9 Foods With Way More Hidden Sugar Than You'd Ever Guess
Savory-seeming products that are quietly carrying a dessert's worth of sugar.
Nine everyday foods, from pasta sauce to salad dressing, that contain far more hidden sugar than most shoppers expect based on the label.
Sugar shows up in places that don't read as sweet at all, which is exactly why it's easy to underestimate how much you're actually eating.
Pasta Sauce
A single serving of some jarred marinara sauces can carry as much sugar as a few cookies, added largely to balance the natural acidity of the tomatoes.
Salad Dressing
Many bottled dressings, especially lighter or "fat-free" versions, compensate for reduced fat with added sugar to maintain flavor and texture.
Bread
Even savory sandwich bread frequently contains added sugar to help with browning, texture, and shelf life, in amounts most people wouldn't expect from something that doesn't taste sweet.
Flavored Yogurt
Some flavored yogurts carry sugar content closer to a dessert than to the plain, protein-forward snack the packaging implies.
Barbecue Sauce
Among the most sugar-dense condiments on a typical grocery shelf, with some brands carrying more sugar per serving than chocolate syrup.
Granola Bars
Marketed around whole grains and fiber, but many carry sugar levels closer to a candy bar once you account for the binding syrups used to hold them together.
Ketchup
A small serving carries a meaningful amount of added sugar, which is part of why it pairs so effortlessly with salty fried foods.
Instant Oatmeal
Flavored packets in particular can carry a surprising amount of added sugar compared to plain oats prepared with your own toppings.
Canned Soup
Certain canned soups, particularly tomato-based varieties, use added sugar to round out flavor in a way that's easy to miss on a nutrition label.