Today, added sugars are everywhere. It's hard to escape them completely, and while the recommended daily intake for women is 25g and 36g for men, many of these foods will max you out with just one serving. Read on to learn just how much sugar is lurking in your pantry.
1. Granola bars
Some granola bars contain up to 25g of sugar. That's as much sugar as a Hershey bar! Not all granola bars are this bad. Regardless, granola is generally very easy to make yourself and you can control exactly what goes into it. That would be the best option if you need some granola in your life.
2. Yogurt
Yogurt is a healthy snack between meals and a healthy breakfast, too, right? WRONG. Activia Probiotic Greek Nonfat Vanilla Yogurt has a whopping 20g of sugar in just one serving. The best option for your yogurt necessities is definitely a non-fat, plain yogurt. Read your labels to ensure you're not getting tricked by this health scam!
3. Fruit juices
One glass of Welch's Grape Juice will have you consuming a whopping 36g of sugar. The fiber in real fruit counteracts the sugars within them, making the body slow down when processing them. Juice strips the fruits of this fiber, which means that sugar is all processed very rapidly. If you want a little fruit boost in your day, try eating whole fruits instead!
4. Pop/Soda
One Coke can't be that bad, surely... You'd be wrong again. One 12oz. serving of Coca-Cola contains 39g of added sugar. For a female, that's 14g over the entire recommended daily intake. If you cut one thing out of your diet after reading this, let it be this.
5. BBQ sauce
The serving size of most sauces is 2 tbsp, but even at that unreasonably low number (who only eats 2 tbsp of any sauce, especially BBQ?), Sweet Baby Ray's will have you consuming 16g of sugar in a short time. YIKES. Beware your sauces, and always read the label to find the best option.
6. Teas
Many bottled teas have at least 11g of sugar, but one weighs in at 69g! That's right, it's the Extra Sweet Pure Leaf Iced Tea. Tea may seem like a harmless choice, but stick to brewing your own and drinking it unsweetened. If you can't, look for teas that have a natural sweetness to them.
7. Red pasta sauce
Soiled again with the added sugars. Most pasta sauces have around 7g of sugar, but some clock in at a huge12g. This is for a half cup serving! One of these sauces is Chunky Ragu, Tomato, Garlic, and Onion.
8. Ice cream
Obviously, ice cream has a lot of sugar. That's what makes it so yummy! But just how much does it contain? In one serving of Häagen-Dazs Salted Caramel ice cream, there's a massive 29g of sugar. This may not be shocking at first — until you consider that this is 4g over the recommended added sugar intake for an ENTIRE DAY for women and just 7g under the recommended sugar intake for men.
9. Soup
Soups may seem like the better option when counting calories, but it's important to know where those calories come from. In Campbell’s Slow Kettle Style Tomato & Sweet Basil Bisque, there are 24g of sugar per serving!
10. Instant oatmeal
Instant oatmeal might seem like a quick and healthy breakfast solution, but not always. Oatmeal is beneficial for your diet, but not with 21g of sugar per serving! We're looking at you, McCann's Quick & Easy Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal in Apple Cinnamon.
11. Sports drinks
The premise behind sports drinks may be good for hardcore athletes, but for the average person, they're packed with unnecessary amounts of sugar. A 20 oz. bottle of Gatorade contains 34g of sugar, which will definitely not help you obtain your desired physique.
Whether you feel enlightened after this or not, reading the labels on the things you're putting on your body can be a great way to start leading a healthier life. Added sugars in our foods are a huge problem in the U.S. right now, and being educated is the first step to being a more health-conscious you. Now go on with your bad self and see where you can start cutting out excess sugar in your diet!
