Hidden Sugars

Which foods have the most hidden sugars?

There are plenty of sweet foods and drinks we like to eat that are obviously high in sugar, like chocolate, sugary fizzy drinks, sweets, cakes and biscuits. But, there are also lots of foods that contain hidden sugar and aren’t as innocent as you might think.

Here are some of the biggest culprits for hidden sugar:

• Ready meals – 4-6 teaspoons per serving (18-25g)
• Low-fat yoghurts – 4-7 teaspoons (16-28g)
• Fruit smoothies – 4 teaspoons (16g)
• Snack bars – 2.5 teaspoons (10g)
• Salad dressing – 1.5 teaspoons per serving (6g)
• Ketchup – 1 teaspoon per dollop (4g)
• Slice of white bread – ½ a teaspoon (2g)

*based on approx. quantities; taking an average from a collation of popular brands and supermarket products

To give you an idea of what this means, the average 4-to-6-year-old child should have no more than 4.5 teaspoons of added sugar per day. That means just one flavoured yoghurt could tip them over their daily limit!

This is just a guide. Always check the label for accurate amounts.

Check out our simple sugar swaps to switch to healthier alternatives.