In order to make your supermarket trolley a little bit healthier, here are nine products you need to avoid.
1. Dairy products
According to nutritionist Zoe Bingley-Pullen, people should be picking full-fat yoghurt, instead of low fat options because they can be full of sugar to replace the flavour lost when the fat is taken out.
She suggests chowing down on full-fat yoghurt topped with fresh fruit and cinnamon, in order to keep sugar cravings at bay.
As for milk, full fat and low fat have similar levels of lactose, but when it comes to almond or coconut milk, it's best to always pick unsweetened.
2. Bread
To bake bread, sugar must be added to aid fermentation and encourage the bread to rise.
"Some brands may also add sugar to bread to help with taste, texture and get a golden outer crust", Bingley-Pullin told The Daily Telegraph.
"Due to the bitter taste of whole wheat, more sugar is also added to wholemeal bread. Checking the ingredient list for added sugar is key."
3. Tomato sauce
The sauce of choice for many Kiwi fish and chip fans is tomato sauce. Sadly, it's a seriously naughty culprit when it comes to sugar.
Just one 15ml squirt on your beachside takeaways includes one teaspoon of sugar. And it turns our that sweet chilli sauce is even worse. Clark says it contains nearly double the amount of sugar as found in tomato sauce.
If sugar appears in the top three ingredients of your sauce or salad dressing of choice, it should be a big red flag.
4. Alcohol
While we all know that alcohol contains sugar, there are actually some choices which are far worse than others.
Cocktails made with juice, syrup and soft drinks should all be avoided, says nutritionist Jessica Sepel.
"Steer clear of these and instead go for spirits mixed with soda and fresh lime or lemon," she told The Daily Telegraph.
"And when drinking wine, red has less sugar than white wine or champagne."
5. Crackers
Some savoury snacks are packed with sugar and unfortunately crackers are one of the worst offenders. They often have sugar added to boost taste, with flavoured rice crackers being especially bad.
Instead, Sepel suggests choosing plain crackers, or corn thins and then topping them with proteins like eggs, or cottage cheese in order to improve their nutritional value.
6. Cereal
"Most cereals have what I consider to be too much sugar," Sepel says.
"The worst contenders will be cereals like Coco Pops, but even ones people assume are healthier, like muesli, can have a high sugar content."
While some cereal options are sweetened with honey and maple syrup, this doesn't make them any healthier: the body processes the sugar in the same way.
The best way to avoid falling victim to sugary breakfast bowls is to make your own batch once a week with healthy seeds, grains and nuts.
7. Baked beans
Beans are a great source of protein, but tinned baked beans can be packed full of sugar due to their high sauce content.
Sepel says common brand-named baked beans list sugar as their third ingredient, which should be a big red flag for those trying to limit their sweet intake.
But she added that it's not difficult to make your own bakes beans. That way you know exactly what you are eating.
8. Sushi
In the sushi making process, sugar is added to the rice for taste, and Sepel says sauces used are also loaded with sugars.
Options such as teriyaki, sweet chilli and mayonnaise contain high amounts of sugar, adding to what can be up to a tablespoon per cup of sushi rice.
9. Energy drinks
Most people these days are pretty clued up about how bad for you energy drinks are. Packed full of sugar, most have as much as a soft drink, according to Sepel.
"And the energy effect doesn't last long," she added.
"These drinks also contain a huge amount of caffeine, too much for the body to handle.
"There are better ways to get energy, even a coffee or two a day is better than an energy drink."
