Hidden sugars, foods to avoid

Published on 10/25/2024 05:10

A real threat, sugar is everywhere in our diet. Even where one would not suspect it. Small recap 'food and snack "healhty" less healthy than it seems.

The World Health Organization recommends not to consume more than 50 g of sugar per day, which equates to about 10 pieces of sugar. A challenge that seems within reach. Now, on average, we would swallow every day more than 100 g of sugar ! Blame our love for sweet foods ... and others we would not suspect!

When healthy foods deceive us

In terms of diet, we hear green and not ripe. While some advocate hallucinatory dietary restrictions , that methods of all kinds flourish, we seek to reconnect with a healthy and balanced diet. Bye-bye fries and sweets, long live vegetables, fruits, cereals and healthy snacks . The problem is that appearances are misleading and that sugars are hidden in foods that were thought to be the healthiest ...

How to avoid hidden sugars?

It's hard to slip through the cracks and limit yourself to the equivalent of 10 pieces of sugar a day. Just at breakfast, between the one (or those) of coffee, those contained in orange juice, jam and the rest, the bill climbs quickly. To keep control, we share our little tips:

Prefer the home-made . Preparing your meal necessarily requires taking the time. But the game is well worth the candle, because it allows to keep an eye on the sugar content of each food. We limit cooked dishes, we anticipate and organize to prepare a maximum of meals yourself. You can cook on weekends and keep your meals in the freezer, prepare larger portions to take the next day at noon ... It's up to you to find the rhythm that suits you.
Choose the least processed foods . Of course, we do not necessarily have the time to cook all our meals upstream. Once in the supermarket, it is better to focus on the less processed foods. For example, taboulé is preferred over sous-vide potato gratin.
Eat slowly . It's stupid, but taking your time when you eat, you're more satisfied. So, we eat less. QED.

10 foods sweeter than it sounds

To discover in our slideshow below ...

1/10 Dried fruits

iStock / Dubravina

Healthy dried fruits? A favorite snack for those looking for balanced appetite suppressants, dried fruits are not only energizing but also full of sugar. They are far less good for our health than fresh fruits, which are more rich in fiber and natural sugars. To appreciate them without regretting it, it is better to limit yourself to a small handful a day!

2/10 The sushi

iStock / TanyaSid

A few years ago, the American nutritionist Rachel Beller assured that sushi was as caloric as burgers. Proof if there is debate in the heart of which are found these Japanese delights. If the comparison is almost impossible to verify, the fact remains that sushi is much less "healthy" than one would like. The problem? Sweet sauces added to sushi soak rice and salads. When you eat sushi (as for most foods), it is better to take the time to chew to avoid goinfrer.

3/10 Yoghurts

yogurt in a white plastic pot on blue wooden table

iStock / alfernec

We have become accustomed to opt for dairy products "0% fat" when we shop. But this term only refers to fat relief. And not sugar. Worse, to offset the decrease in fat, it is usually sugar that is used.

4/10 The cereal bars

iStock / olgakr

We slip them in his bag to face the small slaps of slack. Yet cereal bars contain a lot of sugar, between 0.4g and 20g of sugar per bar! Again, it is better to choose the option "homemade". If we still want to buy them, we read the labels and we prefer a bar containing 5.5g of sugar, the equivalent of a standard piece of sugar.

5/10 Canned vegetables

iStock / Photosiber

The vegetables ? They are the eternal allies of regimes of all kinds. Yes, but only if you choose them well. To preserve the flavors of canned vegetables, sugar is added. The ones that contain the most are the peas / carrots with steam.

6/10 The rice cakes

iStock / virtustudio

Here again, we tackle one of the favorite foods of those who take care to avoid gaps. And yet. Its glycemic index is 85 (like the sandwich bread). Its consumption therefore increases the level of glucose in the blood.

7/10 The surimi sticks

iStock / igorbondarenko

You find the surimi a little bland? Yet everything is good to enhance his taste. In the first place sugar, true flavor enhancer and well present in these small sticks.

8/10 The grated carrots

iStock

At lunch, you sometimes opt for a tray of grated carrots, thinking to privilege a healthy and balanced meal ... wrongly. A tray bought in a supermarket contains almost 2 pieces of sugar. Again, it is better to anticipate and prepare the carrots the day before to reduce the dose of sugar.

9/10 Iced tea

iStock / Jenifoto

Detox, tea? Yes, but not the one we buy ready at the supermarket. This one holds more soda than light drink. We are stalling.

10/10 Cereals

cereals of many kinds in bowls and a bowl of milk

iStock / baibaz

Gaga of cereals? Like cereal bars, beware because some are stuffed with sugar. It is better to read the labels carefully and to focus on oatmeal or granola (for example).