4 Foods With More Sugar Than You Imagine

Sugar is an ingredient that should be limited in any healthy diet. Therefore, we want to show you some foods with more sugar than you imagine.
4 Foods With More Sugar Than You Imagine

Last update: 22 September, 2021

Sugar is one of the most dangerous elements in the diet and we often consume it in greater amounts than experts recommend. This can damage health in the medium term and produce a considerable metabolic impact. For this reason, it’s important that you know about some foods with more sugar than you imagine.

When planning a healthy and balanced diet, it’s essential that you avoid the regular presence of these products. Especially in the diet of children. This is because, at this stage, you’re laying the foundations and eating habits for life.

Foods high in sugar

We’re going to tell you about 4 foods with more sugar than you probably imagine. That way, you’ll be careful not to abuse them and avoid buying them in the supermarket.

1. Liquid yogurt

A young girl drinking yogurt.

Yogurt is one of the highest quality foods in the diet, as it has proteins of high biological value and provides a large amount of minerals, such as calcium.

In addition, yogurt is a source of probiotics, which are live bacteria that offer multiple health benefits when they colonize our intestines. This is evidenced by a study published in the Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology.

However, the best yogurt that exists isn’t the one that’s usually sold in grocery store aisles, but the natural variety that comes without sugar.

Most of the versions that we can buy in stores are flavored and have an excessive amount of sugar, especially the liquid presentation of the product. As a result, the nutritional quality drops considerably.

2. Flavored water

Water is the best element that exists to ensure a good state of hydration. But it must be mineral water that’s ingested for this purpose and not its flavored variants.

These products abound in the supermarket and contain a large amount of added sugars or artificial sweeteners. Both one and the other can negatively impact the intestinal microbiota and produce health problems of various kinds.

3. Sliced bread

In general, bread is a food with a high content of carbohydrates, which are made with very refined flour. This makes them products with a high glycemic index. And, on many occasions, manufacturers add even more sugar to improve their flavor and texture, as is the case with sliced bread versions.

For this reason, when choosing a bread to eat, it’s always better to opt for a loaf with a more artisan style. However, experts don’t recommend including this product in your usual diet, and much less as a companion to meals. Its consumption must be occasional.

2. Packaged tomato sauces

One of the vegetables with the highest amount of antioxidants is the tomato and, among these components, lycopene stands out.

Antioxidants neutralize some wastes that are produced and accumulated in tissues, called free radicals. In this way, they help prevent the development of many chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease.

However, packaged tomato sauces and especially fried tomato, have too many added sugars. These are introduced into the recipe to limit the acidity of the fruit and improve the final flavor. However, their concentration is excessive and causes them to become unhealthy products.

A woman buying packaged tomato products at the store.

Be careful with foods with more sugar than you think

All these foods that we just showed you have more sugar than you probably thought they did. It’s important to limit their consumption so as not to decrease the quality of your diet. Otherwise, you may end up putting your children’s health at risk in the medium and long term.

Although the intake of carbohydrates is completely necessary, they must always be complex. Simple carbohydrates should be avoided whenever possible, as they cause significant increases in blood glucose and damage your metabolism.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Kim, S. K., Guevarra, R. B., Kim, Y. T., Kwon, J., Kim, H., Cho, J. H., Kim, H. B., & Lee, J. H. (2019). Role of Probiotics in Human Gut Microbiome-Associated Diseases. Journal of microbiology and biotechnology29(9), 1335–1340. https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.1906.06064
  • Cheng, H. M., Koutsidis, G., Lodge, J. K., Ashor, A., Siervo, M., & Lara, J. (2017). Tomato and lycopene supplementation and cardiovascular risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Atherosclerosis257, 100–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2017.01.009

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.