Foods Which Contain More Sugar Than You Think

If you’ve decided to go on a diet, either for health reasons or because you want to look or feel better, the first thing on your list is, of course, avoiding foods and drinks with high levels of sugar. But some items may have more sugar and are unhealthier than we actually think.

Here is a list of some of those products that will hopefully help you obtain better dietary habits.

 Soy milk

Advertised as the sweeter substitute for regular milk with a lot of protein and calcium, you might be surprised to hear that some types of soy milk actually, for instance, vanilla soy milk, has a lot of added sugar. Try to look for milk that doesn’t have sweetened flavors.

 Instant oatmeal

I know what you’re thinking, oatmeal is healthy, and maybe the sweet-flavored ones like chocolate might have a lot of sugar, but the ones with fruit flavors must be alright.Well, you’d be wrong because they are still artificially sweetened. Your best option is to either buy unflavored oatmeal or make your own. That way, you would know what you’re eating.

 Granola bars

One more thing that should be healthy and a lot of people who eat them do so because they think they’re healthier than candy bars. Unfortunately, many them contain a lot of added sugar. But don’t worry; the ones sweetened with fruit or honey are much healthier alternatives.

 Dried fruits

Fruits are of course healthy for you, and they taste good because they have natural sugars. However, when you dry a fruit, you leave it without water. That way, you get a product that is sweeter and which you will eat more than a regular fruit. Although the dried fruit still has fiber and nutrients, a regular fruit is healthier and more natural.

 Fat-free fruit yogurts

These are honestly just sugar in a tiny packaging. Don’t let the “fat-free” label fool you. They still contain a lot of sugar, and sugar is not fat. Mostly, these yogurts have more sugar in themselves because the manufacturers have to add something to improve the taste of their fat-free yogurt. You’re better off buying regular fruit yogurt or just make your own. Just take a plain yogurt and fill it with chopped bits of your favorite fruit and add a teaspoon of honey.

 Salad dressings

Salads are a great way to stay healthy and fit, but did you ever think about what goes into your salad? Some store-bought brands of salad dressing can contain up to seven grams of sugar. Therefore, be careful what you buy and always read the ingredients.

 Smoothies

When you mix fruits and vegetables with milk or yogurt, it is a great choice for you and your body. But the smoothies you buy that are advertised as healthy can sometimes contain up to 93 grams of sugar. So, as always, you are better off making your own.

 Vitamin waters

They sure sound like a better alternative to soda, they’re fruit flavored and full of vitamins, and that sounds great. Well, no, because fruit-flavored mineral waters contain 31 grams of sugar, and a can of any soda contains 39 grams, only eight more. Even though you’re taking in some vitamins, you’re still filling your body with empty calories. Why not stick to regular water?

 How to stay away from sugar?

Of course, you should not cut sugar out completely; however, it is essential to monitor your sugar intake and be aware of what you’re putting into your body daily. Whenever you buy something, always check the label. One trick that manufacturers use to “hide” sugar is by calling it different names, like glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Sometimes, they add sugar in the form of syrups so be on the lookout for agave nectar, golden syrup, high-fructose syrup, oat syrup, or maple syrup.

Another trick they use is manipulating the label. The rule is, the first thing on the list has to be what is mostly contained in the product. Using this to their advantage, manufacturers often use these different names and put down multiple types of sugar just to make the product seem healthier. Therefore, if your label reads, for instance, sugar, corn syrup, and fructose syrup, they are trying to make their product look healthier by putting sugar lower on the list when it is in fact filled with sugar, just broken down into several types. Now that you know all of this information, you can make better decisions about your diet and your meal plan.