Yogurt is often part of a healthy diet, but it’s easy to focus on fat and calcium and forget about checking the sugar content. Yogurt will naturally have about 12 grams of sugar per 6-ounce serving, Keri Glassman, R.D. told “The Early Show”, but many people choose artificially-sweetened brands.
An 8-ounce container of vanilla can run around 31 grams of sugar and a 6-ounce container of fruit-flavored yogurt can set you back 32 grams. Also, keep in mind that different brands make their containers varying sizes, so be sure to read nutrition labels closely.
But there’s one stat to steer clear of at all costs: Any yogurt with 30 grams or more — more than a Snickers bar — is “pure garbage” Jayne Hurley, a senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told Runner’s World.
If you’re looking for a lighter option, Greek yogurt naturally has less sugar, thanks to the straining process that gives it that thick consistency.
A serving of canned or bottled tomato sauce is usually about half of a cup, but most of us eat closer to a cup of sauce with our noodles, according to EatingWell magazine.
A number of brands pack 11 or 12 grams into a half-cup serving, making a cup of sauce on par with a Twinkie in terms of sugar.
Granola bars seem like a healthy pick, especially compared to a candy bar, but when you take a closer look at some brands, there may not actually be much of a difference between the two. Steer clear of any with sugar listed in the top three or four ingredients, Elisa Zied, R.D., told Fitness magazine.
Depending on the brand and the size of the bar, a serving may have anywhere from 11 to 22 grams of sugar.
Fat-Free Salad Dressing
When manufacturers cut out the fat in your favorite salad dressings, they have to add something to keep some taste in there, and that something is often sugar.
A serving of salad dressing is generally a couple of tablespoons — but restaurants especially can be very heavy-handed: You could be eating up to a cup of dressing. Fat-free French packs 42 grams of sugar, Italian, 20 grams and fat-free Thousand Island, 43, just to name a few.
Of course, baked goods contain sugar. But muffins — especially bran muffins — are often considered healthier picks when compared to obvious offenders like doughnuts. In reality, though, today’s muffins have become so super-sized, they’re packed with sky-high amounts of sugar. A range of muffins surveyed by WebMD clocked in everywhere from 16 to a whopping 32 grams of sugar.
They seem like a great way to get some extra fruit and low-fat dairy in your diet, but smoothies can be overly sweet. Of course, some of the sugars are naturally found in yogurt, milk and fruit, but commercially prepared smoothies often list added sugar high up on the ingredients list. Popular brands can contain anywhere from 38 grams of sugar to 70 grams, to over 100, depending on the ingredients and the size.
Your best bet is to make your own at home with fresh fruit and nonfat yogurt.
Late last year, the Environmental Working Group, a public health nonprofit, took a close look at how much sugar we spoon into our bowls for breakfast. The findings on popular cereals is alarming: The worst offender — Kellogg’s Honey Smacks — contains 20 grams of sugar per serving. Over 40 other picks contained more than 11 grams of sugar per serving, more than three Chips Ahoy! cookies.
