Sugar watch: What has more sugar than a Twinkie?

Twinkie

DES PLAINES, IL - APRIL 20: Part of a Hostess Twinkie golden sponge cake with its creamy filling exposed is seen April 20, 2005 in Des Plaines, Illinois, a suburb northwest of Chicago. The Twinkie, an American icon and one of the nation's …
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Posted: 04/12/2012

CINCINNATI - Thanks to all the processed foods in our lives, we are inundated by sugar. And some of those foods you thought were healthy choices, like some yogurt or muffins? Full of sugar!

The American Heart Association recommends that women eat or drink no more than 20 grams of sugar a day, which is the equivalent of one Twinkie.

For men, the AHA recommends no more than 36 grams, which is slightly more than one Snickers bar, at 30 grams.

Eating more than that contributes to obesity, high blood pressure and higher levels of fat and cholesterol in the blood.

So here is a list of eight foods with more sugar than a Twinkie, courtesy The Huffington Post:

  1. Yogurt. It's often part of a healthy diet, but check the label for sugar content.  Some fruit-flavored yogurts can have as much as 32 grams of sugar.
  2. Tomato sauce. The sugar content varies. Check the label.
  3. Granola bars. Sometimes, you might as well have a Snickers!
  4. Fat-free salad dressing. When manufacturers take out the fat, they add sugar for taste.
  5. Muffins. Many have just as much sugar as a doughnut, plus they're often super-sized.
  6. Canned fruit.
  7. Smoothies. Some popular brands contain anywhere from 38 to 70 grams of sugar!
  8. Cereal. Check the labels! A public health group says 40 brands contain more than 11 grams per serving, more than 3 Chips Ahoy! cookies.

Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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