table sugar.
Low-fat yogurt
Low fat flavoured yoghurt and “Greek style” yoghurts can be loaded with extra sugar. Check the label - the sugar levels might shock you. A better option would be to choose real Greek yoghurt and add sweetness with fruit or berries.
Ketchup and BBQ sauces
Unless listed as low-sugar, condiments like ketchup and BBQ sauce can contain as much as 40% sugar.
Baked beans
Unless baked beans are labelled low-sugar, expect them to contain a lot of sugar.
Pasta sauce
Even foods that don’t taste sweet can have hidden sugar. Pasta sauce is just one example. Check the label, or better still, make your own by combining plain pasta with garlic, fresh herbs, and dried spices.
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