Top 10 foods that are making us gain weight unnoticed
We are always in a hurry somewhere and often have a snack on the go. A cup of coffee here, a chocolate bar there, cereal for breakfast, cottage cheese for dinner - and now the scales show extra pounds that we did not count on. Where did they come from?
It's all about the extra sugar found in most foods. On the one hand, this sweet white substance is vital for our body, but its excess can be detrimental to our health. According to the American Heart Association, too much sugar adds empty calories to our diet, leading to tooth decay, obesity, diabetes, and even stroke.
According to the World Health Organization, the daily amount of sugar for a person with a normal body mass index should be about 25 grams (6 teaspoons) per day. However, its content in our diet often exceeds this rate by 2-3 times.
Most of us are aware of the "sweet danger" that awaits us - we put less sugar in tea and coffee, deny ourselves jams and jams for breakfast. But we often overlook the many foods where the sugar content is not so obvious. Today we will try to figure out how much sugar our favorite treats contain.
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1. Corn flakes
“Eat cereal to lose weight,” say slim and athletic girls from commercials. And we blindly believe them, pouring a glass of milk into cereal almost automatically every morning. But are they so useful for our figure? In fact, a standard serving of cereal, equal to about half a glass, contains 37 grams of sugar, which already exceeds the daily allowance. And there's still a whole day ahead...
2. Chocolate bars
Chocolate bars are the easiest and fastest option for a snack when there is no time, but you want to eat. Today a candy bar, tomorrow a candy bar, and in a week we no longer fit into our favorite jeans. And all because the carbohydrates contained in our favorite Mars and Snickers chocolate bars are actually one solid sugar. One standard bar weighing 55 grams contains 27.5 grams of sugar, which is about 6-7 teaspoons.
3. Yoghurts and cottage cheese desserts
Well, there is definitely no catch here, because even nutritionists recommend including yogurt, cottage cheese or kefir in the diet! But all these recommendations refer to natural products without any additional sweeteners and flavor enhancers. This does not apply to store-bought curds, yogurts and milkshakes. So, a 290-gram bottle of Activia, popular with lovers of a healthy lifestyle, contains about 6 teaspoons of sugar, and a 130-gram package of Danissimo Peach contains 3.5 tablespoons.
4. Pepsi and Coca-Cola
We love these drinks because they quench our thirst and dull the feeling of hunger. But both effects do not last long, and already after 10-15 minutes we again want to drink and eat. This is how extra calories imperceptibly enter our body, which are then deposited in the folds at our waist. Where do they come from? Of course, from sugar! So, a small can of Pepsi with a volume of 0.33 liters contains 8 teaspoons of sugar, and the same can of Coca-Cola contains 7 tablespoons.
5. Glazed dragee
"Well, what can happen from a tiny bag of M&M's?" - we persuade ourselves at the checkout, at the last minute grabbing a package of multi-colored sweets from the counter. We'll have to upset you - 100 grams of this dragee contains 472 calories! As for the amount of sugar, a standard 45-gram bag contains almost 6 teaspoons.
6. Nutella
A popular breakfast is a couple of toasts spread with Nutella nut butter. How can this threaten us? Let's look at the label: sugar, palm oil, nuts, cocoa, milk powder, lecithin, vanillin and whey powder. Nutella is high in calories because it is 70% fat and sugar - just 2 tablespoons of this spread contains 200 calories and 21 grams of sugar!
7. Coffee 3 in 1
When we don’t even have time for a cup of coffee, instant drink sticks are used. But there is practically no benefit to the body in such bags. A standard 20-gram 3-in-1 coffee bag contains approximately 70 calories and 10 grams of sugar. Is the dubious pleasure worth the extra centimeters at the waist?
8. Ketchup
Unexpected, right? It turns out that salty ketchup with a spicy and slightly spicy taste also contains sugar. And in considerable quantities - 100 grams of this sauce, beloved by many, contains from 20 to 30 grams of sugar. Of course, none of us eat ketchup in packages, but it's worth considering how much excess fat we accumulate in a month of its regular use. And in six months?
9. Packaged juices
Since childhood, we know that juices are not only tasty, but also healthy. But this statement is hardly applicable to packaged juices, given their high sugar content. So, a 350-gram glass of grape juice contains approximately 58 grams of sugar, apple - 39 grams, and cherry - 37 grams.
10. Energy drinks
What to do if you want to sleep, and there is still a lot of work ahead? Experienced night owls advise to cheer up with a jar of energy drink. It can really increase your efficiency for some time, but you should not abuse it. Otherwise, a significant increase in blood pressure or blood sugar levels is possible. By the way, about sugar. One can of Red Bull, for example, contains as much as 27 grams of sugar, which means that if you abuse this drink, you can gain weight very quickly.
Keywords: Overweight | Food | Sugar