1. Cereal bars
1. Cereal bars
How many times have you had one of these bars as a mid-morning or afternoon snack? They seem like a healthy alternative to buns or cakes, but a 30g bar can contain up to 3 teaspoons of sugar. When you go to make the purchase, do not choose those that are sold as light or low-fat products, because they are usually high in sugar. That's why they taste so good!
2. Crackers
2. Crackers
Both that they are called salty and their flavor does not have to deceive us, since they are made with refined flours and a variety of sugary additives. Consequently, with only two cookies we can be taking up to 5 g of sugar. If you like to snack on them as a snack because of their crunchy texture, try substituting them for crunchy fruit, such as apple, nuts or carrot sticks.
3. Almond milk
3. Almond milk
It is also conceived as a healthy alternative for those lactose intolerant or vegetarians, but the truth is that too much sugar is added to improve its flavor. In the end, a glass can hold up to 20 g. Condensed almond milk to dilute in water is the richest in sugars, so try to choose well and look for milks where the proportion of sugar does not exceed 4 g / 100 g.
4. Dairy flavors
4. Dairy flavors
Fresh cheese mousses or flavored, fruit-skimmed, or sweetened yogurts can reach the equivalent of 5 teaspoons of added sugar. Serving size is also important - don't exceed 125g. However, the best option is semi-skimmed plain yogurt without added sugar. You can sweeten it with stevia or agave.
5. Teriyaki sauce
5. Teriyaki sauce
We know its taste is almost addictive and that it is a very popular dish, but chicken with teriyaki sauce is made for the most part with sugar: each tablespoon of this thick soy sauce, vinegar, liquor and sugar adds 16 calories. As a healthier alternative, you can prepare your marinade by cooking ginger and garlic in tamari, a sauce similar to soy but with more iron and carbohydrates.
6. Be careful with the juices!
6. Be careful with the juices!
Most of the packaged juices that we find in supermarkets concentrate the sugar because the fiber is discarded. In addition, manufacturers can add more to correct acidic flavors, so you can find up to 5 teaspoons of sugar for each glass of these juices. Above all, avoid nectars because they can contain up to 20% sugar. A fun fact: do you know that a "freshly squeezed" orange juice can be up to 2 years old?
7. Dark chocolate
7. Dark chocolate
We know that milk chocolate is very rich in sugars, but so is black chocolate if it stays at 60% cocoa or we go too far with the dose (50 g provide 250 calories). Choose chocolate with more than 70% cocoa and do not drink more than 30 g a week. As an alternative to quench the craving when you have a craving for chocolate, eat a banana.
8. Modena Vinegar
8. Vinegar of Modena
What is sold as balsamic or balsamic vinegar in supermarkets is actually a mixture of wine vinegar, must concentrate, liquid caramel, food coloring and stabilizers. The result: 15 grams of sugar in 100 milliliters! If you want the real balsamic vinegar, it must put “tradizionale” on the label. And use it with an eyedropper.
9. Breakfast cereals
9. Breakfast cereals
Isn't it true that the cereal container says you have 30 g for breakfast? This serving already contains 8 g of sugar. Almost no one is limited to taking 30g and most consume more than twice that. Translated into sugar, 4 to 6 tsp. Choose a healthier option, like fine rolled oats.
10. Frozen pizza
10. Frozen pizza
We know that it is a very frequent resource for Friday and weekend dinners, but it can represent an added load of sugar (up to 8 g for each 100 g serving) if it contains ingredients such as sweet dough, caramelized onion, goat cheese, pineapple or salsa. The best thing is that you make it yourself at home with fresh and natural ingredients.
Dare with this light pizza recipe.
11. Fruits in syrup
11. Fruits in syrup
If you take the pineapple or peach together with the syrup, with a serving you eat about 40 g of sugar, that is, about 200 calories. Try to take this type of fruit very occasionally and drain the syrup to consume only the fruit as dry as possible. And if you don't like the sour taste of this one, you can try baking pears or apples.
12. Chicken sandwiches
12. Chicken sandwiches
They are an amazing source of hidden sugar. Those sandwiches packed with chicken, lettuce and some sauce can contain 15 to 20 g of sugar, about 3 or 4 teaspoons. Make a healthy sandwich using whole wheat bread, healthy fat like olive oil or avocado, and protein like turkey breast, tuna, sardines, or ham.
13. Prepared sauces
13. Prepared sauces
Commercial sauces such as ketchup, caesar sauce or chutneys with fruit and sweet and sour preparations can contain up to 25 g of sugar per 100 g of product. So make your own sauce! Chop vegetables like onion, carrot, pumpkin and tomato, and fry them in olive oil with a pinch of salt and a little cornstarch.
14. Sliced bread
14. Sliced bread
Did you know that a slice of white bread contains 1 to 5 g of simple sugars? Although many of us use whole wheat bread as an alternative, this presentation does not improve much either. In general, sliced bread, in addition to added sugars, contains fats, so it is better to consume the common loaf. The ideal alternative is whole grain crackers, which do not provide a single gram of added sugar.
15. Energy drinks
15. Bebidas energéticas
Estas bebidas proporcionan energía a base de cafeína y taurina, pero sobre todo a base de azúcar. En una lata de 50 ml se pueden encontrar hasta 30 g de azúcar. Lo ideal es que evites este tipo de bebidas y refrescos y te prepares tu propia infusión energizante. Corta jengibre en rodajas y añádelo a un cazo con agua hirviendo. Agrega una cucharadita de miel para endulzarlo de forma natural.
Uno de los mayores errores que cometemos cuando nos proponemos empezar a cuidarnos o ponernos a dieta es fijarnos únicamente en las calorías de los alimentos. Pero lo cierto es que los azúcares que se les añaden para mejorar su sabor son un dato que también tenemos que vigilar a la hora de hacer la compra. Por ejemplo, la mayoría de los que se venden como "alimentos bajos en grasa" o "light" suelen ser ricos en azúcares añadidos.
La recomendación que nos da la OMS es tomar un máximo de 25 gramos de azúcar al día, equivalente a unas cinco cucharaditas. Eso no significa que si no echamos ninguna cucharada de azúcar al café ya lo estemos haciendo bien. Hay muchos alimentos que contienen el equivalente de hasta 4 cucharadas de azúcar ellos solitos, ¡y seguro que no lo sabías!
¿Qué diferencia hay entre los azúcares naturales y los añadidos?
La American Heart Association indica que hay dos tipos de azúcares en nuestra dieta: los naturales y los añadidos. Los azúcares naturales son aquellos necesarios en toda dieta para que nuestro cuerpo tenga la energía necesaria para funcionar. Se presentan en forma de carbohidratos y se encuentran en todos los alimentos de origen vegetal y la leche: frutas, verduras, patatas y arroz son algunos de los que proporcionan el azúcar necesario a nuestro organismo.
En cambio, los azúcares añadidos son concentrados o refinados que se añaden (¡o añadimos!) a muchos alimentos para mejorar su sabor. Este tipo de azúcares es el que tenemos que procurar evitar. El problema es que no solo se trata de si le echamos azúcar a nuestro café o no, sino que hay muchísimos alimentos que tienen azúcares añadidos y que hacen que consumamos más de lo que creemos a lo largo del día. Esto es muy peligroso, puesto que una dieta con alto contenido de azúcares añadidos puede generar diabetes u obesidad.
¿Cómo los identifico?
Los azúcares añadidos no se presentan en la información nutricional como tales, sino que son compuestos químicos. A veces en la información nutricional no se indica la cantidad de azúcar que ese alimento tiene, por lo que tenemos que mirar la lista de ingredientes para detectarlos. Dextrosa, melaza, jarabe o sirope de maíz de alta fructosa (también puede aparecer como HFCS o JMAF), jarabe o sirope de arce, fructosa, sacarosa, maltodextrina, maltosa, almíbar, miel de caña, concentrado de jugo de frutas, sucrosa o jugo de caña son componentes que tenemos que intentar evitar. También puedes optar por una calculadora de azúcares añadidos para comprobar cuál es tu consumo real a lo largo del día.
