Today, I am doing something completely out of character. I am not focusing on the list of ingredients and instead looking at how much sugar is in SOOO many products these days.
The Problem With Sugar
The problem with sugar is honestly not sugar itself, but the quantity in which it’s being consumed. Over the last few decades our consumption of sugar has skyrocketed to “nearly 130 pounds of added sugars per person, per year,” which is ⅓ pound (or ⅔ cup) per day! That’s as much as four times as what's recommended...keep this chart handy as you review the products below:
The American Heart Association’s recommended daily allowance of sugar:
- 3 teaspoons of added sugar for children
- 6 teaspoons of added sugar for women
- 9 teaspoons of added sugar for men
According to Mark Bittman, "Added sugar . . . is the tobacco of the twenty-first century" and “probably the most dangerous part of our current diet.” One of the biggest concerns is that many people don’t realize how much added sugar they’re actually consuming. You might think you’re in the clear if you simply avoid sweets, but added sugar lurks in some pretty unexpected places, including salad dressings, dried fruit, spaghetti sauces, breads, cereals, condiments, flavored yogurts, beverages, and even crackers.
Added Sugar vs. Naturally Occurring Sugar
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Nature does a good job of packaging whole fruit with the right amount of sweetness and also the right amount of other nutrients (including fiber, which helps to slow absorption). So thanks to nature naturally occurring sugar that's found in whole foods is not to fear (whew!)...the much bigger problem is the white stuff! With this in mind, I tried to mostly select products for my little "Sugar Project" below that I believe are low in naturally occurring sugar so we can for sure know that the grams of sugar listed on the label are mainly referring to refined, added sugar (the stuff we need to cut back on). There are always exceptions to the rule though, which I explain below.
Why Artificial Sweeteners are No Better
Now if there's one thing I want to be sure of - I don't want anyone walking away from this post thinking they should go for the artificial sweeteners instead since they don't add up on the nutrition label. Just for the record, I'd MUCH rather eat "real" sugar over the artificial stuff any day. More on that here.
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1. Frosted Mini Wheats
This product is one of those that could be healthy if it weren't coverd in a blanket of sugar. If you're feeding this to your children for breakfast, yes, they'll be consuming some much-needed whole grains, BUT they'll also almost max out on their recommended daily allowance of added sugar with just one serving. Next time go for the plain wheat cereal ...even if that means sprinkling a ¼ teaspoon of your own sugar on top (which would be a huge improvement)!
2. Fruit Snacks
I am so tired of seeing these treats labeled as "fruit." The main fruit these contain is fruit juice, which, referencing what I said above about naturally occurring sugars, has been stripped of all the good nutrients and fiber that nature intended to go with all the natural sugar. So, while I'd personally rather drink fruit juice than eat straight-up sugar, I believe it should still be consumed in moderation as well.
3. Granola Bars
This right here is inspiring a "health foods that aren't healthy" post. Granola bars tend to have a "healthy" reputation (and I love the homemade version where you can control the amount and what type of sugar is added), but be careful that you aren't maxing out your added sugar for the day with one bar!
4. Froot Loops
I am guessing most of you don't think of "Froot Loops" as a health food, but isn't it interesting that even with the first ingredient in this cereal being sugar that it contains just as much added sugar as those "healthy" granola bars shown just above? And I promise my point here is not for you to eat more Froot Loops!
5. Sprinkles
Once again, we all know this product isn't a health food either, BUT I was a little surprised that just in 2 tablespoons of sprinkles my children would easily exceed their recommended daily allowance of sugar. Let's remember this doesn't even consider the sugar used in the cake or the frosting. So the next time you want to add some colorful sprinkles to your child's dessert, I would just say be cognizant about not going overboard.
6. Gatorade
Here's another "health" food that's really not. Kids are downing this stuff left and right and as you can see here, it's FULL of sugar - not to mention it's loaded with artificial dyes and other questionable ingredients. I think it's also worth mentioning that the bottle pictured here contains 2 ½ servings, which means it contains more than 13 teaspoons of sugar in total - ack! I personally think water is a great thirst quencher after being active, but I know some more serious athletes feel like they need "more" than that. Homemade gatorade recipes can be found online, and coconut water is another popular alternative to consider and discuss with whomever told you to drink this stuff in the first place!
7. Snickers Bar
Snickers commercials like to suggest eating their candy as a "snack," but now we can see that if you're really craving a candy bar you should consider eating half of one and most definitely count it as a dessert instead!
8. Sprite
Obviously regular sodas are full of sugar. But I must admit I was taken aback with how much! 16 teaspoons in this 1 bottle? Yikes! But don't think reaching for the diet version is any better. Be sure and check out my post on artificial sweeteners to read more about that.
Were any of these surprising to you? I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!
(PS - If you want to do a little "Sugar Project" of your own at home - my kids actually thought this was fun to do - download my free Sugar Conversion Chart to help you decide exactly how many teaspoons are in all those grams you see on the label.)
chrisitna says
Recent conversation
p1- sugar is evil
p2 -WHAT?!?
p1 - well not sugar, what they are doing with sugar
p2 - WHAT DO YOU MEAN?
Me - they are condensing it and putting it in EVERYTHING
yammireceitas says
In fact sugar its a major problem in whole world, the brands as no right to do what they do!Great work in this post. Amazing Blog. Feel free to visit us! Kisses Carla
Kristi says
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no such thing as a healthy sugar. This is becoming more apparent as time goes on. Sugar should be a special treat no matter the source. In time, I believe we will see that sugar is the culprit for many health problems. The following article and video are definitely worth your time; especially the video if you like the scientific explanations on a cellular level.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/19/healthy-sugar-sugars_n_5315969.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dBnniua6-oM
duffy527 says
My dad has been in the sporting good business for 40,years and has said that not only is Gatorade loaded with sugar, there have been studies done that they are linked to athletes concussions. There are a number of factors (heat, being in shape, proper head gear) but the Gatorade will dehydrate. I believe most of the schools around here have discouraged drinking it and recommend water.
Kimberly says
I would love to do this with store bought yogurt. It seems there is so much sugar in it! I know that yogurt has some naturally occurring sugar, but when I talk to people about the sugar content in yogurt I want to compare it to something they know is terrible - like a snickers bar to put it in perspective!
Allison R says
I'm still learning about whole foods and eating healthy, so some of these, though not shocking, were surprising to me. These are things that _I_ might consume as a treat, though I'd never let my kids have them. So....what does that say about me?!
I'm interested now in alternatives to sport drinks using coconut water, but even adding in some fruit juice would add in sugar, right? Better to just drink water and eat a banana, like the commentator above said!
Nancy says
Yogurt!
I make my own with fresh fruit or plain, but I see parents sending it in lunches daily thinking they are giving their kids something great!
Strawberry Yoplait, for example has 26 grams of sugar - 6.5 tsp.!!!
Nonfat, fruit on the bottom Brown Cow - 23 grams of sugar
Nancy's strawberry fruit on top - 28 grams
Nancy's nonfat vanilla 21 grams (smaller serving size)
(even plain Nancy's has 13 grams)
Sandi says
I'm not familiar with Nancy's brand in particular, but even plain yogurt (like plain milk) contains lactose, which is milk sugar. The 13 grams in Nancy's plain is likely naturally occurring lactose from the milk. The vanilla yogurt you listed above probably has 8 grams (21 - 13 = 8) of added sugar, which is about 2 teaspoons. Up to you to decide if that's too much for you. The new nutrition labeling laws will list naturally occurring sugar vs. added sugar. Yay!
Nancy says
good to know - I really didn't know that about milk! So is that where people get into trouble with 'lactose-intolerance'?
Sandi says
Exactly! :)
Sandi says
Sorry, Nancy, I didn't mean to completely ignore your point. Many yogurts do contain too much added sugar! It definitely has a health-food "halo". Kudos to you for making your own. I make mine in my slow cooker. It's so easy, and less fiddly than a yogurt maker.
Erika Volk says
Thank you for making the distinction between naturally occurring and added sugar. It makes me so upset (with food marketers etc.) when people who are trying to lose weight avoid fruit because of the sugar content. Instead of snacking on plants they snack on a "low sugar" food products.
Anna says
I agree with you that there is way too much sugar in our foods. Even though I'm not in culinary school anymore,I still look on labels and am shocked at how much sugar is in everyday food items.It is crazy how much sugar is in carbonated drinks.I think a 20 oz. Dr.Pepper has about 66 grams of sugar which equals about 4 tablespoons of sugar if I'm not mistaken.
Kim says
It's crazy how much sugar we consume without even knowing it! I actually just started a new blog (yesterday, in fact) tracking my journey of going 100 days without sugar. I've been in the planning process for a week or two and leading up to my sugar-free journey, I've become more aware of where sugar lives... which seems like practically everywhere! While it's in places you expect, like desserts and sodas, it's also in things like bacon and mustard... Not all brands of bacon, mustard, etc have sugar, but I've barely even started and I'm more aware of ingredients lists as I go grocery shopping!
I'm trying to educate myself about all of this, too, and I just started reading Sugar Blues by William Dufty. I'm only 2 chapters in, but I learned about the history of sugar and how its history is hand in hand with opium. The book talks about how soldiers from the Civil War got hooked on condensed milk preserved with sugar and at the end of the war, physicians were treating the sudden outbreak of diabetes with morphine (from opium), but they found morphine to be highly addictive so scientists refined the drug and created heroin, which replaced morphine as the treatment for all the cases of sugar diabetes. Crazy stuff!!
Nicole says
How does one convert the grams of sugar, to a teaspoon? I've always wondered what my 'daily allowence' is...so nice to know that it's 6 teaspoons....but how many grams is that typically?
Great read, thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Nicole. There are 4 grams of sugar in a teaspoon.
Mary says
I don't think I have bought anything on that list in over 10 years and that would have been the snickers bar. Sadly a large percentage of Americans are so used to sweetened food that they don't even notice what is sweetened until someone serves them an unsweetened version such as plain shredded wheat instead of frosted mini wheats.
My opinion is that none of these foods belong in a healthy diet except as a rare treat. Only the Snickers bar is marketed as what it is...a candy bar. The others try to make us think they are healthy or good for us in some way when in fact they are just not .
Christine M. says
Lisa,
I just wondered about your thoughts on eating carbohydrates, like whole grains and fruit? To me, these would seem healthy when eaten in moderation, of course. However, I have seen more and more people cutting them all out, saying they are bad for you even if they are organic and unprocessed. Have you found any evidence to support this in reading/learning process? Thanks!
Mary says
Carbohydrates are not the bad guy. Overeating highly processed and refined foods is the problem. Some people have allergies, sensitivities or other health problems related to certain foods. That does not make them bad for the rest of us. Eating too much of a food can be bad , because it doesn't leave room for other foods that provide different nutrients. There are lots of "diets" out there: hi carb, low carb, no fat, low fat, high protein low protein and the list goes on. I ended up taking a couple of nutrition classes through Coursera... One was from the University of Florida and the other from Vanderbilt. They are free and well worth the effort. When someone tells me that a certain diet is what I should follow I now have the information to know if that diet really makes sense or if it might even be dangerous. I often suggest that someone buy a good nutrition textbook. Amazon is a good source for used older editions that are not too expensive. But beware of "pseudo science" books pretending to be good authorities.
ACE says
Who eats this stuff?! Wish it were no one, but sadly that isn't the case. Train for healthful taste and soon these products taste like poohdeepoop.. Love nature's gift by really assessing and describing mentally the details of everything consumed.
#JERF
Asta says
wow, i am SO PROUD to say that i don´t buy any of those things, my kids dont drink sodas or any kind of energy drinks, my boyfriend i admit has bought a snickers and sprite/soda only for personal bad eating habits but that is almost gone as well, hardly ever buys it anymore, sprinkles arent as popular over here in Iceland as it is in America so that is maybe 1x a year we have that and not nearly 2.spoons - the other things i dont buy because we dont eat it or as with kellogs is full of GMO´s so.... i´d say im doing a good job :D
Kristin says
A few years ago I looked up the recommended gams of sugar per day, though I read 5 teaspoons for women, and have been working to keep my family under those amounts ever since. It helps to know that a teaspoon equals 3.6 grams of sugar. Then when one is grocery shopping, one can assess if the amount of added sugar is reasonable. I usually just make most things myself so I can control the ingredients and the amount of sugar. I would say we easily stay under the recommended amount most days except for birthdays, holidays or when we have homemade dessert on the weekend. And trust me, my kids do NOT feel deprived! Though, I can't control any of my kids communal snacks at school, scouts, etc. sigh! I go further and try to avoid fiberless concentrated forms of natural sugar as well like juice and dried fruit. I do not think sugar is evil, just that like many things it should be eaten in moderation.
Kristin says
Oops, sorry that's 4.2 grams of sugar per teaspoon, or 12.6 grams per day for kids.
Ariana says
Wow! Thanks so much for sharing this! I had no idea that my recommended allowance of added sugar was 6 teaspoons. After seeing that number, I know I am way overboard on my sugar. Thanks for the wake up call!!
Viv says
None of those in my home!!! :)
Katie says
Many of these products don't surprise me. My husband, a coach, stopped purchasing Gatorade for his athletes a year or so ago and now gives them water and bananas. I recently started looking at labels for sugar content as I am trying to cut out all added sugars to fight morning (all day) sickness. I purchased Altoids, as the peppermint helps. Each little mint has 2g of sugar. Crazy! Also, I recently purchased Simply Limeade to make our own popsicles...wowzers, I might as well fill them with Koolaid!
Kristin says
We use fruitables juice boxes for homemade Popsicles. Fruitables is blend of fruit and veggie juice so it naturally has less sugar. I have small Popsicle molds from IKEA and one juice box fills 3 molds, which is perfect since I have 3 kids.
Cindy says
You should eat the whole fruit and the whole vegetable. Juice doesn't have the fiber your kids need. Why train your kids to like popsicles?
Cindy says
plus, why put all that plastic into the environment...the IKEA molds and the plastic packaging for the juice boxes. It all winds up in our oceans! Just eat the plants.
Kristen says
I usually buy the Clif Bars and then started thinking about the fact that I didn't check the sugar content. I was dismayed to see that there was so much sugar in them. Great article!
Danielle says
I am the owner of a Personal Training facility in Ohio and am always discussing the sugar content of foods with clients. It is always amazing to me how our food industry "tricks" us into eating more sugar (and other ingredients) by the use of additives. The only real way to stay away from excess is by consuming real food. My trainers and I made a short video on sugar that you might find fun. Plus it gets the word out on how much sugar is consumed in a day for too many people! Here is it... http://youtu.be/8tvj5FZ59AE
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello Danielle. What a great video! Thanks for sharing. ~Amy
Sheila says
Honestly, these are not shocking products. They are all processed foods, it you are a person that limits processed foods in your life and your children's life you are rarely, if at all buying any of these products. Always check the label and use good sense.
Maunie P. says
Well, there goes 3 of the items I thought were okay! Bye bye Clif Bars! More work in the kitchen for me, making my own!!
Emily says
I'm curious - how many ounces was the bottle of Sprite that you tested? Your photo did not indicate. Thanks for the great article.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Emily. Pretty sure that is their 20oz bottle.
Amy says
Thank you for this article! I am doing a 2 week sugar detox challenge. Makes you realize how many products are loaded with sugar!!!
amyu says
i meant processed foods with "all-natural" labels. Not truly natural food.
amyu says
i dont buy those things...gah-ross! but being pg I'm a sugar detector, it makes me feel so icky. I have become hyper-aware of sugar content because my body tells me, and I've had to eliminate soooo many "all-natural" foods so i don't pay later with lethargy, heartburn and nausea. (Incidentally, i did not suffer any of those until i got too big to milk our cow and we sold her; now we don't have access to raw milk. Whose sugar is perfectly balanced and completely digestible.)
diane says
Sugar should not be demonized-
Way back in the 70's, diabetics could not have sugar which started the "sugar-free" craze. That was the beginning of the end of "real foods" for communities. We were quickly introduced to a dozen new wonder chemicals. The forever present weight loss focused people and drs quickly latched on to the "less sugar equals less calories" which means skinny- who cares about the chemicals right?
Then came the 80-90's- the "fat-free" craze. And more crazy chemicals got added in.. some of which caused side effects. The forever present weight loss "must be skinny or die" crowd was THRILLED! That fat has a ton of calories. Who cares about chemicals if we can be skinny right? That was the advice I got when the scale went too high.
Then came the "don't have time to cook" crowd. They had full time careers, with over booked kids, and perfect homes and no time for cooking and cleaning- the answer to their woes? More chemicals. Chemically preserved foods that lasted in the pantry forever. Zap for a minute in the plastic chemical container and presto the kids are fed. Of course these over busy families need to be skinny too - so no-sugar, low-fat, fast and easy more chemical then food now serving America.
We are sick. Most folks I know cannot fathom how to make mac and cheese from scratch. They have no idea about chemicals in food. Sugar they can understand though. Guess what they will go for in the aisles of General Mill's? The sugar -free cereal that is packed with synthetic vitamins and chemicals. I would rather they ate sugar honestly.
Sugar is not the enemy. Fat is not the enemy. Focusing on sugar yet again takes the heat off the food companies for adding massive toxic chemicals to our food chain.
Up to 30 percent of breast milk is "sugar". Without IV's full of sugar many patients would die. Elemental formulas(packed full of gmo's and chemicals,but ) are 50 percent sugar.
My ancestors ate sugar. They did not eat chemicals. Raw cane sugar. (though watch for GMO!), raw local honey(watch out those keepers are sneaky and add corn syrup at times!), coconut and palm sugar(full of enzymes and minerals) and of course naturally occurring fruit sugars(Don't touch beet sugars, all GMO!)
Our farmers dose their crops with chemicals. They process and pack and preserve with chemicals. Neurotoxins, Mito toxins.. our water full of fluoride and other chemicals ... That should be the focus.
If we removed all the chemicals and reduced chronic illness we can talk moderation. I know a few friends who eat very clean, no sugar diets but are very malnourished. We need to stop waring with "food" and instead war with the chemicals. Sugar is a simple distraction.
So remove the fat. Remove the sugar. What is left? An excuse to add more chemicals. After all who wants to taste the food in those boxes? Ladened with chemicals? The labs are busy as we speak creating some new wonder chemical that kids will LOVE to eat! The FDA will bless it because right now "sugar" is evil, right?
Glucose"aka sugar" is for the most part the sole food for the brain.
Sugar isn't evil. Anymore then fat is evil. It is the chemicals.
Christine says
This is a great article! I never really thought about the number of grams in a teaspoon full of sugar. 4g is 1 tsp. Yikes! For people who only look at the nutrition label it can help make more sense to them.
Ginger says
I am also not surprised by the sugar in the items on this list and am also surprised that anyone would be. I have always worked towards giving my daughter healthy food, with the occasional treat, and I do not let her eat the foods on this list (except the sprinkles on a treat at a bday party). My biggest frustration is the food that is offered at daycares and schools. My daughter is in an all day daycare that does not allow parents to bring in food, so she is eating things that honestly just make me cringe, like sugar cereals, pop tarts, canned fruits (full of sugar) and canned vegetables (full of salt). I am anxious for this coming school year when she will be in Kindergarten, so I can use your many lunch tips to make her a healthy lunch everyday!
Kent says
Last summer, I was inhaling Powerade every day, hardly if ever did Gatorade. Never suspected Sprite; however, I rarely do soft drinks, anyway. Granola bars are about the only thing on your list I partake of, but no cereals of any kind. Sadly, not enough fruits, either. Thankfully, I don't keep sugar nor salt in the house. Good post, good information.
Meryl says
None of this surprises me. Sugar is everywhere in the American Diet. I have avoided all processed foods for a few years, and I feel so much better without all that added sugar. I still bake at home, and I am now trying to sweeten exclusively with fruits.
Pandora says
Thanks for the great article! I try to share this type of information with my friends and family so we can ALL be more aware. In doing so, I hope that some of what they read is absorbed and they start to really think before they buy. Keep up the great work y'all are doing!!
Jill W says
None of the products on your list surprise me...I'm kind of shocked that they would surprise anyone. What surprises me are things like yogurt (take a look at products like Dannon - which might be nonfat, but is loaded with sugar). It's VERY hard to find a lowfat yogurt that doesn't have 20+ grams of sugar per serving. I just finished a Chobani, which as 15g of sugar...one of the lowest ones I could find. Granola cereal is notoriously high in sugar, unless you make it yourself, which is what I do using the least amount of maple syrup possible. All one has to do is try to eat a low/no sugar diet and you learn very quickly how much sugar is out there.
Jess W says
Thanks for the info - and for the comments about real sugar versus artificial sweeteners. I do wish you included, on this list, some of the real surprises. We all know sprite and fruit loops are sugary. The surprise is just how sugary they are. But, what about the foods that you wouldn't classify as "sweets"? The added sugars in foods that have no reason to include sugar in the first place.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jess. Yep, that is why thorough label reading so so important.
Karen says
I just finished the 21-day sugar detox and was shocked by how many things had sugar or sweeteners in them or my reaction to sweetness when I completed the 21 days. Although the author promotes a paleo diet, I do not have difficulty with whole grains or full fat dairy and it's allowed. I never realized all the stuff that was added to my greek yogurt either....but so glad I was introduced to Strauss' full fat plain greek yogurt....it's so delicious and I can add a little cinnamon and vanilla and am satisfied and her cookbooks promote only real food so it goes along with your philosophy also. It was a win win for me.
Thanks for all that you do Lisa to keep people informed and healthy!
Karen
Michelle says
Hi Karen,
I've been reading the reviews on Amazon for all the sugar detox books and was curious what you thought of the one you just completed? Also, have you read any others?
I am a sugar addict and just can't believe how very little self control I exhibit over sweets! Ugh! :(
I would appreciate your opinion!
Thank you,
Michelle
Karen says
Hi Michelle,
I did the one by Diane Sanfilippo, who is a certified nutritionist and I thought it was excellent. I loved all the recipes that both the detox book and cookbook had in them. They were easy to follow and as you go through the program, you get a daily email so you know what to expect. If you're active, reducing your carbs can be hard so you do have to make sure that you eat well. The hardest thing for me was no wine and no sugar free gum (ha ha). I also have always had a sweet tooth and almost my entire life I have had a handful of M&M peanuts as a late night snack or after dinner snack, with seemingly no problems. After completing the 21 days (I only did level 1, there are 3 levels) and thought I'd try my regular handful of M&M's (because she does promote introducing things so you can see how it makes you feel) I was surprised how ill I felt and my cravings are gone. Obviously, everyone is different but I was also surprised that although I really only made what seemed like a few small changes, I feel better and I actually lost a few pounds (6 lbs) which wasn't really my goal.
As far as other books or programs, I've looked at some but this was the one that seemed well suited for me and I've always enjoyed her Balanced bites website for information.
Hope this helps! I think you would be really surprised by the outcome and it's also pretty easy to do anything for just 21 days.
Good luck if you decide to try!
Karen
Tracy says
I was wondering about the sugar thing what I saw a recipe on this sight for baked beans that called for 3/4 cups of maple syrup! While maple syrup is not processed like white sugar it is still going to raise insulin levels which is not good for anyone (not just diabetics).
Caty K says
Surprised that you didn't include flavored yogurts and "go-gurts". Those, like granola, have a healthy air about them that is far from reality. Shocking.
I am really glad the labels will soon list "added" sugars and then maybe people will realize. Perhaps also listing sugar not in grams but in teaspoons or tablespoons might help too!!
Audrey Christie McLaughlin says
I don't think any of it surprised me, the only thing on the list I allow my kids to have is the sprite (actually we use sierra mist). I know it is basically sugar water but it will make me think twice about letting them have it even only occasionally. Thanks for the great post!
Aislinn says
One of the best comics on the internet, xkcd, has a great strip comparing the amount of sugar in a soda to that in cadbury creme eggs. I always think of it when I consider whether I REALLY want that soda. Conceptualizing soda as liquid candy keeps me down to pretty minute serving sizes the half-dozen times a year a drink a ginger ale or Sprite. The notion of guzzling a liter of it just becomes less appetizing.
http://xkcd.com/1035/
Now if only I could get off the Diet Coke...