This week I am drawing your attention to foods with hidden sugars! A lot of products contain much more sugar than we might think. This of course can impact sugar levels and can massively contribute to hyperglycaemia!
Be sure to look out for the following ingredients on packaging as manufacturers can use a variety of names for sugar:
- Barley Malt
- Dextrin/Dextrose
- Galactose
- High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
- Molasses
- Sorbitol
These are just a couple of examples, keep reading here for more information!
So with this in mind, keep reading for 5 foods that are packed with hidden sugars!
1. Soup
Packaged and processed foods are pretty much always high in sugar! This is because sugar adds flavour to products, while increasing shelf-life and being a very cheap ingredient!
This includes tinned soups! One can of Heinz Tomato soup contains nearly 20g of sugar! This coupled with bread on the side can make this meal very high in carbs, while lacking in protein and healthy fats to slow digestion.
Therefore, I always recommend trying to make soups from scratch so you know exactly what is in there. Soups are so quick and easy to make, so give it a go! Here is my Carrot and Coriander recipe to get you started!
2. Cereal/Granola
In general, most cereals and granolas are packed with sugars to enhance the taste. I would particularly pay attention to ‘healthy’ granola brands that make health claims and pull you into a sense of security.
Granola brands tend to have around 10g of sugar per serving, however bear in mind that the average person will eat more than one portion. So with the amount of milk and extra toppings added, the sugar consumed at breakfast alone is pretty high!
Always turn over the packet before you buy, to get a sense of how much sugar is hidden away in the product.
Lizi’s Granola is a better brand for some guidance, and I am working on some granola recipes that I will post soon!
3. Yogurt
Yogurts can be a fantastic addition to your diet, however you must pick and choose brands carefully!
Particularly low fat yogurts can have a really high sugar content to improve the taste. Small one portion pots can have to up 10g of sugar!So make sure you are checking the labels before purchasing your products!
Some better brands to consider are Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt (low sugar, high protein), and Alpro no sugar Soya Yogurt are great options!
4. Ready-made Sauces
Many people love to use ready made pasta and stir-fry sauces as it is quick and easy. However most are packed with extra sugar, salt and additives to preserve and improve the taste of the product!
For example, tomato sauce can have around 5g of sugar per portion, and stir-fry sauces can have around 10-15g of sugar in one serving!
This is a lot of sugar, especially compared to homemade versions. So learn a couple of quick and easy sauces you can make at home to avoid consuming more sugar than necessary!
To get started, check out my Chicken Satay recipe!
5. Spreads!
The main product to talk abut here is peanut butter. Peanut butter is massively trending as a ‘health food’, but many people still buy brands that are packed with sugar and other ingredients that aren’t very healthy!
For example, super-market own brands can have between 1-4g of sugar per serving, compared to whole brands having less than 1g of sugar.
Again, look at the list of ingredients to see what you are consuming, better brands should have peanuts and maybe a little added salt/oil. As soon as the ingredients list goes beyond this, I would reconsider the brands you are buying!
Thank you for reading 5 foods with hidden sugars! I really hope you found this useful and will help you to buy healthier brands! Be sure to subscribe and follow me on Instagram!
If you liked this post, be sure to read 5 foods to limit if you’re living with diabetes! and 5 foods diabetics should be eating!