As we know that sugar is very important for us just like this intake of excessive sugar foods can be dangerous for us. Sometimes having such foods and drinks can make us close to diabetes. This can be worsen to many life threatening conditions.
You can read our articles for diabetes and gestational diabetes, their causes, and factors. Not only diabetes but high sugar levels make the environment for many diseases like obesity, heart diseases, and can even cause cancer.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the limit amount of sugar intake should be:
- For women: 6 teaspoons per day which make 24 gms.
- For men: 9 teaspoons per day which make 36 gms.
And today, we take more than this amount in our daily routine!
9 foods which are high in sugar level
Let’s discuss about the high sugar foods and avoidance of these foods and drinks which will prevent and help in treating diabetes. In some foods, there is hidden sugar which we can not even taste or know. By intaking these foods and drinks it will increase the blood sugar levels of our body.
Flavored low-fat yogurt
Yogurt is a dairy product that is rich in nutrients. It has many benefits but manufactured and flavored yogurts are not like real yogurt. Much low fat or flavored products including yogurt has many amounts of sugar. Sugar is added to enhance its taste and makes it sweetened. Sometimes artificial coloring is also added to yogurt that enhances the color which also contains sugar.
The amount of sugar in a flavored low fat manufactured yogurt is about 3956 mg fructose sugar in each serving which is very high as compared to the daily requirement. In a single cup, it comes about 245 mg of sugar. This type of yogurt is labeled as ‘a healthy yogurt’ but can make you closer to the risk of having multiple diseases.
Due to these, it has been noticed that low fat yogurt is not proved to be such beneficial so it is better to have full fat yogurt which has health benefits too. It would be a healthy decision to choose full fat yogurt which is natural or Greek yogurt and is good to avoid such flavored and so called low fat yogurt.
Spaghetti sauce
Sugars are also added in foods that we don’t consider to be sweet and don’t even taste sweet, but hidden sugars are added in them. Just like spaghetti sauce, we think that eating such saltish foods may help us in avoiding sugar but it is not true. Naturally, tomatoes have sugar so all sauces get sugar in the process but during manufacturing, more sugar is added in the sauces for flavor. A tablespoon of spaghetti sauce contains around 12 grams of sugar.
The best way to get low sugar sauce or just natural sugar sauce in your plate or for flavoring your pasta; is if you make it by yourself by tomato paste, olive oil, garlic, basil, and black pepper. However, if you want to buy such sauce then check the label and ingredient list of the sauce you select which one has low sugar or sugar near to the above requirements.
BBQ sauce
When it’s about BBQ Sauce then smoky and spicy flavors come into mind but here in these sauces it is not like that. There are hidden sugars in such sauce as told above in spaghetti sauce. Just because you can not taste them doesn’t mean it is not there. A single tablespoon of bbq sauce contains 14 to 15 grams of sugar. In research, it has been noticed that 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce contain that much sugar which is present in 6 Hershey’s Kisses chocolate. Manufactured artificial honey is also added in some of the Bbq sauces. Around 40% of the whole of bbq sauce is made up of sugar. So without checking the ingredient you can be making a sugar bomb inside your belly. And if you still want those sauces then take the least sugar added sauce for sip or marinade.
Ketchup
Ketchup is the most used flavoring paste which used for many purposes like marinading, garnishing, as a dipping sauce, and many more. As told above that tomatoes already have sugar in it and during processing, more artificial flavor and sugar are added. 1 spoon of ketchup contains 1 teaspoon of sugar.
For maintaining the proper amount of sugar in your ketchup, it is better you make it on your own by potatoes and natural ingredients which will be tasty and healthy.
Not just BBQ sauce, spaghetti sauce, or ketchup have high sugar but all the sauces like mustard sauce, mayo garlic sauce, and dressing or garnishing sauces have more amounts of sugar added as compared to our daily requirement. These sauces increase the crave for eating more and more that’s why they increase the sugar level in the body. Instead, make up your own homemade sauce without artificial sugars and give up on these ones. All together these sauces contain 19152 mg of fructose in each serving which is very much high from the daily need of the body.
Fruit juices
Whole fruits contain vitamins, minerals, and fibers but more than these they contain sugar in high amounts. While making a glass of juice it needs like 3 or 4 whole fruits and also sugar for making it sweet or tasty, which can be of risk to high sugar level. These fresh fruit juices are a healthy choice but they come with more sugar than our daily need with fewer vitamins, minerals, and fibers. Not just diabetes but sugary juices also help in weight gaining and many dental issues.
A study done in BMC Public Health, states that the only cause of tooth decay is the intake of high sugar. One glass of fruit juice or one serving of fruit juice contains about 2800 mg of sugar.
Without wanting to consume high sugar it is easy to directly take the whole fruit without making juice. It will give you less sugar and more health benefits. So, it is better to decrease the intake of fruit juices or take it twice a month or when your sugar is very low.
Granola bars
Granolas are known for their high calories and sugars. The main ingredient in granola bars is oats which are high in carbs, fiber, protein, and fat. The oats are mixed with nuts and honey. Sometimes combined with sweeteners and artificial sugar flavors which can be of high sugar. People love granola bars as a morning meal but they don’t know what it can affect. A study stated that 100 gms of granola bar contain around 3 tablespoons of sugar that make 30 gms and 400 calories.
This sweet flavored candy bar can actually increase the fat storage lead to put up weight quickly. It is better to avoid but if you like it and you cant not give up, try to take those bars which are less in sweet and are protein rich, check ingredients by looking at the ingredient list, and try to consume it 2 or 3 times a month, not more than that. And if you take only granolas then try to make your own bowl or use them in a small amount for only topping or giving your dish a flavor.
Vitamin water
Vitamin water is used and high rated nowadays. People use them for intaking vitamins and minerals. It is marketed as a healthy drink. Like many other drinks and juices, vitamin water contains lots of sugar and high amount of calories. A single glass of vitamin water contains 120 calories and 32 gms of sugar. As per researches and studies, it is better to not use vitamin water because it damages our body and more than vitamins and minerals it gives calories for weight gaining and high sugar amounts. It is better to take them naturally from fruits or other natural items.
Some waters are labeled with no sugar tag but there are sweeteners and artificial flavors added to it, moreover crystalline fructose is added in such drinks which can be a peak for our blood sugar levels. So it is wise to avoid it. It is better if you use plain mineral water for health benefits.
Canned foods
Canned foods contains variety of food items that are high in sugar, preserved, and can cause damage to us.
Canned fruits
Fruits naturally contain a high amount of sugars and when canned they are peeled and preserved in sugar syrup. By preserving these fruits for a long time it makes the active fibers inactive. Preserving also inactive Vitamin C and other natural ingredients. It adds a lot of sugar into these fruits which can be dangerous and can be of risk to many problems and weight gaining. It contains almost 70 calories and more than 20 grams of sugar is absorbed in such fruits. For avoidance, use whole fresh fruit or fruits which are preserved in their own fresh juice because it will contain low sugar content and natural ingredients will also be active.
Baked canned beans
Beans are used for savory, salad, or garnishing or just for an appetizer works like sauces. By canning, it is increased with sugar amounts and with fewer health benefits. A cup of these baked beans contains around 5 tablespoons of sugar which are really high for our daily need. If you really like or eat these beans then choose the beans with low sugars or bake them at home without adding any artificial sugar.
Canned soup
Canned soup or instant soup is also filled with artificial flavor to preserve their own flavor but it decreases the real taste and absorbs the sugary taste. The canned soup contains 48 gms of sugar in two servings which make around 12 teaspoons with 290 calories in each serving. These are also called sugar bombs so check the ingredient list before taking. It is a healthy choice if the soup is made with fresh whole ingredients
Soda and drinks
Soda, carbonated drinks, sports drinks, smoothies, iced tea or coffee, and flavored drinks are high in sugar. They boost the sugar level in the bloodstream very quickly without even knowing us. These are added with natural sugar, sweeteners, artificial sugar, and artificial flavors which total can be of sneaking sugar amounts. These drinks are a popular trend these days but have hidden sugars.
- A flavored coffee contains 25 teaspoons of sugar per serving which makes around 100 gms.
- A can of iced tea contains 33 gms of sugar per 12-oz.
- A single glass of smoothie contains 96 gms of sugar around 24 teaspoons per serving.
- A single soda can contains 65 gms of sugar and 240 calories.
- A 14-ounce cup of Flavored coffee contains 53 gms of sugar which makes 13 teaspoons of sweet stuff.
- Sports drinks are said to be healthy and energized but actually lead to fat accumulation and unhealthy benefits to our body. It contains 32 gms of sugar which is equivalent to 8 teaspoons of sugar and 159 calories in each 20-ounce bottle.
Before you leave!
The bottom line for this read is, before taking above mentioned food items first check the ingredient list and the number of carbs, sugars, and calories added to these items for prevention of risks for many diseases and avoidance for developing any disease. So it can go with your healthy diet without any danger. Proper amounts of ingredients make a maintained balance diet.