Health and wellness have become big buzz topics recently. However, the buzz around certain foods has taken over the truth and certain foods that have a healthy reputation are actually sugar bombs in disguise.
Sugar lurks in many popular health foods – even the ones that don’t taste particularly sweet. According to Melissa Jaegar, RD, LD Head of Nutrition at MyFitnessPal, the most frequent culprits are things like salad dressings, marinades, granola bars and ready meals. We’re often taught that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – and if you believe this, then you likely want to start your day off healthy.
But according to Melissa, certain popular breakfast choices are actually hidden “sugar bombs”.
She said: “Acai bowls are a perfect example of how foods marketed as ‘healthy’ can actually be hidden sugar bombs that don’t provide the sustained energy your body needs. Acai berries don’t contain free sugars and are packed with antioxidants which help to defend our body’s cells from damage.
“However, commercial acai bowls can contain large amounts of added sugars from ingredients like honey, agave, sweetened granola or nut butter, sometimes exceeding 20 grams of free sugars per serving.”
This sugary overload can cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash, leaving you feeling tired and hungry within hours.
Melissa’s second hidden sugar bomb is flavoured yoghurts.
She said: “This common smoothie ingredient or standalone snack option may contain more free sugars than you think. It’s important to read nutrition facts labels and ingredients list of your yoghurt and ensure that it contains “live and active cultures” for the benefits of probiotics, and look for options with minimal or no free sugars.
“Instead of flavoured varieties, opt for plain Greek yoghurt and create your own flavours by adding nutrient-dense ingredients like whole fruit for added fibre, vitamins, and minerals or topping with nuts and seeds for added protein and healthy fats.”
Melissa urged people to properly read through labels and understand the different ways manufacturers hide sugars.
She said: “Manufacturers often use different names for free sugars like ‘rice syrup’, ‘golden syrup,’ or ‘evaporated cane juice’ to make them less obvious.”