Swapping your regular muesli for a low-sugar version is an easy way to reduce your sugar intake. Photo / NZ Herald
Chances are you know you should be eating less sugar.
You also probably know that juices, soft drinks and processed foods are packed full of the stuff.
But a new report published by consumer watchdog Choice has found that Australians could avoid consuming up to 26 teaspoons of sugar each day by simply avoiding some the foods that sneak into our daily diets.
So what are some of the simple food swaps that will help you to slash your sugar intake without you even noticing?
While muesli bars might sound like a healthy snack option, a closer look at the ingredients list tells us otherwise. Most snack bars on the market will contain some type of added sugars, but the amounts differ considerably.
Swap: K-Time Baked Twists Strawberry & Blueberry = 13.2g sugar
Replace with: Kellogg's LCM Oaty Bubble Bar = 5.5g sugar
Save: 7.7g or 1.5 teaspoons of sugar
Frozen meals are popular, as you can gather from the ever-growing ranges in supermarkets. But despite masquerading as a quick and healthy option, in many cases the ingredient lists are almost as long as the packet itself, which gives some indication as to the amount of processing and additives in the product.
Swap: McCain Healthy Choice Apricot Chicken = 24.5g sugar
Replace with: Lean Cuisine Pots of Goodness Mexican Chipotle Chicken = 8.3g sugar
Save: 16.2g or 3 teaspoons of sugar
With soup season almost upon us, it may come as a surprise that your humble can of
soup can be packed full of the white stuff. Again, it always pays to check out the ingredients list.
Swap: Heinz Creamy Tomato Soup = 20.9g of sugars
Replace with:Nake Cuisine's Horowhenua broccoli soup = 3.2g sugar
Save: 17.7g or 4 teaspoons of sugar
The word "biscuit" should basically give it away. Marketed as a "healthy" breakfast option, it could be argued that breakfast biscuits should remain in the "treat" category, as opposed to a nutritious daily breakfast option.
Swap: Belvita Breakfast Biscuits (per 4) = 11g sugars
Replace with: Slice of toast with nut spread = 1g sugars
Save: 10g or 2 teaspoons of sugar
The word "muesli" is synonymous with "healthy", but again the ingredient lists can also reveal the added sugars - no matter how healthy the packaging looks
Swap: Countdown Select Berry Bircher = 12.5g sugar
Replace with: Hubbard's no added sugar date and almond muesli = 2.5g sugar
Save: 10g sugar or 2 teaspoons of sugar
Often we forget the impact of foods we routinely add into our diet as tasty extras, like the mayonnaise, sweet chilli and stir fry sauces we use to complete a meal. Alarmingly though, packet sauces can be packed full of sugars and salts which can significantly bump up your daily calorie intake if you use them regularly.
Swap: Masterfoods Honey, Garlic and Soy Stir Fry Sauce (175g packet) = 37.1g sugar
Replace with: Masterfoods Chinese Beef Stir Fry Sauce = 10.3g sugar
Save: 26.8g sugars or 6 teaspoons of sugar
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