It might surprise you to know that some foods people regard as “healthy” are crammed so full of sugar, they are pretty much as bad as a Snickers as far as your pancreas and waistline are concerned. Here are just a few (7 to be exact):

The Huffington Post recently outed several foods that are so high in sugar, you may as well be eating a candy bar. Dr Mercola took this information and improved on it and then I got a hold of it and tweaked it even further:

• • Yogurt: Most commercial yogurt is crammed with sugar – as in, over 30 grams per each little 6 ounce cup! This, along with the fact that commercial yogurt is pasteurized (and some also contains artificial colors and flavors), is why you should walk right on by the yogurt section at your supermarket. Watch out too, for “light” yogurt brands that boast less sugar due to toxic artificial sweeteners.

On the other hand, yogurt that is made from raw organic milk and which you eat either plain or only minimally sweetened with some berries or liquid stevia, is a true health food. This is something you can easily do at home and use the healthiest raw ingredients, including organic grass-fed raw milk as the starter.

I have my own yogurt maker and it’s super easy. Then I put it through a cheese cloth to make it thicker like Greek yogurt. This also reduces the carbs (milk sugar) and concentrates it so there is more protein per serving.

• Tomato Sauce: A cup of tomato sauce can add over 20 grams of sugar, and considering that most people eat that tomato sauce on top of pasta, a “fast carb” source, this could send you into sugar overload. Watch out specifically, for brands that contain added sweeteners. Tomato sauce is a far better choice than a candy bar, but ideally, make your own sauce at home, and serve it over shredded spaghetti squash instead of noodles. Check out the great ketchup recipe on hardbodcafe.com and then add some Italian seasoning to turn it into spaghetti sauce to put over noodles from miraclenoodle.com!
• Granola Bars: Sugar is often one of the top ingredients in granola bars and in fact, most are not much different than a candy bar, nutritionally speaking. Even the granola is simply another form of “hidden sugar” that most people eat far too much of. Remember, sugar and dietary carbohydrates (including grains like granola, which break down into sugar) lead to excess body fat, obesity and related health issues. Check out Quest protein bars, but be sure to only order the 100% natural flavors.
• Fat-Free Salad Dressing: When manufacturers take the fat out of a food, sugar is often added back in as a replacement. Fat-free French or Thousand Island dressings can contain over 40 grams of sugar as a result, turning a would-be healthy salad into something more resembling a dessert. Don’t be fooled by the “fat-free” label — it’s the carbs that are the culprit in weight gain and chronic disease. Try making your own! It’s less expensive anyway and you get to pick the ingredients. Just Google your favorite dressing recipe and you will find tons of options. Make sure to stay away from canola oil though! Use olive oil any time a recipe calls for canola.
• Muffins: The high amount of carbs in most muffins will profoundly interfere with your leptin and insulin levels, and that is true even if it’s a “healthy” muffin, like a bran muffin. Of course, in order to make a bran muffin palatable, it probably contains quite a bit of added sugar, on top of the grains it’s made with. Many muffins are also jumbo-sized (especially at your local coffee shop) easily packing over 30 grams of sugar or more. Instead, order your muffins from Julianbakery.com. Then you will get some fiber and protein out of it!
• Canned Fruit: Fruit in and of itself can be problematic if eaten in excess, as it’s a source of naturally occurring fructose. But many canned fruits are also packed in sugary syrup, loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Just one cup of canned peaches or pears can contain over 30 grams of sugar. You’re far better off with a fresh piece of fruit instead, but use moderation. Dr. Mercola recommends restricting your consumption of fructose to no more than 25 grams per day, with a maximum of 15 grams a day from fresh fruit. If you’re already overweight, or have cancer, heart disease or diabetes (or are at high risk of them), then you’re probably better off cutting that down to 10-15 grams per day — fruit included.
• SnackWells: This food is just plain toxic. Yes, they took out the fat, but fat isn’t what makes people fat. It’s sugar (and all fast carbs like starches, flours, etc.) and they just replaced the fat with more sugar. They also put in lots of artificial stuff as well, making it even more toxic, so just run away when you see this brand and be suspicious when any other junk food emphasizes being low fat!