March 19, 2022

7 “Diet-friendly” snacks high in added sugars or calories

By Maria Tikka ANutr, MMedSci

In every grocery store you will find many low fat and low sugar alternatives of snacks you love. There are also many “diet-friendly” snacks and foods, at least according to social media and the fitness industry.

Well, the more snacks you try, the better! This post is not about blaming or supporting these foods. It’s about making clear that you still need to pay attention to their energy content.

If you are specifically aiming to reduce your fat intake or total sugar intake, then these snacks can be very useful.

If you are trying to control your calorie intake though, “diet-friendly” snacks may not be as useful as you think. They could be as high in calories as foods you already know they are energy dense:

Healthy snacks advertised as low sugar, may be higher in saturated fats. As a result, the calorie content is basically the same.
Similarly, low-fat products can be significantly higher in added sugars.

mariatikka food labels cover photo — ^{Food labels can really help you make an informed choice. Check this post for more information about food labelling.}

It is not that easy spot sources of added sugars though. In food labels, sugars are referred to both natural (which you don’t need to avoid) and added sugars.

Here are three features to help you estimate if a snack is high in added sugars:

It is not plain yogurt or milk, a vegetable or whole fruit but it still has more than 22 g sugars/ 100g.
It is mostly made of wholegrains but still contains more than 20g sugars/100g.
On the front label, the sugar content is in red color.

Let’s see the macronutrient information for a few sweet and savoury snacks labelled as “diet friendly”. It’s up to you to decide if they work for your goals!

1. Cereal bars

Cereal bars are popular for being healthy snacks, but they can be high in added sugars for their size. It depends on the brand and the flavour, but if you check the ingredients they usually have extra sugar and syrups. Bars with chocolate chips, honey or caramel usually have more added sugars.

Crispy rice treats and cornflake bars can also be both low in fibre and high in added sugars. This combination doesn’t make them very filling.
Cereal bars based on wholegrains can be more filling and equally delicious!
Prefer cereal bars fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Average cereal bar (33g): Energy 150 kcal, Protein 2 g, Total fats 6 g, Saturated fats 2.8g, Carbohydrates 21g, Sugars 13g, Fibre 1.7g, Salt 0.18 g. 33g Dark chocolate 60-69% cocoa: Energy 190 kcal, Protein 3 g, Total fats 14 g, Saturated fats 8.3g, Carbohydrates 14g, Sugars 8.6g, Fibre 2g, Salt 0.04 g — It’s interesting that a cereal bar’s calories and macronutrient profile may not differ that much from dark chocolate’s. Also, cereal bars could have up to a glycaemic index of 72 (high), while dark chocolate has a low glycaemic index (27). That means a cereal bar could increase your blood sugar more quickly than dark chocolate and keep you full for less time.

2. Flavoured granola and muesli

If you enjoy granola and muesli often, maybe it is worth looking for “no added sugar” products. Flavoured products can be significantly higher in sugars and saturated fats. Try no added sugar granola/muesli with fresh fruit instead or a teaspoon of your favourite syrup.

Macronutrient information Per 45g (1/2 cup) No added sugar granola: Energy 194 kcal, Protein 3.9 g, Total fats 6.8 g, Saturated fats 0.9g, Carbohydrates 27g, Sugars 5.9g, Fibre 3.9g, Salt 0.1 g. Per 45g (1/2 cup) hazelnut and chocolate granola: Energy 224 kcal, Protein 3.7 g, Total fats 11 g, Saturated fats 5.4g (27% RI), Carbohydrates 26g, Sugars 9.5g, Fibre 2.6g, Salt 0.28 g — Granola is a lovely snack, but it is just a snack. Beware of your portion size!

Per 45g (1/2 cup) no added sugar Swiss style muesli: Energy 168 kcal, Protein 2.7 g, Total fats 2.7 g, Saturated fats 0.5g, Carbohydrates 29g, Sugars 5.8g, Fibre 3.8g, Salt 0.07 g. Per 45g (1/2 cup) coffee, date & chocolate muesli: Energy 166 kcal, Protein 3 g, Total fats 3.g, Saturated fats 0.5g, Carbohydrates 29g, Sugars 12g, Fibre 3.9g, Salt 0.01 g. — Muesli is usually lower in saturated fats and sugars than granola. It still highly depends on the brand and the flavour.

3. Protein bars/cookies

Protein bars are very convenient post-workout foods or filling snacks when you are on your way!You don’t necessarily have to replace your favourite dessert with them though or expect to lose weight if you have them regularly. They are lovely snacks to include in your diet if you want to, but they can be high in saturated fats or sugars.

Fudge brownie high protein bar 60g: Energy 215 kcal, Protein 23 g, Total fats 8 g, Saturated fats 4.3g (22% RI), Carbohydrates 14g, Sugars 1.4g, Fibre 6.8g, Salt 0.45 g

4. Low fat flavoured yogurt

Low fat flavoured yogurts can be higher in added sugars and lower in protein comparing to plain yogurt. This is why they are usually not that filling. For example, a 125g pot of low fat plain yogurt contains 9g sugars (all natural) and 6 g of protein. In flavoured low fat yogurt you can find more than double of sugars, because it contains added sugars too. It can be lower in protein too.

low fat smooth toffee flavoured yogurt per 125g pot: Energy 115 kcal, Protein 4.1 g, Total fats 1.8 g, Saturated fats 1.1 g, Carbohydrates 22g, Sugars 21g (23% RI), Fibre 0g, Salt 0.2 g

5. Fruit smoothies and juices

Sugars in smoothies and juices count as added, since they are much lower in fibre comparing to whole fruit. Since they are lower in fibre, simple sugars will raise your blood sugar more easily and they will not keep you full for long Check this post for more information!

6. Legume and vegetable crisps

Legume and vegetable crisps can be higher in fibre or protein comparing to regular potato crisps. Their energy and saturated fat content though are not so different!

If you like them and you notice a small portion keeps you full, then keep doing what you are doing.

Regular potato crisps per 100g: Energy: 496 kcal, Protein: 6.3g, Total fats:29g, Saturated fats:2.5g, Carbohydrates: 51g, Sugars: 0.9g, Fibre: 4.4g, Salt: 1.5g. Beetroot sweet potato and carrot chips per 100g: Energy: 479 kcal, Protein: 2g, Total fats: 23g, Saturated fats: 2.3g, Carbohydrates: 65g, Sugars: 24g, Fibre: 10g, Salt: 0.99g. — Sweet potato, beetroot and carro crisps contain plenty of natural sugars (you don’t need to worry about them!) and they are higher in fibre than potato chips. The point is, their energy intake is similar to regular potatoes. Portion size matters!

Lentil crisps per 100g: Energy: 478 kcal, Protein: 8g, Total fats: 21g, Saturated fats: 1.7g, Carbohydrates: 62 g, Sugars: 0.9g, Fibre: 4.5g. Salt: 2.4g. Corn and red kidney bean chips per 100g: Energy: 496 kcal, Protein: 5.6g, Total fats: 23g, Saturated fats: 1.7g, Carbohydrates: 64g, Sugars: 3.1g, Fibre: 4.2g, Salt: 0.85g

7. No added sugar chocolate

Chocolates with sweeteners can be a higher in saturated fats and they are still high in calories. Actually the energy per portion size is not that different. Sometimes there is a “trick” on the front label that makes you think these chocolates are lower in calories:

If the pack is 80g, the recommended portion size may be 13g instead of 25g. This is why you could believe their calorie intake is lower, but it is actually not!

Let’s see the macronutrient profile per 25g for standard and no added sugar milk chocolate:

Milk chocolate: Energy (kcal): 136, Protein (g): 1.8, Total fats (g): 7.8, Saturated fat (g): 4.7, Carbohydrates (g): 14, Sugars (g): 14, Fibre (g): 0.6, Glycaemic Index: 43, Glycaemic Load: 6. No added sugar milk chocolate (per 25g): Energy (kcal): 121,Protein (g): 2,Total fats (g): 9.1, Saturated fat (g): 5.7, Carbohydrates (g): 8.4, Sugars (g): 5.2, Fibre (g): 4.3, Glycaemic Index: 43, Glycaemic Load: 6

Summary

Article Name

7 “Healthy” snacks high in added sugars and calories

Author

Maria Tikka

Tagsweight management

About The Author

Maria Tikka ANutr, MMedSci

My name is Maria Tikka. I am a Registered Associate Nutritionist and a biologist. I post about nutrition topics, healthy lifestyle tips, weight management advice and healthy recipes!