Sugar Traps: Foods With More Sugar Than Dessert

Some foods wear a halo. Granola sounds wholesome, a muffin sounds like breakfast, and a salad sounds like the virtuous choice. Yet all three can carry more sugar than a bowl of ice cream.

This is a companion to our guide on reading labels for hidden sugar. Here are the most common "healthy-sounding" sugar traps, and easy swaps for each.

A quick reminder: grams to teaspoons

Divide grams of sugar by four to get teaspoons. So 40 grams of sugar is 10 teaspoons, well over a day's suggested limit of added sugar for a woman.

The traps

Granola

Granola's healthy image is mostly undeserved. The oats are usually baked with honey, syrup or sugar, plus oil, and a full cup of many brands carries 20 to 30 grams of sugar and 400 or more calories. Most labels list a serving as just ¼ or ½ cup, far less than most of us pour.

Swap: use granola as a topping, a small handful on plain yoghurt, not as the bowl. Or make your own with oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon and a little maple syrup.

Muffins

A coffee-shop muffin is, nutritionally, cake. Big bakery muffins often contain 30 to 50 grams of sugar and 400 to 600 calories, made with refined flour and little fibre. "Bran" or "pumpkin" on the label doesn't change much.

Swap: wholegrain toast with nut butter and fruit, or a bowl of porridge.

Salads with sweet extras

Salads can be a great choice, until they come with candied nuts, dried cranberries, crispy toppings and a sweet dressing. Some restaurant salads carry more sugar than a dessert, and more calories than a burger.

Swap: ask for the dressing on the side, choose plain nuts or seeds, and pick oil-and-vinegar dressings over sweet vinaigrettes or honey-mustard.

Sweet side dishes

Glazed carrots, candied sweet potatoes, cinnamon apples and baked beans are often cooked with a surprising amount of sugar.

Swap: roast your own vegetables with olive oil, salt and spices. They caramelise naturally.

Sandwiches with sweet sauces

Teriyaki, barbecue and sweet chilli sauces are largely sugar. A long sandwich with a generous pour can carry several teaspoons.

Swap: choose mustard, pesto, hummus or a little mayonnaise instead.

Pancakes and "stacked" breakfasts

Restaurant pancakes with fruit compote, syrup and whipped cream can easily top 1,000 calories and 80 grams of sugar: more than three days of the recommended added sugar limit, before 10 a.m.

Swap: share one, skip the extra toppings, or choose eggs with wholegrain toast.

Kids' lunch kits

Packaged lunch kits with crackers, a sweet treat and a juice drink are convenient, but they are often high in sugar and salt and low in fibre.

Swap: pack your own: wholegrain crackers, cheese, fruit and water. It takes five minutes.

Coffee-shop drinks and shakes

This is the biggest trap of all. Large milkshakes, frappés and blended coffee drinks can contain more than 100 grams of sugar and a whole meal's worth of calories. Even a large flavoured latte may carry 40 grams or more.

Swap: order a small size, ask for fewer pumps of syrup, or have a plain latte and a real treat on the side if you want one.

How to avoid the traps

1. Check before you order. Chain restaurants publish nutrition information online. Two minutes on your phone can be eye-opening.
2. Size down. The small size is often plenty.
3. Ask for sauces and dressings on the side.
4. Don't drink your sugar. Sweet drinks are the single biggest source of added sugar in the American diet.
5. Cook more at home, even simple meals. You'll almost always use less sugar than a restaurant or factory.

The bottom line

Sugar hides best in foods that sound healthy. Treat granola as a topping, muffins as cake, and coffee-shop drinks as dessert, and you'll cut a surprising amount of sugar without giving up anything you truly love.