10 snacks that contain so much sugar, you might as well eat a donut
One of my boyfriend’s biggest pet peeves is the snacks I throw into the cart every time I do the grocery shopping. He does just fine on 3 meals a day; I need my snacks. I used to think that an oat bar, kruidkoek or rice cake with dark chocolate wasn’t actually that bad. Better than a donut, right? Well, I was quickly brought back down to earth. These 10 snacks contain so much sugar that you might as well choose a donut…
In this case, it’s about the amount of sugar per 100 grams of a product. A fresh sugar donut from Albert Heijn (€1.95 for 4) contains 17 grams of sugar per 100 grams. That means you consume approximately 17 grams of sugar when you eat 2 donuts: one donut weighs 49 grams, after all. Compare that with the snacks below and you’ll see that most of them are real sugar bombs.
Liga Milkbreak
The Liga Milkbreak used to be a staple in my schoolbag. It wasn’t exactly a biscuit that made you the coolest kid at school, but this snack was (and is) delicious nonetheless. That probably has something to do with the 21 grams of sugar contained in (100 grams of) this biscuit. And there you were thinking you were being healthy with that milk layer and everything.
Liga Evergreen currants
Another Liga biscuit bursting with sugar. 100 grams of Liga Evergreen currants contains no less than 27 grams of the sweet stuff. You wouldn’t think it, but 100 grams of donut contains less.
Liga Haverkick
Well, then you could choose the Haverkick from the Liga range. Surely it can’t contain more sugar than the Milkbreak and the Evergreen? Ha, yes it can. This one even takes the crown: 31 grams of sugar per 100 grams of biscuit. So don’t be misled by the word ‘oat’—this is simply packed with sugar. It gives you a sugar kick, not an oat kick.
Sultana Fruitbiscuit forest fruits
Another famous snack: Sultana. The Fruitbiscuit with forest-fruit flavour might well be the most popular of all Sultana biscuits. Take note: 100 grams of these biscuits contains 26.4 grams of sugar. Gulp.
Sultana Goodmorning plain
I think Sultana’s Goodmorning bars are ridiculously delicious. Crunchy, nicely filling and gone in no time: perfect when I’m in a hurry in the morning. Except that I then start the day with a huge spike in my blood sugar. The reason: the 21.7 grams of sugar contained in (100 grams of) this biscuit. That’s probably why I like it so much.
B’tween muesli bar milk chocolate
Secretly, we knew that a muesli bar wasn’t nearly as good for us as we thought. Yes, it may contain quite a bit of fibre. But that amount of sugar… Why do you think all that muesli sticks together so well?! Take a B’tween muesli bar with milk chocolate, for example. 34 grams of sugar per 100 grams! No doubt the chocolate on top contributes to that, but still. If you really can’t leave it on the shelf, choose the Zero version. It contains just 1.6 grams of sugar per 100 grams of bar.
Nature Valley Honey & Oats cereal bar
Nature Valley sounds as though all the ingredients in the bar are picked straight from nature, without additives and completely healthy. Ha-ha. The Honey & Oats cereal bars from this brand (100 grams) simply contain 26.8 grams of sugar. That still amounts to 11.26 grams of sugar per serving (2 biscuits, 42 grams).
Snelle Jelle kruidkoek plain
Say kruidkoek and you say Snelle Jelle. 100 grams of this brand’s plain kruidkoek contains no less than 40.9 (!) grams of sugar. Hallelujah. That’s going to mean quite a few very fast laps to get that stuff out of your body again.
AH rice cakes with dark chocolate
Rice cakes: approved by Sonja (Bakker—you know, the one who was recently sued for plagiarism again). Dark chocolate: perhaps not incredibly healthy, but the healthiest chocolate variety there is. So is the combination really that bad for you? If you look at the amount of sugar, then yes. 100 grams of AH rice cakes with dark chocolate contains 27 grams of sugar. The cakes with a yoghurt coating add another spoonful: 35 grams. Even though it’s such an easy snack to grab, you’d be better off choosing a pack of ‘regular’ rice cakes. Perhaps with hummus or spreadable cheese on top if you want them a little less dry. It takes a bit more effort (and some people find them less tasty) than pre-packaged rice cakes with chocolate or yoghurt, but it’s much healthier.
AH wholemeal eierkoek
Let’s bring Sonja into this again. The diet guru wanted us all to start eating eierkoeken. Hence her title: eierkoek-queen. Sonja, we’re asking you to hand in your crown. 100 grams of eierkoek (from AH) contains no less than 31 grams of sugar. The wholemeal version, no less! No thanks, I’d rather have 2 donuts. That’s not much less sugar than one of those eierkoeken anyway.
Disclaimer
Before you start throwing packs of donuts into your basket every week: naturally, most snacks are a better choice than a donut in other respects. In terms of fibre and fat, for example, or the number of calories. Plus, you don’t (hopefully) eat 100 grams of such a snack, but one serving. A serving of Sultana Fruitbiscuits weighs 43.5 grams, for example, and a Snelle Jelle kruidkoek weighs 65 grams. So you don’t consume as much sugar per snack as stated above. But still… Think carefully the next time you browse the snack aisle. Or don’t, of course.
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