Surprising sources of hidden added sugars in your diet

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying some dessert once in a while or nibbling on something sweet when your heart gets a craving. But sugar is a notorious food group that is often hidden in plain sight in so many of the things we eat, often on a regular basis.

Added sugars can creep into your diet and cause harm without letting you even realise what is happening. It is okay to have sugar as long as you’re able to keep a watchful eye on your intake.

Here are some foods that we eat regularly that often feature hidden sugars in bulk!

PASTA SAUCES

While they don’t taste sweet, packaged pasta sauces are high in sugar content. You’ll find as much as 6 to 12 grams of sugar in just half a cup of pasta sauce, which is similar to the sugars in one chocolate cookie.

PROTEIN BARS

Granola or protein bars are touted to be a healthy snack but be careful before eating them on a daily basis. Many of these bars are made with sweeteners like corn syrup, brown sugar, honey, dextrose and fructose.

FLAVOURED YOGHURT

Yoghurt is a great source of calcium and protein but the story of flavoured yoghurts isn’t exactly the same. Apart from the naturally occurring sugars, these yoghurts are pumped with sweeteners. One serving of flavoured yoghurt can have as much as 17 to 33 grams of sugar.

SALAD DRESSING

If you’re eating salads in hopes of living healthier, you must keep this in mind. Salad dressing, especially the sweeter kinds, can pack a lot of sugar. With 5 to 7 grams of sugar in just two spoons of dressing, you’ll be much safer making your own vinegar and oil dressings at home.

TEA AND COFFEE

When you make your own tea or coffee, you have complete control over the sugar. But many leading brands of iced or pre-brewed tea and flavoured coffees can be loaded with high amounts of this sweet but deadly component. Sometimes even more than a can of fruit juice!

Eating or not eating sugar is your personal dietary choice but it is better to avoid foods that suspiciously sneak added sugars into your diet.