January is typically a month dedicated to making healthier choices, whether that’s swapping your sugary coffee for a smoothie or switching your bacon sandwich in the morning for a bowl of nourishing muesli.
However, some of the ‘healthy choices’ you think you’re making could be laden with sugar and contain more sugar per serving than a Mars bar.
In fact, there are several healthy-looking meals, beverages and snacks that people are picking off the supermarket shelves that actually contain more than 30g of sugar per serving.
A Mars bar, which consists of nougat, caramel and milk chocolate, contains an eye-watering 30.5g of sugar per serving – hardly surprising considering it’s a sweet treat to enjoy on occasion.
But did you know Pret’s Big Apple, Bircher Muesli and Five Berry bowls also contain more than 30g of sugar?
The bowls, which consist of dried fruit, granola, fruit compote and natural yoghurt, contain more than 31g of sugar each, with the Bircher Muesli Bowl containing a whopping 34.9g per serving.
Pret isn’t the only culprit when it comes to unexpected sugar content. The Times has shared a list of 12 foods that contain more sugar than a Mars bar.
One litre carton of Oatly Barista Edition Oat Long Life Drink
34g per litre
Oatly’s “totally vegan” offering tastes delicious when stirred into coffee but it contains 3.4g of sugar per 100ml which is 34g per litre.
However, these are natural sugars which come from the oats. The ingredients list does not appear to contain added sugar.
M&S Classic Fruit Salad
32.2g per serving
With a mix of melon, orange, apple, grapes and strawberries this salad counts towards one of your five a day.
Each serving contains more than 30g of sugar which naturally occurs from the fruit.
Pret The Big Apple Bowl
33.1g per serving
This healthy-looking bowl contains natural yoghurt, shredded apple, cinnamon and granola.
While it appears to look healthy, the ingredients list shows it contains brown sugar, golden syrup and dark muscovado Sugar.
Half a 450g pot of Yeo Valley Organic Vanilla 0% Fat Yoghurt
31.5g per half a pot
This fat-free yoghurt contains live cultures and is zero percent fat but there’s also 14g of sugar per 100g which means half a pot contains more than 30g of sugar.
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Sweet and Sour Chicken Ready Meal
36.8g per serving
Sweet and sour chicken with egg fried rice may not sound sugary but this meal for one actually contains 36.8g of sugar per serving.
300ml glass of M&S Strawberry and Banana Smoothie
31.8g per 300ml glass
Smoothies are a great way to increase fruit intake but they do contain large amounts of natural sugar.
This smoothie counts towards one of your five a day but contains 10.6g of sugar per 100ml.
Full list of foods that contain more sugar per serving than a Mars bar:
- One litre carton of Oatly Barista Edition Oat Long Life Drink (34g)
- M&S Classic Fruit Salad (32.2g)
- Pret The Big Apple Bowl (33.1g)
- Half a 450g pot of Yeo Valley Organic Vanilla 0% Fat Yoghurt (31.5g)
- Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Sweet and Sour Chicken ready meal (36.8g)
- 300ml glass of M&S Strawberry and Banana Smoothie (31.8g)
- Two Tesco Finest Extra Fruity Hot Cross Buns (32.6g)
- Yo! Sushi Plant Power platter (37.9g)
- Tall caramel Frappuccino from Starbucks (35.2g)
- Large mocha with semi-skimmed milk from Costa Coffee (31.8g)
- 600g pot of Sainsbury’s Cream of Tomato Soup (31.2g)
- Can of Coke (35g)
