The shock sugar in YOUR child's food: It looks unbelievable - but in 136 bags, this is the 22 stones of sugar children now eat by the age of ten. Yet is it any wonder, when (as our grid reveals) so many daily staples are LOADED with it
- From the age of two children are eating more than three times their sugar limit
- Avoiding puddings, cakes and sweets is not the only answer to cut intake
- People are being urged to watch out for added sugar in products
The news that our children are consuming nearly 22st of sugar before the age of ten is shocking. But getting their diet right is by no means as straightforward as just avoiding sugary puddings, cakes and sweets.
Sugar is added to an astonishing array of foods, including many savoury products, too.
Sugars include what are called 'free sugars' — for example, sugar or honey added to sweeten foods, as well as unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies.
Added sugar should be no more than 5 per cent of our total energy. Other sugars are found naturally in dairy products and whole fruit and vegetables.
According to our labelling system, more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g in food counts as 'high', and will be displayed in red on nutritional information.
Anything between 5g and 22.5g is 'medium', and will appear amber, while 5g or less per 100g is considered 'low' sugar, and the figure will be displayed in green.
It looks unbelievable but this is the 22 stones of sugar children now eat by the age of 10
But Tam Fry, chair of the National Obesity Forum warns: 'While this suggests some foods are healthier, it doesn't take into account how much of that food you may eat.
'If you have a product with just under 5g of sugar per 100g but eat 400g, you may still be consuming almost 20g.'
And the problem with our labelling system is that you often don't know how much of the sugar is added sugar. 'Look for added sugar in the ingredients list as well as the overall amount,' says nutritionist Rick Hay.
Tam Fry adds that our food labelling system is designed for the quantities needed by an adult woman. 'You need to be a mathematical genius to work out how much your children should have,' he says.
Children are left counting the cost of hidden sugar in a range of food including savoury products on sale
For food manufacturers, sugar is an incredibly useful ingredient within savoury products — it works as a preservative and to bind ingredients together.
And it can transform the flavour of bland foods.
But as Mr Fry says: 'We're adding sugar to everything. It's ridiculous — you buy a loaf of bread and it has two spoons of sugar in it. But there's no nutritional reason to do this.
'We're all hooked on it. Sugar in itself isn't a bad thing — it's the excessive quantities we're consuming. We don't need it to live, but we're all addicted from a young age. And our children are the ones suffering.
'They are eating two or three times the amount they need. We should impose limits on how much sugar can be used in every product.'
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MAIN MEALS
MORRISONS CHAGRILLED VEGETABLE PIZZA (510g)
Aim for vegetables and you can't go wrong but with hidden sugar in the sauce, it's not quite as good as it seems. 7g of sugar per 100g and 16.1g in half a pizza
MORRISONS SWEET & SOUR BATTERED CHICKEN (400g)
It's perhaps unsurprising that there is some that there is some sugar in the sugar in the sauce, but this has 7.7g per 100g and 28.8g in one portion
ASDA BBQ CHICKEN DEEP PAN PIZZA (423g)
Deep pan pizza with cooked chicken, barbecue sauce, Gouda and Mozzarella cheese and red and yellow peppers. 6.9g sugar per 100g and 14g of sugar in half a pizza
ASDA HUNTER'S CHICKEN (410g)
Half a pack of this tasty-looking ready meal contains 9.5g and there's 5.4g of sugar per 100g
TESCO FINEST PORK AND CARMELISED ONION SAUSAGES (667g)
Sausages can have some sugar in them. Two sausages are 7g of sugar and there are 6g in 100g
MORRISONS TEX MEX BBQ CHICKEN WITH PAPRIKA & ROASTED POTATOES (450g)
A rich, but not spicy barbecue sauce, with 9.5g of sugar per 100g and 40.6g per pack
HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE
BIRD'S EYE FISH FINGERS
Fish is good for you and here's another reason to eat it... there's only a trace of sugar in these
SAUCES
DOLMIO BOLOGNESE PASTA SAUCE ORIGINAL (500g)
Tomato sauce packed with tomatoes and a little added sugar as well - 5.4g per 100g and 6.8g per 125g portion
LOYD GROSSMAN TOMATO SPINACH AND RIOTTA PASTA SAUCE (350g)
Creamy and tomato packed sauce which has 7.4g of sugar per 100g, or 9.25g per 125g portion
SAINSBURYS POMODORO SAUCE TASTE THE DIFFERENCE (350g)
A tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomato paste and extra virgin olive oil. 5.2g sugar per 100g and 9.1g per 175g serving
HEINZ TOMATO KETCHUP (650g)
The classic addition to most meals, this contains 22.8g of sugar per 100g and 3.4g per 15g serving
ASDA CLASSIC BBQ SAUCE (450g)
Contains tomato puree, vinegar, chilli and garlic powder as well as sugar and glucose-fructose syrup. 100g contains 25g of sugar and a serving of 15g contains 3.7g sugar
HEINZ SALAD CREAM (425g)
This most British of lettuce dressings has 17g of sugar per 100g, which is 2.6g per 15g serving
HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE
WAITROSE FRESH CARBONARA SAUCE WITH PANCETTA, 350g
Not low fat, but is packed with milk and has only 3g of sugar per half pot
DRINKS
MUNCH BUNCH SQUASHUM STRAWBERRY YOGURT DRINK 6 x 90g
Attractive packaging but less attractive sugar content - 12.7g per 100g and 11.4g per portion
ACTIMEL STRAWBERRY YOGURT DRINKS, 100g each
Attractive packaging but less attractive sugar content - 12.7g per 100g and 11.4g per portion
ALPRO CHOCOLATE SOYA MILK, 1L
Soya milk is often perceived as being healthy, but this has 9.3g of sugar per 100ml, or 27.9g in a 300ml serving
HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE
TESCO SEMI-SKIMMED MILK, 2.2l
This has 5g of sugar per 100ml, which counts towards your total - but it isn't added sugar
TINNED FOOD
HEINZ BEANZ (415g)
Baked beans are loved by children and this variety are 4.7g per 100g, which counts as low sugar as it's below five per cent. But if you can eat half a can, that's 9.2g of sugar
BAXTERS CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP, 400g
A warming blend of double cream, ripe tomatoes and seasonings, which nonetheless has 5.8g
HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE
HEINZ BEANZ WITH NO ADDED SUGAR, 415g
A better choice than the regular beans, with 1.9g sugar per 100g and 3.6g per half can
SNACKS
DAIRYLEA RITZ DUNKERS 4 X 46g
Each little snack contains 3.6g of sugar, which is 7g per 100g
DORITOS CHILLI HEATWAVE TORTILLA CHIPS
These contain 5.8g per 100g, which is 1.7g per 30g serving
KETTLE VEGETABLE CRISPS
Sugars are naturally occurring rather than added but still they are 21.3g per 100g
SUNBITES MULTIGRAIN SNACKS
Multigrain suggests these are better than crisps but there's 7.3g sugar per 100g and 1.8g per bag
TESCO FINEST SWEET POTATO CHIPS WITH SEA SALT AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR, 125g
Delicious natural tasting hand cooked vegetable crisps, but nonethless there is 22.2g of sugar per 100g, which is 5.6g per 25g serving
ASDA STRAWBERRY YOGURT PIECES, 5 X 25g
Super high in sugar, with each packet containing 15g and 62g per 100g
FRUIT BOWL YOGURT RAISINS, 5 X 25g
A whopping 66g sugar per 100g and 16g per serving
HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE
MINI BABYBEL ORIGINAL 12 X 20g
With only traces of sugar these little cheese are suitable for vegetarians and are high in calcium
SALADS
ASDA FRUITY COUSCOUS (280g)
A total of 21g sugar inhalf a pack, or 15g per 100g, seems a lot for a 'healthy' choice
TESCO FINEST MOROCCAN COUSCOUS (250g)
Dried fruit will be upping the sugar content here, as well as added sugar. 100g contains 10.8g of sugar
ASDA 50 PER CENT LESS FAT CREAMY COLESLAW (300g)
With 5.4g of sugar per 100g, this salad is comprised of rice, chickpeas, raisins and onions
MORRISONS MIDDLE EASTERN WILD RICE (240g)
With 5.4g of sugar per 100g, this salad contains rice, chickpeas, raisins and onion
HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE
A wise choice, with 2.8sugar per 100g or 5.6g per salad
BREAKFAST FOOD
HOVIS MEDIUM SLICED WHOLEMEAL BREAD
You don't imagine bread should contain any sugar but this has 4.1g per 100g, or 1.2g a slice
NESTLE COOKIE CRISP CEREAL, 500g
This is not classed as a high sugar food but is still contains 22g per 100g and 6.7g a serving
HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE
GROWERS PORRIDGE OATS, 1kg
With just a trace of sugar, this slow-release carb will keep children full for longer
