20 FOODS WITH SUGAR IN THE TOP THREE INGREDIENTS
Today I am here to share with you 20 foods that you maybe didn't know are loaded with sugar! Every single food listed here has SUGAR in the top 3 ingredients!
There might be a few here that you would expect... but I bet a lot of them will surprise you!
BBQ SAUCE Yeah.. for real. You think your going out for wings and just having a protein packed meal right?! Wrong! That sauce is filled with sugar and loading you up on carbs! On average about 5 grams per tbsp! Imagine how much you have on your wings or other chicken delicacies.
My recommendation: Get a dry rub on your wings!
KETCHUP: Over half of that red messy goodness your pouring on is sugar. Not a good habit to get into. 4 grams in 1 tbsp....holy crap. I know some people who use 1 tbsp on 2 french fries... don't worry I won't name drop.
My Recommendation: Stop eating ketchup. And honestly you should probably stop eating the crap your dipping into your ketchup too.... just sayin' lol
YOPLAIT LIGHT YOGURT: Yogurt is a dairy product which almost guarantees that there will be sugar in it. Not only that, but then yogurt is always flavored and jazzed up with even more sugar. There are some brands/flavors that don't have quite as high of sugar. But they are few and far between. 10 grams in one little cup!
My Recommendation: I don't ever recommend dairy. But, I know that not everyone will listen to that recommendation. SO - Chobani Non Fat Plain Greek Yogurt is 90 calories and just 4 grams of sugar. Client: "But plain tastes bad!" Me: "Then eat something different." (*cue in evil trainer laugh here lol) And please, don't add granola on top. Keep reading and you'll know why. Fresh fruit is the only topping!
YOPLAIT FROZEN GREEK YOGURT: Some of you may be thinking...well duh its still ice cream?! But some people see the "Greek Yogurt" aspect of this marketing as a healthy version of their favorite treat! I'm not hating on you for wanting to pick a healthier option. Just unfortunately thats not the case. 20 grams of sugar in 1/2 cup! Woah!!
My Recommendation: Freeze up a relatively ripe banana. Once frozen, blend in food processor until smooth. Top with a few blueberries and enjoy!
HOT CHOCOLATE: Most people don't think about how much sugar and calories are in beverages. 15 grams in 1/2 cup! Daaaang I guess that is where all the holiday pounds come from!
My Recommendation: Have a hot green tea - with a tea bag! Not a bottled tea.
QUEST BAR: This is a bar that is highly popular in the fitness world! They are a "low carb - high protein" snack! 1 gram of sugar though? How is it in the top 3 ingredients? Read here to learn about IMO. This is the bar that I typically grab at a gas station if I run out of food early (which I try to never allow!) But that doesn't mean its actually "healthy". It just means I am human too :)
My Recommendation: Have a Quest Bar if you have no other options - just try not a make it a super regular thing! Best thing would be to make your own protein bars!
RANCH DRESSING - LIGHT: A very common artificial sweetener maltodextrine is the third ingredient in Ranch Dressing. I mean, we knew it wasn't healthy. But did you think it was because of sugar?! 2 grams of sugar per 1 tbsp.
My Recommendation: Stop eating ranch dressing. Like really. Trust me, I used to smother my pizza with Ranch Dressing in college. Can you say freshman 15???
NATURE VALLEY BAR: These will get ya. Their healthy looking packaging and it says 'Nature' in the name!! 12 grams of sugar packed into these guys. I've seen so many people eating these before a workout... not going to get ya too far in your weight loss journey.
My Recommendation: A better option is the above Quest Bar when it comes to actual carb and sugar grams. But I would still recommend to make your own protein bar instead!
FRENCH DRESSING: This is one that is super frustrating for me. Salad has always been seen as the healthy option - however with the salad dressing options out there - this changes the game. 6 grams of sugar in 2 tbsp of dressing.
My Recommendation: Either try out a homemade balsamic vinaigrette OR load up on veggies and protein and just eat it! Trust me, it can be done without dressing ;)
HONEY NUT CHEERIOS: For so long, Cheerios were the heart healthy option. But with 9 grams of sugar per 3/4 cups (and who the h#!! only eats 3/4 cups of cereal?), Cheerios is actually contributing to heart disease.
My Recommendation: Stop eating cereal - for real. Eat oatmeal. My favorite way to have oatmeal: 1/2 cup oatmeal + top with 1/4 banana chopped, chia seeds and cinnamon.
GNC PROTEIN: This is just one of many protein powders that uses artificial sweeteners as a way to lower their carb and "sugar" grams on the nutrition label but keep a sweet flavor that keeps people coming back. It is not easy to find a protein powder that is legitimately contributing to your health the way you think it is.
My Recommendation: I always recommend Evolv Shake when someone is looking for a protein powder. The company does not use artificial sweeteners or colors! (The natural sugar they do use is safe for diabetics as it naturally doesn't affect blood sugar). They have a great macronutrient breakdown, and it tastes freakin' amazing! If you follow me, you know that I put Evolv Shake Vanilla in almost all of my recipes! Click HERE to visit the website. Go to the top corner and click BUY in order to see the product information and purchase!
CHEERIOS PROTEIN: The funniest part about this (and why I had to share 2 Cheerios items) is because there is 16 grams of sugar in 1 1/4 cup of the cereal, but only 7 grams of protein. What the what?!? Isn't this protein cereal?! lol
My Recommendation: Refer to my recommendation above for eating oatmeal!
MINUTE MAID JUICE: Oh man, I have this battle constantly with my husband. He loves juice. And I remind him on the regular how much sugar is in it. For example, in 8 oz of this juice, 25 grams of sugar! Trust me when I say that you are almost never safe when drinking a juice out of a bottle/box. "But the bottle says its from natural fruit juice!" Think about it this way: how long do you think juice would last in the fridge if you just used a juicer? Maybe a day before it starts to go bad, right? But you buy juice from the store and it lasts...like really lasts. That my friend is added sugars and preservatives to keep that shelf life up. Gross.
My Recommendation: Don't ever drink juice again lol - unless you are handed a fresh cold pressed juice from a juicer. If you are looking for some flavor - try infusing your water with fruit. My favorite is half a lemon or lime squeezed into my water and some chia seeds in there for added health benefits! You can also try other flavors: strawberries, pineapple, cucumber, get creative :)
GRANOLA: In this Chex Mix Granola, there is 13 grams of sugar in 2/3 cups. For having a stigma of being a healthy snack - it sure does load up on sugar! Not all granola is created equal, and there are some halfway decent granolas that you can purchase. But... make sure you are reading the label. Straight up sugar is the 2nd ingredient on the list here. Not ideal in a healthy snack!
My Recommendation: Make your own granola at home. You won't have to worry about all the added sugars and preservatives and you can make your own flavors!
BAI: This drink is a bit newer to the scene. It uses the same marketing schemes that the rest of them do. Hidden in the ingredient list is erthytol - which is a sugar alcohol. Trust me when I say that you do not want to be putting sugar alcohol into your system :0
My Recommendation: Don't drink anything bottled but water. Refer to my recommendation listed for juice.
SNAPPLE: "Made from the best stuff on Earth" my A$$! I love this picture here, where are the peaches in the ingredients?! lol! For real though, sugar is the 2nd ingredient after water. 39 grams in this one bottle! Not okay!
My Recommendation: Don't drink it!!!! Refer to my above recommendation for juice.
PEANUT BUTTER: Not all peanut butter is created equal. This regular jar of Skippy has sugar the next ingredient after peanuts. There are a lot of debates out there about peanut butter and what kind to buy...
My Recommendation: Make your own nut butter at home!
COCA-COLA: There is not one good thing about this bottled poison (not hiding my emotions about this lol). In 20 oz of Coke, there are 65 grams of sugar. That is over double what you should have in an entire day. Seriously, so disgusting. Studies have shown that drinking one soda a day can increase your likelihood of cardiovascular disease by 30%.
My Recommendation: Seriously stop drinking soda. Today. Refer above to my recommendation for juice.
GATORADE G2: Gatorade was created for athletes who needed to replenish their electrolyte and carb stores. Then why, why, why are so many people drinking it off the court/track?!? This "healthy version" of Gatorade had 12 grams of sugar in one bottle. The regular kind has 14.
My Recommendation: If you are not an athlete pouring sweat all over the place - don't drink this. Refer above to my recommendation for juice.
CAMPBELL'S TOMOATO SOUP: This is my winter comfort food - I won't lie. Soup is not the healthy alternative that people come think. Campbell's does quite the trick on their nutrition label. Okay, so High Fructose Corn Syrup is the 2nd ingredient. That alone is awful. But THEN they have the serving size for the nutrition facts to 1/2 cup - and having 3.5 servings in each can. Now here is where the problem comes in. There are 12 grams of sugar in EACH serving. So, if you eat the entire can (which is totally me) you are downing 42 grams of sugar in soup! OMG!
My Recommendation: Make a crock pot soup from scratch. You can put any veggies/protein you want! Plus, crock pot meals are an easy meal prep - throw it in and forget about it till the timer goes off! Score!
All in all guys, anything that is packaged or bottled is almost guaranteed to have added sugars and preservatives in it! The best thing you can do is home make your foods from raw and natural ingredients. If you are worried about the cost of buying more natural foods - I totally get it. We are on a budget too. Shop at places like Aldi's or farmers markets!
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Wondering why this is so important to know?!
SUGAR IS THE ENEMY! The negative effects on our health are endless. But companies cram it in our foods like crazy!
I've linked this article in previous posts - it is a great one to read: TOP 9 REASONS TO AVOID SUGAR AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT. This is a great and easy to follow article focusing on why eliminating sugar is SO important!
WHAT DOES YOUR BODY GO THROUGH WHEN YOU ELIMINATE SUGAR is also good to learn too!
Go ahead and look through your cupboards and fridge.... check out the ingredients and decide if you really want to eat it anymore! Grocery shop smart - Eat smart!
Have any questions?! Comment below or reach out to me on Social Media - Links Below!
XO, Brittany
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