10 Foods & Drinks With More Sugar Than You Think

Are you consuming too much sugar without even realising it? Many foods and beverages that you think are healthy also contain tons of sugar. In this post, we will tell you about 10 of them, but also give you simple solutions to reduce them, and how to better choose! Let’s find out!

The Dangers of Excessive Sugar

Sugar isn’t just found in candy; it’s hiding in tons of our everyday foods. All experts recommend eating 25-36 grams of sugar a day, but it is all too easy to eat that much and more. Excessive sugar can lead to weight gain, fatigue, and other health issues such as diabetes. The more you know about where sugar is hiding, the better off you will be. So, what foods contain all this sugar?

1. Flavored Yogurt

Yogurt is a healthy snack, right? Wrong! Many flavoured yogurts contain 15-20 grams of sugar in only 6 ounces! This is nearly the same amount as a candy bar.

Why It Is Surprising: Words like “low fat” make it sound healthy, but manufacturers add sugar for flavour, not for your health.

Better Choice: Get plain yogurt and add some fresh fruit or a small bit of honey.

2. Granola Bar

Granola bars could seem like a good go-to snack, but way too many of them have 10–15 grams of sugar, just like a cookie.

Why this is Surprising: Words like “natural” or “honey” sound healthy, but they’re still sugar!

Better Option: If you like granola bars, look for ones with less than 5 grams of sugar, or make your own with nuts and oats.

3. Sports Drinks

Sports drinks look like the perfect drink for a workout, but a 20-ounce bottle may have 34 grams of sugar, more than a soda!

Why this is Surprising: Advertising makes it look like an athlete’s drink, but most people don’t need that much sugar!

Better Option: Try drinking water, or look at sugar-free electrolyte tablets.

4. Salad Dressing

You’d probably think you were eating a healthy salad, but some salad dressings can include 5-10g of sugar in only 2 tbsp.

Why this is Surprising: Most sweet dressings (like those with honey mustard, or fruity dressings) taste great, and are high in sugar.

Better Option: Make your own! Just use olive oil and vinegar, some spices.

Here’s what I’m saying: I would put a ton of store-bought dressing on top of all of my salads, thinking I was being healthy. Then I discovered my dressing had 12g of sugar in it! Now that I’m making my own dressing, it is so easy to do. What dressing do you like best?

5. Smoothies

Smoothies seem like a healthy way to eat fruit and vegetables, but smoothies bought elsewhere can have 40-60g of sugar in 16 ounces.

Why this is Surprising: Even “green” smoothies usually have a bunch of sweetened juice and/or sweetened yogurt in them.

Better Option: Just make a shake using unsweetened milk, spinach and 1 piece of fruit!

6. Breakfast Cereals

Most cereals, even the ones that say “whole grain”, have 10–15 grams of sugar in one bowl; when you add the milk, you have a sugar bomb!

Why this is Surprising: All the colours and the claims about vitamins make you think it is healthy for you.

Better Choice: Choose a cereal that has less than 5 grams of sugar, or eat oatmeal with nuts.

7. Canned Fruit

Canned fruit looks like a really easy, healthy choice, but when it’s packed in syrup, it can have around 20 grams of sugar per cup of sliced fruit.

Why this is Surprising: Even canned fruit in “light syrup” contains added sugar!

Better Choice: Buy canned fruit packed in water or juice, or use fresh or frozen fruit.

8. Iced Tea

Just because your bottled iced tea looks healthy doesn’t mean it is. You can drink a 16-ounce bottle of tea in southern style sweet tea, which contains 20–30 grams of sugar, even if it doesn’t taste super sweet.

Why this is Surprising: Many of these teas have terms like “natural” or “green tea” that make you think they do not have sugar.

Better Choice: Make your tea and add a slice of lemon!

9. Pasta Sauces

Some store-bought pasta sauces have up to 6 – 12 grams of sugar in just 1/2 cup. That makes your dinner a lot sweeter than you probably expected!

Why it’s Surprising: Sugar is added to make tomato sauce taste less tart.

Better Choice: Look for sauces that say ” no added sugars.” Or you can make your own using fresh tomatoes.

10. Energy drinks

Energy drinks can give you a boost, but a 16-oz. can potentially has 50 – 60 grams of sugars… more sugar than you should theoretically eat all day!

Why it’s Surprising: The energy you get from the drink can make you forget about the sugars!

Better Choice: Go for black coffee or herbal tea for energy without the addition of sugars.

How to Spot Hidden Sugar

Reading food labels is like being Sherlock Holmes. Look for:

• Sugar by Other Names: Words like corn syrup, cane juice, or maltose are all sugar, too!

• Nutrition Label: Look for “added sugars” in grams.

• Ingredients: If sugar is towards the top of the list, there’s a lot of sugar in that item.

Try this: Grab something from your kitchen and read the label. How much sugar does it have?

3 Easy Ways to Eat Less Sugar

Make Your Own Foods: By cooking your own foods, you are naturally eliminating extra sugar. For example, make a simple salad dressing of 3 spoons of olive oil, 1 spoon of vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt.

Swap Drinks: Instead of sugary drinks, drink sparkling water or, if you like fruit, really just fruit slices in water.

Go Slow: Reduce sugar only a little at a time. Soon, your sugar cravings will decrease significantly.

Why is this good for you

Reducing added sugars is not about giving up all treats; it is more about feeling better and being healthier. I used to drink sports drinks after workouts, thinking they were a healthy option, but when I switched to water, I felt so much better! What is one sugary item that you could try swapping?

Let’s Summarise

Sugar hides in many foods like yogurt, cereal, and pasta sauce, but now you know the hiding spots to look into. By choosing better options and using labels, you can reduce sugar in your diet while still enjoying your food. Start small: maybe try a different cereal or try making your iced tea. You’ll feel great!