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There are lots of hidden sugars lurking where you might not expect to find them. Many sugared
breakfast cereals have higher in sugar levels than you might expect. A typical serving might
contain a much as three teaspoons of sugar, and some kids like to add even more at the
table.
Cereal bars are also surprisingly high in sugar some may be up to one third sugar.
Fruit drinks and diluting juice may have as much as two teaspoons in a small glass, and
for every ten pence size dollop of tomato sauce you can add another half teaspoon of
sugar.
“Guess what my favourite dinner is? Fish and chips and pizza and pizza with hot dog
circles on it, and I love sauce on it. Mmm.”
So how can you tell what’s high in sugar? The nearer to the top of the contents list
sugar is the higher the proportion there is in the food or drink. Remember there are other
names for sugar. Fructose, dextrose, glucose syrup, sugar.
To find out exactly how much sugar there is in a product you have to look at the nutrition
information table. You will usually find this on the side of the packet.
Look for the figure next to carbohydrates of which sugars. As a rough guide10 grams
of sugar per 100 grams is a high sugar content and two grams per 100 grams is a low sugar
content.
By avoiding high sugar foods and drinks you can help cut down on your child’s chances
of suffering from tooth decay as well as lowering their risk of obesity.