Marketing has gotten to a point where you could pretty much label a mars bar nutritious.
So how do you make educated decisions for your family without spending 5 hours doing the groceries? Besides making everything from scratch yourself, which I understand can feel overwhelming, time consuming and not for everyone. I loved watching 'That sugar film' as I think it gives consumers and honest insight into just how much sugar we as Australians are consuming daily without even knowing it! So let's have a little look into a few comparisons:
So, what do you think would have more sugar per serve?
Sweet Chilli Sauce OR Chocolate topping (both 40grams).
That’s right- Sweet Chilli Sauce with a whopping 4.2 teaspoons of sugar per serve vs. 3.2 teaspoons in the chocolate topping! Do you regularly have sweet chilli with a meal? Next time you may think twice?
What about:
Go Natural Yoghurt covered berries OR Regular sized mars bar?
If you said the mars bar you would be incorrect BUT very close- regardless of the brand being ‘Go Natural’ the 50g serving has 6.2 teaspoons of sugar vs. the mars bar (53g) having 7.7 teaspoons!
Another great comparison I love to use is this one- would you send your child to school with a MaltEaster for morning tea? If you answered no- then let’s hope SPC fruit crush ups are not your lunch box regular, as both contain the same amount of sugar!
How about BBQ sauce, is that a dinnertime favourite in your household? Well a tablespoon of master foods bbq sauce contains 2 teaspoons of sugar!
Although you may read these comparisons and think ‘yeah but that’s only xyz amount of sugar’ when you add it all up of hidden sugars throughout the day you may be surprised to find that you and your family and well over the suggested intake.
Sugars can be hidden in everything, just because something is not sweet doesn’t mean it may not have sugar in it- take tinned foods. Things like tomatoes, corn, and beetroot- so many of these have added sugar in there.
Fresh is always best, and if in doubt read the labels.
If you want more information on sugars, comparisons I recommend you like the ‘That sugar film’ page on Facebook, or better yet- go and watch the movie with your family.
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