Where’s the Added Sugar?

Regular sodas add the most sugar to a typical American’s diet.

(source: www.cspinet.org)

It isn’t hard to reach—and far exceed—the new limits set for added sugar by the American Heart Association— 25 grams a day for women, 37. 5 grams for men (see page 1). Even foods like yogurt and baked beans may be loaded with extra sugar, beyond the sugar naturally in them. Sugar content varies among brands; the amounts below are averages. Many people consume more than the serving sizes listed. For example, we list a cola as 8 ounces, but soda cans are 12 ounces and bottles are 16 ounces or larger.

Beverages (8 oz)                  Added sugar (g)

• Cola                                                                   22
• Cranberry juice cocktail                          20
• Milk, chocolate, reduced-fat                  14
• Pear nectar, canned                                   28
• Shake, fast food, vanilla                            14
• Soy milk, chocolate                                    10
• Sports drink, fruit-flavored                     13
• Tea, instant, sugar-sweetened                21

Foods                                     Added sugar (g)

• Applesauce, sweetened, 1 cup               16
• Baked beans, canned, 1 cup                    15
• Banana chips, 1 oz                                         7
• Bologna, beef and pork, 3.5 oz                4
• Candies, caramel, 2.5 oz package        36
• Candy, milk chocolate, 1.5 oz bar       19
• Cookies, Oreo-type, 3 (1 oz)                  12
• Cranberries, dried, 1/3 cup                   25
• Doughnut, cruller, glazed, 1.4 oz         14
• Fig bar cookies, 2 (1 oz)                           10
• Frozen yogurt, soft-serve, 1/2 cup     13
• Fruit cocktail, heavy syrup, 1 cup       26
• Granola bar, 1 oz                                         12
• Jellybeans, 1 oz (10 large)                      20
• Popcorn, caramel-coated, 1 oz             15
• Pudding, vanilla, ready-to-eat, 4 oz   19
• Yogurt, fruit, 6 oz container                  19 

(UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, Nov 09)

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