Sugary Breakfasts: Morning Meals With More Sugar Than A Snickers Bar

It has been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, which is all the more reason to make sure you're eating smartly for it.

For one, you want some protein. Protein-rich breakfasts seem to ward off fatty, sugary snacking later on in the day, according to a recent study. You'll also want some fiber, which helps you stay fuller, longer.

Of course, the usual nutrition rules that you'd consider for lunch and dinner also apply -- take it easy on things like salt, trans fats and sugar. However, the latter may be easier said than done. Turns out, the sweet stuff is even more prevalent than you may have guessed, which is too bad considering it's been linked with myriad health risks, including heart problems, depression and acne. Recent research suggests there may even be a link between dietary sugar and diabetes risk.

Since it's not always easy to decipher how much sweet is too much, we decided to put things in perspective. You wouldn't eat a candy bar for breakfast, right? These breakfast foods have just as much sugar -- or more.

• Bars

  Sure, they make for an easy, grab-and-go option for harried mornings, but don't be deceived: Many brands of energy or granola bars contain added sugars that total up to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/23/energy-bars-sugar_n_2529334.html" target="_blank">as much as a candy bar</a>. Take a Pumpkin Pie CLIF bar, for example. Sure, it packs 9 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber, but with its <a href="http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_clif_bar/" target="_blank">25 grams of sugar</a>, it rivals a <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5461/2" target="_blank">Snickers</a>.

• Fruit-Flavored Yogurt

  The problem here isn't the <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500165_162-5377915.html" target="_blank">naturally occurring sugars in yogurt</a>, but the artificial sweeteners you'll be ingesting if you reach for a fruit-on-the-bottom variety. A six-ounce container of the sweetened stuff can run you upward of <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/108/2" target="_blank">30 grams of sugar</a>, the threshold at which <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-runners/yogurt-lowdown" target="_blank">yogurt becomes "pure garbage,"</a> Jayne Hurley, a senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told Runner's World. (That's also <a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5461/2" target="_blank">more than a Snickers bar</a>.) Instead, opt for plain yogurt -- preferably Greek, as it's <a href="http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diet/articles/2011/09/30/greek-yogurt-vs-regular-yogurt-which-is-more-healthful" target="_blank">naturally lower in sugar</a> -- and sweeten with your own fresh fruit.

• Muffins

  Of course baked goods will contain sugar. But muffins often gain a bit of a health halo, especially when compared to, say, a baked good like doughnuts. Some muffins have as many as <a href="http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/sugar-shockers-foods-surprisingly-high-in-sugar?page=2" target="_blank">32 grams</a>, WebMD reported, more than a Snickers bar.

• Smoothies

  <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/smoothie-recipes-secret-ingredients_n_1676401.html" target="_blank">Done right</a>, a smoothie can be a nutritious (and simple) way to start the day with fruit and protein. But the best smoothie is a homemade one, where you control what goes into the mix (preferably low-sugar or sugar-free yogurt and fresh fruit). Depending on the brand and the size, we've seen commercially prepared smoothies with <a href="http://www.smoothieking.com/smoothies/nutritional-chart.php" target="_blank">sugar counts in the hundreds</a>. That's like calling three or four Snickers bars breakfast.

• Dishonorable Mention: Cereal

  This may not come as a surprise, considering certain cereals market themselves as cookies and marshmallows for breakfast, but a number of breakfast cereals are basically candy in a bowl. The Environmental Working Group, a public health nonprofit, ranked 84 breakfast cereals by sugar content and found that 56 of them were more than 24 to 26 percent sugar by weight. The worst offender? Kellogg's Honey Smacks, at 55.6 percent sugar, and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/07/cereals-sugar_n_1132025.html" target="_blank">more grams of the sweet stuff than a Twinkie</a>. When picking a nutritious cereal, look for one with three to five grams of fiber, <a href="http://elisazied.com/" target="_blank">Elisa Zied</a>, MS, RDN, CDN, told HuffPost in April, and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/13/healthy-breakfast-nutritionists_n_3070912.html#slide=2330271" target="_blank">no more than double that in sugar</a>.

• Dishonorable Mention: Frozen Waffles

  A serving of Eggo's Cinnamon Toast waffles contains <a href="http://www.kelloggs.com/en_US/kelloggs-eggo-cinnamon-toast-waffles.html" target="_blank">17 grams of sugar</a>, about <a href="http://www.ewg.org/report/sugar_in_childrens_cereals/more_sugar" target="_blank">as much as a Twinkie</a>.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/15/sugary-breakfast-more-sugar-snickers-bar_n_3405104.html

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