Part of breaking free from sugar dependence involves identifying where all the sugar in your diet is coming from. In today’s world, this can be very challenging. Although there are obvious sources of sugar that most of us can recognize, such as chocolate bars, hard candies, and cake, sugar often finds its way into places where you may not expect it!
Hidden sugars can make breaking sugar dependence even more challenging. Let’s discuss how to identify the sources of sugar in your diet, foods where it may be hidden, and better-for-you options to consider.
Breakfast Cereal
Although Frosted Flakes and Cinnamon Toast Crunch are known to be packed with sugar, there are also cereals advertised as “healthy” that are equally as full of sugar. For example, Kellogg’s Special K Fruit and Yogurt cereal has 13g of added sugar per serving—and no, this doesn’t include the milk! If you ate Special K in the morning, you are already getting 26 percent of your daily value of added sugar—and that’s if you stick to the recommended serving size on the package!
Navigating the cereal aisle can be challenging as sugar is hiding around every corner. Thankfully, there are cereals that are lower in sugar and can be a good option when transitioning to a low-sugar lifestyle. Kashi Cinnamon French Toast provides 7g of added sugar per serving, and Original Cheerios provides only 1g of added sugar per serving.
Yogurt
Yogurt is certainly a nutritious option as it is packed with calcium, protein, and probiotics, but learning how to navigate the yogurt section in the grocery store is essential. You guessed it—even yogurt contains hidden sugars! Yoplait Strawberry Greek Whips are thought to be a better alternative as they are Greek yogurt-based; however, they contain 10g of added sugar per serving. A good yogurt alternative is FAGE 5 Percent Whole Milk Greek Yogurt, which contains zero grams of added sugar. Although the FAGE yogurt isn’t sweetened, you can add some sweetness to it by topping it with some berries, bananas, or mangos.
Bars
Snack bars are often thought to be a healthy on-the-go option, but don’t be fooled. Some snack bars pack in as much sugar as a candy bar. One bar that is advertised as healthy is the Chocolate Chip CLIF Bar, which contains 17g of added sugar. The Gatorade Protein Bar in Mint Chocolate Chip Crunch contains an even higher amount of sugar at 27g of added sugar per bar!
When choosing snack bars, be sure to check the food label, as it is more common to find a bar with high amounts of added sugar than it is to find one without. A good alternative is the KIND bar in the flavor Dark Chocolate Nuts and Salt, which has only 5g of added sugar. RXBAR is another better-for-you alternative. They contain around 13g of sugar, but they are sweetened with dates and contain no added sugar.
Juices
Juices can be tricky as they are often advertised as nutrition powerhouses. Whenever fruits are juiced, they are stripped of their fiber and other nutrients and leave behind sugar. Let’s take a look at one of the most popular juice brands that is marketed as a healthy beverage. Naked Green Machine juice has 53g of sugar per serving! Although Naked Juice doesn’t contain any added sugar because the sugar is naturally derived from juice, it still contains sugar.
