Foods That Contain More Sugar Than You Expect

Are you worried that the negative health effects of sugar are starting to freak you out? You may have tossed your favorite pastries, candies, mouth-watering desserts aside to cut down sugar. Yes, that is a wonderful start, but in all likelihood, it is only making a small dent in your overall consumption of sugar. Sugar hides everywhere in your diet. Most processed foods contain more sugar than you expect. You may be unknowingly consuming double or triple the amount than the recommendation. Excessive sugar is doing our health no favors. What can you do to cut it down? Here are some foods that contain more sugar than you expect.

1) Ketchup

The favorite companion of french fries and dips for your burgers boasts an impressive amount of sugar content. These ketchup can be very easy and convenient for your dishes, but these are the sneaky sources of sugar that are often added to cut off the acidic taste of the tomatoes and also to keep the ketchup from lasting longer. Do you know that one tablespoon of ketchup is equivalent to putting an entire cube of sugar in your mouth? It can approximately contain 4 grams of sugar per tablespoon. It is not necessary for you to completely ban ketchup from your plate, but rather you can prepare your own ketchup at home without adding sugar.

2) Canned Soups

You will be familiar with canned soups being high in sodium or salt content but are you aware that they can also be chock-full of sugar, especially the tomato soups. It contains approximately about 15 grams of sugar per serving. Sugar is usually added to minimize the acidity of the tomatoes and to balance the taste. So you need to have a look at the label before purchasing, especially the tomato varieties.

3) Low-fat Yogurt

Do you wonder how low-fat yogurt is rich in sugar content as low-fat foods are usually on the list of healthier diets? The normal full-fat plain yogurt contains 4.7 grams of sugar, whereas low-fat yogurt contains 6 to 7 grams of sugar. Sugar is added to low-fat yogurt in order to balance the loss of flavors and consistency.

4) Dried Fruits

Dried fruits are one of the healthy snacks because of its enriched nutrient and antioxidant content. However when the fruits are dehydrated, the water is removed, leaving behind all the sugars making it high in natural sugars.

5) Instant Oatmeal

Though oatmeal is ideal diet food, instant packets are usually stuffed with added sugar. It contains approximately about 15 grams of sugar per serving.

There are hidden sugars in almost every processed food, but there is a lot you can do to keep your sugar levels in control. By avoiding these sugar bombs, you can drastically lower your daily consumption and enjoy your meal with better health.