13 foods with more salt, sugar, or fat than you might expect

Many people eat more saturated fat, salt (sodium), or added sugar than health authorities recommend. And cutting back isn’t easy when some foods have far more than you might expect. Here are 13 sneaky ones. 

The good news: We’ve rounded up half a dozen other foods with a reputation for delivering a bigger dose of salt, sugar, or sat fat than they actually do. Don’t sweat ’em! Scroll down for the list. 

This article comes from Nutrition Action. We don’t accept any paid advertising or corporate or government donations. Any products we recommend have been vetted by our staff and are not advertisements by the manufacturers. They’re just healthy foods we think you’d like to know about! 

These 5 foods have more added sugar than you might expect

1. Sorbet

“Packed with raspberries,” says Talenti about its Roman Raspberry Sorbetto. Indeed, raspberries are the sorbet’s No. 1 ingredient. But raspberries are roughly 85 percent water, so they’re heavy. (Ingredients are always listed from most to least by weight.) Water is the sorbet’s second ingredient. 

That explains why sugar is the third ingredient, but a 2/3-cup serving still has 30 grams (7 teaspoons) of added sugar. Another 4 grams (1 teaspoon) of naturally occurring sugar comes from the berries. 

So your serving of sorbet racks up 60 percent of the 50-gram Daily Value, the recommended day’s maximum, for added sugar. That’s typical. Häagen-Dazs Raspberry Sorbet has 34 grams (8 tsp.). That’s not much less than a 12 oz. Coke (39 grams). 

On the upside, with around 150 calories per serving, sorbet has fewer empty calories than full-fat ice cream. And the sorbet’s intense sweet-tart flavor might make it easier to stop after a smaller serving. 

How to cut sugar: To put portions on autopilot, try personal frozen fruit treats on a stick. Among our favorites: Talenti Roman Raspberry Mini Sorbetto Bars and Outshine Raspberry Mini Fruit Pops (each has just 9 grams of added sugar per pop). 

Learn more: 6 frozen treats that beat ice cream

2. Tonic water

Tonic water tastes bitter, not sweet, so you might expect it to be about like (sugar-free) club soda. But most tonic waters have roughly as much added sugar as an ordinary sugar-sweetened soda like Sprite. If you top off the gin in your gin & tonic with 7 oz. of Canada Dry Tonic Water, for example, you’re adding 5 teaspoons of sugar.

How to cut sugar: Big brands of sugar-free tonics like Canada Dry or Schweppes Diet or Zero Sugar are sweetened with saccharin, a low-calorie sweetener that we rate as “avoid.” But Fever-Tree Light Premium Tonic Water does without low-cal sweeteners and simply adds less sugar. That slashes the added sugar in a 6.8 oz. serving to 2 tsp. (8 grams). Not bad!

Learn more: Which alcoholic beverages have the most (or least) calories? 

3. Trail mix

The original trail mix formula, GORP—short for its “good ol’ raisins and peanuts”—has no added sugar. But most of today’s store-bought varieties add one or more candy-like mix-ins. Here’s where the added sugar usually shows up: 

Sugar-sweetened dried fruit. Raisins aside, most dried fruits that pop up in trail mixes—like cranberries, blueberries, and cherries—are sweetened with added sugar. (Mango, pineapple, and papaya are sometimes sweetened. Check the label.) That explains how a 1/4-cup serving (4 tablespoons) of mixes like Target’s Good & Gather Cashew Cranberry Almond Trail Mix (almonds, cashews, dried cranberries) supplies 2 teaspoons (9 grams) of added sugar. 

Chocolate candies. Just 3 tablespoons of Planters Nuts & Chocolate Trail Mix (peanuts, almonds, raisins, M&M’s) have 6 grams of added sugar. Target’s Good & Gather Antioxidant Trail Mix is a double whammy: chocolate chips and sweetened dried fruit (cranberries and blueberries) tack on 10 grams of added sugar in every 1/4 cup. 

Other sugary mix-ins: glazed or honey roasted nuts, “peanut butter” or “yogurt” chips, cookie pieces, mini peanut butter cups. 

How to cut sugar: Make your own trail mix with your favorite (unglazed) nuts and/or seeds plus dried fruits like raisins, figs, no-sugar-added mango, etc. For extra volume and crunch, toss in a handful of a no- or low-sugar whole-grain cereal like shredded wheat, Wheat Chex, or Cheerios.

4. Coffee creamer

Every tablespoon of flavored, sweetened liquid coffee creamer like Coffee-Mate, International Delight, and Chobani can add 4 to 6 grams of sugar and 30 to 40 empty calories to your cup. 

But that may be an underestimate. An official “serving” of liquid creamer is only 1 tablespoon, say labels, yet a serving of half and half is 2 tablespoons. And many mugs hold 12+ ounces of liquid—that’s 50 percent more than an 8 oz. cup.  And more coffee probably means more creamer.  If your brew hue comes closer to tan than brown, you might be using 3 (or more) tablespoons...which means you’re pumping up your coffee with 12 to 18 grams of added sugar. 

Grab your measuring spoons and see just how many tablespoons (and how much sugar) you’re usually getting.  

How to cut sugar: 

• Want creaminess but not sweetness? Try an unsweetened almond, oat, or almond-coconut creamer from brands like Califia or Nut Pods.
• Find a sweetened creamer that adds less sugar, like Silk Soy Original (1 gram per tablespoon) or Califia Vanilla Oat (3 grams).
• Instead of creamer, try a plant-based “barista milk.” A tablespoon of Oatly Barista Edition Oatmilk has less than a gram of added sugar.
• Stick to 1 tablespoon of a regular sweetened creamer and use a splash of milk to bump up the creaminess without more added sugar. 

Learn more: Our guide to the best coffee creamers 

5. Gummy fruit snacks

“Made with real fruit & veggie juice*,” shouts the front of Mott’s Assorted Fruit snacks. The asterisk points to a side panel that notes in tiny print, “These fruit-flavored snacks are made with pear, apple, and carrot juice concentrates. See below for a complete list of ingredients. They are not intended to replace fruit or vegetables in the diet.”

As it turns out, those pear, apple, and carrot juice concentrates count as added sugar when they’re ingredients that sweeten foods. What’s more, the “fruit flavored” snacks’ No. 1 and No. 2 ingredients are corn syrup and sugar. That explains why all 9 grams of the total sugar in each petite 0.8 oz. pouch count as added sugar. (It’s nearly as much as the 11 grams in 0.8 oz. of Haribo gummy bears.) 

And because young kids eat fewer calories than adults, that much added sugar is a lot for a toddler. A snack with 9 grams (about 2 teaspoons) of added sugar has 36 percent of the Daily Value (25 grams) for three-year-olds. In fact, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that children under age two eat no added sugar at all. (Children that young shouldn’t eat fruit gummies anyway because they’re a choking hazard.) 

Other brands that tout their fruit or juice ingredients are similar to Mott’s. For example, Annie’s Organic Berry Patch fruit snacks have 10 grams of added sugar in every 0.7 oz. pouch. Welch’s Mixed Fruit snacks have 8 grams in 0.8 oz.  

How to cut sugar: Forget “fruit snacks” and treat those gummies like candy. A step up: dried fruit with no added sugar. Pouches of Sun-Maid Fruity Raisin Snacks come in kid-friendly flavors like Tropical Punch or Sour Blue Raspberry. (They’re golden raisins infused with natural flavors and no food dyes.) Better yet, go with whole fresh or frozen fruit. For on-the-go snacking, try easy-to-peel mandarins or bananas.

These 4 foods have more saturated fat than you might expect 

1. Plant-based ice cream 

Most plant-based milks are low in saturated fat. Yet most plant-based ice creams are high in sat fat—even though they have none of dairy ice cream’s whole milk and cream. That’s because they replace both with coconut oil. And virtually all of coconut oil’s fat is the heart-harming saturated kind.

For example, a 2/3-cup serving of So Delicious Dairy-Free Wondermilk Vanilla Frozen Dessert has 7 grams of sat fat—one-third of a day’s max—from coconut oil. Oatly’s Vanilla Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert is no lower (8 grams), despite its oatmilk base. (While refrigerated liquid oatmilk is typically made with heart-healthy unsaturated oils like sunflower or canola, many oatmilk ice creams also contain coconut oil.)

In fact, sat-fat-wise, So Delicious and Oatly are in the same ballpark as a regular full-fat dairy ice cream like Breyers Homemade Vanilla (6 grams). A super-premium like Häagen-Dazs Vanilla has far more (13 grams).

How to cut sat fat: Some brands use healthy fats from olive oil (like Wildgood) or avocado (like Cado) instead of coconut oil. Or try dark-chocolate-dipped frozen fruit or homemade banana “nice cream” (frozen banana slices blended in a small food processor or high-powered blender). 

2. Yogurt-covered dried fruit or nuts

The reason so-called “yogurt” coatings on raisins or dried cranberries stay solid at room temperature: Palm or palm kernel oil is among the top ingredients. That’s why just two tablespoons (1 oz.) of Ocean Spray Greek Yogurt Flavored Dipped Cranberry Bites, for example, deliver 4-1/2 grams of saturated fat—nearly a quarter of a day’s 20-gram limit. 

Coated nuts are no better. Well Market Greek Style Yogurt Coated Almonds have 6 grams of sat fat in a 1 oz. serving—a mere 8 almonds, thanks to the nuts’ thick coating of palm oils, milk powders, and sugar.  

Well Market’s almond coating has another unwelcome ingredient, titanium dioxide, which lends a white color to foods. We rate the food additive as “avoid” because it can accumulate in the body and damage DNA, which is one way that chemicals cause cancer.

How to cut sat fat: Refrigerated low-fat or fat-free dairy yogurt (labeled 0 percent, 1 percent, or 2 percent milkfat) has little or no saturated fat. Use it to make your own yogurt-covered icy treat: Dip blueberries, banana slices, or strawberries in real yogurt, freeze them on a sheet tray lined with parchment until solid, then transfer to an airtight container and keep frozen. Remove them from the freezer a few minutes before eating to let them soften slightly. 

Learn more: 9 buzzwords that help sell processed foods 

3. Banana chips

The hard, crispy banana slices sold as bags of “banana chips” or added to trail mixes may look dried, but they’re fried…in coconut oil. That explains why a 1/3-cup serving of most brands has a whopping 7 to 9 grams of saturated fat (up to half a day’s max). Many also add sugar. 

How to cut sat fat: Freeze-dried or baked banana slices—look for them at Trader Joe’s and some other supermarkets—have a satisfying crunch and no sat fat. The only ingredient: bananas. Sweet! 

4. Reduced-fat cream cheese

You wouldn’t expect regular cream cheese to be low in saturated fat. A modest 2-tablespoon serving from a tub of full-fat Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese Spread, for example, has 4-1/2 grams of sat fat (nearly a quarter of a day’s max).  

But Philadelphia 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese tubs are only slightly better. They drop the sat fat to 3-1/2 grams in every two tablespoons. And a bagel’s thick schmear may take more than the 2 flat tablespoons that make a “serving.”  

To make matters worse, unlike many cheeses, cream cheese offers little calcium (just 2 percent of a day’s worth in two tablespoons).  

How to cut sat fat: Philadelphia’s Whipped Cream Cheese cuts the sat fat per serving to 2-1/2 grams by whipping in more air (so it’s fluffier). Better yet, opt for a plant-based cream cheese made with nuts and no coconut oil. Kite Hill Dairy Free Plain Cream Cheese is made with almonds, so all of its fat is healthy. And it’s surprisingly creamy. Or replace cream cheese with a healthier bagel spread like: 

• Peanut or almond butter
• Mashed avocado
• Whipped low-fat cottage cheese
• Hummus 

Learn more: How to find a healthy dairy or plant-based cheese

These 4 foods have more sodium than you might expect 

1. Bread

Bread doesn’t taste salty, but two slices of a typical supermarket sandwich loaf can easily rack up 300 to 400 milligrams of sodium (roughly 15 percent of a day’s 2,300-milligram max). That’s before you add more sodium from cheese, deli meat, or condiments like mayo or mustard. 

How do foods that don’t taste salty sneak in sodium? Salt is baked into the bread, not sprinkled on the surface. In contrast, a small McDonald’s Fries, with its sodium largely from salt sprinkled on top, has a surprisingly low 190 mg.  

How to cut sodium: Sodium isn’t a reason to ditch whole-grain bread, but it’s worth looking for brands with less.“Small slice” or “thin-sliced” breads like Dave’s Killer Bread Thin-Sliced are usually lower in sodium per slice. 

Learn more: How to decode bread labels and buy a better loaf 

2. Pita chips

A sodium surprise: Potato chips are relatively low in sodium. A 1 oz. serving of Classic Lay’s has just 140 mg. An ounce of Stacy’s “Simply Naked” Pita Chips, on the other hand, has roughly 50 percent more (200 mg). Granted, Whole Foods 365 Sea Salt Pita Chips (140 mg) are no saltier than the Lay’s. But in all three cases, you’re talking about largely refined starch or white flour.

Bottom line: Pita chips may look better for you than potato chips, but they’re not…and they might sneak in more salt.

How to cut sodium: Try a snack like fiber-rich air-popped popcorn or healthy-fat-rich lightly salted nuts instead of chips (pita, potato, veggie, or others).

Learn more: 6 healthy snacks that beat chips or pretzels 

3. Chicken with “solution” 

Perdue Perfect Portions Chicken Breasts look unseasoned, but each fillet delivers 370 mg of sodium, not the 90 mg of naturally occurring sodium you’d expect in 5 oz. of raw chicken breast. What gives? 

Your clue comes in the smaller print on the package: “containing up to 10 percent of a solution of water and seasoning.” That kind of “solution” disclosure means that the chicken (or turkey) that looks plain has been pumped up with saltwater.  

Some seafood also harbors sneaky sodium: 

• Salt-soaked scallops or shrimp can have at least double or triple their naturally occurring levels of sodium. To dodge it at the seafood counter, ask for “untreated” shrimp or “dry-pack” scallops.
• In the freezer aisle, check ingredient lists and avoid added salt and sodium-boosting ingredients like sodium tripolyphosphate.  

Bonus: When it comes to seafood, watching sodium is better for your heart and your taste buds. Shrimp or scallops that have been infused with saltwater can taste rubbery or be challenging to sear.  

Learn more: Our picks for quick poultry and plant-based products 

4. Instant oatmeal packets

Instant oatmeal packets don’t just add sugar, spices, and maybe bits of fruit for flavor. They also add salt. A 1.5 oz. packet of Quaker Maple & Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal doesn’t taste salty, but its 260 mg of sodium is more than 10 percent of a day’s max. Ditto for Quaker Lower Sugar Maple & Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal (240 mg per packet). 

A 10 percent dose isn’t a dealbreaker, but why salt your breakfast if your taste buds don’t even notice?

How to cut sodium: Start with a canister of plain Quaker 1-Minute Oats (0 mg sodium) and add your own fruit, spices, and nuts or seeds. If you rely on packets because time is tight in the morning, portion your DIY quick oats and mix-ins into microwave-safe glass containers so you’re ready to go. (That can also save you money.) 

Learn more: Some of the best oatmeals & other hot breakfast finds 

Good news! These 6 foods have LESS sodium, added sugar, or sat fat than you might expect.

1. Mayonnaise

Mayo looks creamy, but it has no cream. And because it’s mostly unsaturated vegetable oil and water, a tablespoon of full-fat mayo has just 1 to 1-1/2 grams of saturated fat...plus plenty of healthy fats. (Light mayo is also fine.) Which brand? Take your pick. 

Learn more: Is mayo healthy? You might be surprised 

2. Pre-popped popcorn

Most bags of pre-popped supermarket popcorn like Angie’s Boomchickapop or Skinny Pop are made with healthy, unsaturated oils like sunflower, olive, or canola. So they’re low in saturated fat (just 1 gram or so in every 3 cups). To avoid added sat fat from butter or cheese, pick a flavor like “salted” or “sea salt,” not “butter” or “white cheddar.” 

Exception: Leave pre-popped Lesser Evil Himalayan Pink Salt Popcorn on the shelf. Ironically, “Lesser Evil” uses coconut oil, which adds 5 grams of sat fat—a quarter of a day’s worth—to every 3 cups. 

And keep in mind that most microwave popcorns contain saturated palm oil. Like coconut oil, it stays solid at room temperature until it gets microwaved. 

Learn more:  10 food swaps to save money on groceries 

3. Marinara sauce

Store-bought marinara sauce gained a reputation for being sugary, in part because the old “Nutrition Facts” labels on packaged foods used to list only “Sugars.” That lumped together the naturally occurring sugar in the tomatoes and any added sugar. 

On the new “Nutrition Facts” label, you can see that the 4 to 7 grams of sugar in a 1/2 cup of most marinara is naturally occurring (from tomatoes). Plenty of great-tasting sauces have zero grams of added sugar. But even sauces that add sugar typically only tack on another 1 or 2 grams (2 to 4 percent of a day’s worth). 

Learn more: How to pick a reliable pasta sauce 

4. Salted nuts

If you like the taste of unsalted nuts, go for them. But if you’re going unsalted to spare your heart and blood vessels, you can relax. 

Nuts only need a sprinkle of salt on the outside to taste salty. So 1 oz. of Blue Diamond Roasted Salted Almonds, for example, has just 4 percent of a day’s sodium (85 mg). And the company’s Lightly Salted Low Sodium Almonds have a mere 2 percent. Impressive! 

Planters Dry Roasted Salted Peanuts have slightly more sodium (150 mg, or 7 percent of a day’s limit), but their Lightly Salted Peanuts have just 3 percent. Neither is anything to fuss about. 

Brands and flavors vary, so check the Nutrition Facts label. Or look for one of these trustworthy claims, which are defined by the Food and Drug Administration: 

1. “lightly salted” (50 percent less sodium than the regular version)
2. “low sodium” (less than 85 mg per ounce) 

Learn more: How to pick the healthiest nuts & seeds 

5. Swiss cheese

An ounce of most cheeses (like cheddar, provolone, or shredded mozzarella) has 150 to 250 mg of sodium, so adding just one slice to your sandwich can boost its sodium by 10 percent of a day’s worth. But Swiss cheese, soft goat cheese logs, and fresh mozzarella or burrata—the kind that’s often packed in tubs of water—all deliver less sodium than you might expect (60 to 100 mg per ounce).  

Learn more: How to find a healthy dairy or plant-based cheese 

6. Peanut butter

Prefer the less-sweet taste of “natural” peanut butter? Great. Most have no added sugar. 

But some people aren’t fans of natural PB’s texture or the need to mix in the oil that separates out. Don’t fret. Most big brands of nut butter are low in added sugar (unlike sugary, nut-poor “spreads” like Nutella). Two tablespoons of regular Jif, Skippy, or Peter Pan Peanut Butter all have just 2 grams (1/2 teaspoon) of added sugar—a low 4 percent of a day’s worth. 

Learn more: The best nut butters & beyond