The Talk: Hidden Sugar In Yogurt, Cereal, Pasta Sauce & Dried Fruit

Talk Takeaway: Nutrition

You may think that skipping dessert is all you have to do to cut back on the sugar in your diet, but registered dietitian Keri Glassman was on The Talk to reveal the many other sneaky sugars that could be in your daily menu. Learn more about hidden sugar in almost everything!

The Talk: Annual Sugar Consumption

Glassman said the average American consumes an outrageous amount of sugar every year. Though many foods are naturally sweet, sugar added to processed food for years has warped our taste buds.

“The average American consumes 130 pounds of sugar a year,” she said. That is crazy! Sugar in the body is either made into energy or stored as fat.

The Talk: Sugar Health Risks

Sugar can also have a big impact on your body’s health. Glassman said beyond the dental concerns, sugar builds obesity, which increases risk factors for everything from heart disease and cancer to metabolic syndrome.

I try to limit the amount of sugar I use, but I’m sure it’s sneaking into places I would never expect. Are you worried about sugar in your diet?

The Talk: Hidden Sugar Cereals

Your favorite “healthy” cereal could actually be packed with sugar. Eating a granola cereal every day could mean adding 45 cups of sugar to your diet each year. Be sure to read the ingredients and find out how many different sugars are in your breakfast.

Choose a high fiber cereal instead (over 7 grams), Glassman suggested. Or you could switch to unprocessed whole grains for even less sugar.

The Talk: Hidden Sugar Pasta Sauce

Pasta is a classic American meal, but the tomato sauce at your grocery store could be very high in sugar. Check the label to find out how much sugar is being added to your dinner entree, without you even realizing it.

Look for a low sugar option such as Tomato Basil Sauce, which gets flavor from herbs and spices instead.

The Talk: Hidden Sugar In Yogurt

What about yogurt? You think it is a healthier choice, but there could be many different types of sugar going into the flavors, adding as much as 47 cups of sugar a year to your diet. A low sugar option is Greek yogurt, and you can flavor it yourself with fresh fruit.

The Talk: Dried Fruit Sugars

Fruit is a healthy snack option, but make sure to choose fresh fruit instead of dried fruit. Dehydrating fruit means you are getting more concentrated sugar and calories, as well as added sugars.

Will you be paranoid about the sugar content of your meals and snacks for the rest of the day?