Top 10s Sugary foods in the spotlight

Date Published:

26/01/2009

Got a sweet tooth? Kim Porter from The Nutrition Coach lets us in on the ups and downs of sugar

Although a little of what we fancy can do us good; too much sugar can be harmful as it can cause highs and lows in our blood sugar levels. Long-term blood sugar fluctuations can lead to serious health problems including diabetes, obesity and heart disease as well as symptoms such as fatigue, PMT, depression and headaches.

How much sugar should be in our food?

Life would be quite boring without the odd sweet treat, however, do read labels carefully as you may find that you're over-dosing on sugar without realising it. According to the Food Standards Agency, a high sugar food contains more than 15g of sugar per 100g, and a high sugar drink contains more than 7.5g sugar per 100ml. A low sugar food contains 5g of sugar or less per 100g and a low sugar drink contains 2.5g of sugar or less per 100ml.

You may think it's easy to keep your sugar intake down by just looking for sugar in the list of ingredients of a food but bear in mind that it's often present in various guises. For example, any ingredient ending in '...ose' is a sugar, i.e. maltose, dextrose, glucose, fructose and sucrose. Corn sugar, corn syrup, honey and molasses are also sugars.

We love processed breakfast cereals in the UK and eat nearly 6kg each a year. But a Which? analysis of 275 different types of processed breakfast cereals found that more than three quarters had high sugar levels. Nine contained over four teaspoons of sugar per suggested portion, and many of the cereals targeted at children were found to be particularly high in sugar.

What's the alternative? Good old fashioned oats eaten as porridge or muesli make a fantastic no sugar, nutrient rich breakfast. If you're a muesli fan make sure you choose one with no added sugar, or try and make your own – simply mix jumbo oats with nuts, seeds and some dried fruit and store in a sealed container.

In its purest form, yoghurt is a nutritious and healthy food. But not all yoghurts are created equal. A huge number of the low fat and flavoured varieties are full of sugar. When fat is removed from a food it loses some of its flavour hence the need for added sugar, and often chemical flavourings. Particularly sugary are said to be the yoghurts with chocolate or biscuit based toppings.

What's the alternative? Go for natural, unsweetened yoghurt with some chopped fresh or dried fruit for natural sweetness and nuts for a bit of crunch.

It might be a surprise to discover that sweet and sour chicken is high in sugar, but then the name does give the game away. Many ready meals and takeaways, which are based on sweet and sour or sweet chilli sauces, contain a lot of added sugar. One supermarket's own brand of sweet chilli chicken contains more sugar gram for gram than vanilla ice-cream.

What's the alternative? Try and limit any foods with sweet or sticky sauces. Instead have grilled meat marinated in olive oil, garlic, herbs and lemon juice.

Although cereal bars are a convenient snack for filling gaps between meals, many provide a low nutrient, short lived sugar fix rather than a sustained energy release. Many cereal bars contain more sugar than processed breakfast cereals and biscuits, particularly those with added chocolate.

What's the alternative? A piece of fruit with nuts and seeds, or houmous and oatcakes provides a more nutritious and energy boosting snack.

Marketed as a healthy, on-the-go snack, smoothies have seen a massive rise in popularity. Although most smoothies do not contain any added sugar, they are very high in fruit sugar which causes blood sugar levels to quickly rise and fall leading to a slump in energy levels. Some fruit smoothies contain the equivalent amount of sugar as a can of cola. However, on the plus side smoothies are high in vitamins and minerals.

What's the alternative? Eat a piece of fruit in its whole state – this takes longer for the body to digest than a smoothie, keeping blood sugar levels more stable. Alternatively choose a smoothie which contains yoghurt or add some milk to it – the protein found in milk and yoghurt is said to slow down the release of the sugar from the fruit.

Although it might seem obvious to include cola in this list, many people are shocked to discover that the average can of cola contains around eight teaspoons of sugar - imagine adding that to your tea or coffee.

What's the alternative? Although diet cola drinks are free from sugar they contain artificial sweeteners, so are not the ideal alternative. If you like the fizz of cola, try mixing sparkling water and fruit juice.

Whether you prefer strawberry, double chocolate chip, or the purist's vanilla, ice-cream is a sugar laden treat. Watch out for low fat versions which contain just as much sugar, if not more. And don't think you are being virtuous by opting for sorbets which are even higher in sugar, although they do contain a lot less fat.

What's the alternative? When you're in the mood for ice-cream sometimes nothing else really fits the bill. So go for it but eat in moderation and choose the best quality ice-cream you can afford. For a healthier frozen treat, make your own lollipops using fresh fruit juice.

Based on fruit, jam appears to be a healthy choice but many brands are in fact packed full of sugar. It's not just the sugar in jam that gives it a sweet taste; it is also the fruit sugar. If you like jam on your morning toast you'll be starting your day off on a sugar high.

What's the alternative? There are now jams available which are based purely on fruit and do not contain any added sugar which makes them a better option, although they are still high in fruit sugar. A great alternative to jam is a nut butter such as peanut or almond butter, which makes a nutritious and protein rich spread for toast. Make sure the nut butter you choose is free from added sugar and hydrogenated fats.

Cakes and pastries contain lots of sugar which is why they taste so good, but some are more sinful than others. Doughnuts, croissants and most muffins are high up there on the sugar scale. Also watch out for low fat biscuits and cakes – they generally contain more sugar than the normal full fat versions which will do nothing for your waistline.

What's the alternative? Biscuits and cakes based on nuts such as almond cake or carrot and walnut cake are good alternatives. Although they contain sugar the protein from the nuts slows down the release of the sugar into your bloodstream.

If you're giving your body a rest from alcohol then you will also be giving it a break from excess sugar. Alcohol is sugary which is one of the reasons why hangovers can give us the shakes, as our blood sugar levels can plummet the morning after the night before. Liqueurs, sweet wines and spirits, and 'alcopops' are the highest in sugar.

What's the alternative? Ideally moderate your alcohol intake but if you know you might be overdoing it, choose light beers and dry wines which have the lowest sugar content. Mix wine with soda or sparkling water to make it last longer but avoid sweet mixers such as cola.

Get the low down on fatty and salty foods.

Hungry for low sugar cooking? Browse all our healthy recipes.

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