Sneaky Sugar Culprits in These 6 'Healthy' Foods

By Brenna Taylor

Sugar is one of the nastiest culprits that the food industry sneaks into our food, wreaking havoc and slowly poisoning our bodies. We know the typical places to look for sugar: sodas, cakes, candy. What you may not realize is it can sneak your ‘healthy’ foods as well. 

Here are some of the surprising places you will find sugar:

1. Almond Milk/Rice Milk/Coconut Milk:These popular substitutes for milk can be very high in sugar. Rice milk is a starch that is broken down into liquid form so it acts just like sugar in your body. Almond milk and coconut milk are great on their own but be conscious that you are drinking unsweetened.

2. Peanut butter: In conventional peanut butter brands such as Skippy’s the second ingredient is sugar. I have found added sugar in organic brands as well. Just because the sugar is organic, it’s still sugar. Look for brands of peanut butter where there are one or two ingredients, peanut butter and possibly added sea salt. Why add anything else?

3. Tomato sauce: I quickly grabbed an organic tomato sauce the other day at the store and seemed to be adding it to everything! On top of my quinoa dishes, to every sauce, finally I stopped and thought why do I love this one so much? Second ingredient = sugar! My brain was on a little bit of a sugar kick and I had no idea. Check the ingredients of your tomato sauces and make sure there is no sugar to be found.

4. Salad dressing: Organic salad dressings may look better to the consumer than conventional, but still don’t purchase with a blind eye, this is another place sugar can sneak in. Make your own dressing with a base of oil and add whatever you like: vinegar, lemon, lime, horseradish, herbs, etc.

5. Granola: This is thought of as a healthy snack but check to make sure your granola isn’t sweetened with 20 grams of sugar. Some fantastic brands are sweetened with honey instead, which is a great alternative.

6. Yogurt: Flavored yogurts can have more sugar in them then a bottle of soda. If your yogurt is flavored and has no sugar, make sure it’s not sweetened with fake sugar (i.e. aspartame), which is a neurotoxin and in my opinion, even worse than real sugar. If you like yogurt eat it plain from grass-fed cows and for a bit of sweetness add fruit or raw honey.

A bit of sugar here and there can really add up during a typical day. Taking the time to double check is worth it for your body. Sugar spikes your blood sugar and cortisol levels causing stress on your system, keeping your blood cells from delivering energy and ultimately causing you to gain weight. Especially belly weight.

Sugar is also extremely addictive. As Dr. Christiane Northrup explains in the film Hungry for Change sugar does the same thing to your brain as heroin. Find brands you love with no added sugars or make your own from scratch. Your mind, body, and stable mood will thank you.

Published August 7, 2012 at 8:05 AM

About Brenna Taylor

Brenna Taylor is the creator of Healthy Little Bit, a blog that motivates, educates and inspires women to live healthy, energetic and fulfilling lives. She is a Certified Holistic Health Coach by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, is licensed by the AADP and believes in coaching clients based on bio-individuality, no deprivation, and that every little healthy bit counts.