Sugar content could take orange juice off the Canada Food Guide

 by Madeleine Kelly

The CBC reports that orange juice could get removed from Canada’s food guide. For decades, the juice has been marketed as part of a healthy breakfast, and equated to one serving of vegetables. But one serving of orange juice is only 125 ml, less than almost anyone would drink at a sitting, and contains no fibre. While there’s no added sugar in most juices, there’s still a very high sugar-to-fibre ratio.

Fibre is especially valuable to endurance athletes. It’s slow to digest and slows down the digestion of other foods in your stomach as well, which is a great thing for cyclists. A slower, tamer rate of digestion gives you a moderate, steady stream of nutrients, making for an easier long ride without the highs and lows that can come with mismatched and badly timed fuelling. If you’re craving some orange juice, consider choosing an actual orange over its juiced counterpart.

Orange juice isn’t the only place where extra sugar is lurking in your diet. Here are other healthy foods to watch for when monitoring your sugar consumption.

Granola

While granola can be great for you, some brands have heaps of added sugar. Be sure to check the sugar content and try to keep the protein-to-sugar ratio similar. Usually brands with lower sugar quantities will also include lots of whole and simple ingredients. Better yet, try making your own.

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is great for you, it’s super high in protein and calcium. But flavoured Greek yogurt can have as much lurking sugar as a Snickers bar. Opt for plain yogurt and add honey or maple syrup to sweeten.

Peanut Butter

There should be one ingredient in your peanut butter. Peanuts. But lots of brands have a laundry list of ingredients, including oils and sugar. Double check what’s in your peanut butter and if you want it to be a little sweeter, consider topping your toast with honey.

Bread

The Telegraph reported in 2014 that many loaves of brown bread included higher sugar content than white loaves. “All of the loaves contain sugars which naturally occur in the bread. However, additional sugar was included in the ingredients of ten of the brown and wholemeal loaves.” Be sure the check in the ingredients on your store-bought bread, even if it’s whole wheat.

This story first appeared on Canadian Running Magazine.