The surprising foods sneaking extra fat and sugar into your diet

Don’t throw your progress off course

If you ever feel disheartened by your attempts to better your health and well-being by what seems like a lack of progress, it’s time to look at the foods you're fuelling your body with. 

Everyone knows by now, that it takes more to hit your health goals than dragging yourself out for a run each morning. While physical activity is by far an important factor, much of our health is dictated by the ways in which we fuel ourselves throughout the day. 

So what’s really in the meals you’re eating, and are they actually working with you, or against you?

New research by a team at Georgetown University in the US has found several surprising nutritional truths about common household foods that may undermine your weight loss or health-boosting attempts.

Designed to help researchers better understand the growing obesity epidemic worldwide, the study aimed to pinpoint exactly which common foods and drinks contribute to our health decline. The US-based study compiled data from over 35,000 adults, identifying which foods have the most unhealthy concentrations of sugars and fats. 

Published in the journal Nutrients, the findings of the study reveal several unexpected sources of sugars and fats in common food items that may not be sufficiently known to consumers. 

In the United States, nutritional guidelines recommend no more than 10 per cent of an adult’s daily calories come from sources of fat and sugar – a number shown to be far exceeded by many participants’ data.  

Based on the findings, more than 12 per cent of the average adult’s caloric intake was made up of saturated fats alone, and 14 to 16 per cent from added sugar. 

It may be time to think twice about 'healthy' drink alternatives. Image: iStock

The worst foods to eat regularly

All in all, the biggest culprits harbouring higher than recommended levels of fats and sugars are hardly surprising. 

The items found to contain the highest proportions of saturated fats are cheese, pizza, ice cream, and eggs – all relatively common foods. Cold cuts, whole milk and cream substitutes were also listed as having high amounts of saturated fats. 

When it comes to sources of added sugars, soft drinks, tea, fruit drinks, and baked goods take the cake (literally). Other foods found to contain high levels of added sugars are energy drinks, cereal bars, and tomato-based condiments such as tomato sauce or relish. 

By being aware of some of the foods packing higher levels of fats and sugars, researchers hope consumers will make healthier choices with what they choose to consume, hopefully lowering their risk of diseases in the future, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Condiments were found to be harbouring high levels of fats and sugars. Image: Pexels

The surprising foods that made the list

While most of the above items may seem unsurprising to most health-conscious people, one high-ranking item, in particular, was less expected. 

“Chicken breast is promoted as a lower saturated fat food, but it still has a little bit of saturated fat. But it is helpful to know how foods with smaller amounts also slowly add saturated fat in a stealthy way into the diet,” Professor Christopher Taylor, director of medical dietetics at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at The Ohio State University and lead study author, shares in a media release. 

But before the world’s body-building and gym-bro communities freak out about meal plans, experts say there is no need to fear our consumption of chicken breasts – or any particular food that the research lists.  

“Being able to meet less than 10% is to identify the big contributors, but also to be able to see where saturated fat and added sugar may still exist in other food choices. It doesn’t make them poor choices – it’s about being aware of how the morning latte may be contributing,” Taylor adds.

“There are the foods that are higher in saturated fat and added sugar that are consumed frequently, and they get targeted, but there’s also that smaller cumulative effect of things that are generally perceived as healthy, but they’re all contributing just a little bit,” Taylor says. 

“And then when you top it off with some of those higher sources, it ends up taking you over the threshold for that 10 per cent of the day’s calories.”

Originally published as The surprising foods sneaking extra fat and sugar into your diet