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45. Jam
We all love a good peanut butter and jelly or a jam spread on toast from time to time, and it’s a great way to get something sweet and savory.
Don’t forget, though, if you add a lot of jam to your breakfast, that sweetness comes from a healthy heaping of sugar in your food. So, you’ll want to be mindful of this impact and enjoy your favorite jams in moderation.
44. Canned Fruits and Veggies
Fruits and veggies are a great part of any balanced diet. That being said, there are definitely a few cases where they’re not as healthy as they seem.
For instance, canned fruits and vegetables aren’t often quite as good for you as their fresh counterparts. That’s because these items are preserved in a can, often using salt and sugar. This can have a larger impact on your blood sugar.
43. Flavored Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a healthy choice when you want to give yourself something that will help nourish you and give you a boost in the morning.
Like many other foods, though, oatmeal isn’t without its nuances. Your average rolled oats won’t cause you much of a problem, but the same can’t be said for flavored instant oatmeal, which is often full of sugars that can cause a spike in your blood sugar.
42.Muffins
Once again, we’re talking about something that isn’t completely black and white when it comes to nutrition. Not all muffins are necessarily bad.
However, there’s definitely a line between muffins to have to your heart’s content and others that you’ll want to enjoy in moderation. For instance, you’ll mostly want to watch out for sugary and preservative-packed muffins, but whole flour and grain muffins are great options!
41.Candy
We’ll put this one rather early on in the list because while it’s crucial, you probably already had an idea that this was one place to exercise moderation.
When it comes to being careful with blood sugar spikes, there aren’t many things that will do it quite like a candy bar. These are delicious from time to time — just make sure that your blood sugar can handle them at that moment in time before you dive in!
40. Pancake Syrup
This one might seem like an obvious culprit for sugar, but it’s honestly easy to forget about those foods that aren’t the main part of the dish.
Still, while it might be used more like a dressing, syrup packs quite a punch when it comes to sugar. If you want to have some extra sweet waffles, we’d recommend making sure that you’re ready for the impact it can have on your blood sugar afterward.
39. Mangos
This one sounds pretty weird because what could be wrong with mangoes? Remember, we aren’t talking about foods being “good” or “bad.”
Mangoes have a lot of good things to offer you! They just so happen to be one of the more sugary fruits that’s available to you, so you might want to make sure you’re aware of the potential impacts to watch out for on your blood sugar with this healthy snack.
38. French Fries
Some of the most common sides that we have available to us have a lot more to their nutritional value than you might think.
French fries are on almost every menu. You’ll want to enjoy these fried snacks in moderation, though, since they often come with a lot of salt and oil. Some get their French fry fix with a sweet potato swap.
37. Potato Chips
This one probably makes sense, given that we just talked about how French fries can have unpredictable results on your blood sugar.
In a similar vein, you’ll want to be careful with potato chips. As they say, it’s hard to eat just one, and they’re essentially made with the same ingredients as French fries but with some added preservatives to keep them lasting until you buy them.
36. Flavored Yogurt
Okay, this one might be a little broad too, even though we’re only talking about one food in particular. We’ll break it down for you.
If you’ve got yogurt that you’ve flavored by adding slices of fruit or something, that’s not what we’re necessarily talking about here. Instead, we’re talking about flavored yogurt where the yogurt itself tastes fruity or even sweet. Watch out for the sugar you might not expect in there!
35. Refined Carbs
When it comes to carbs, it’s not as simple as being either good or bad. There are a lot of different carbs out there that you might enjoy in your meals or snacks.
One tip that some sources give for those with diabetes is to be careful with refined carbs. This includes things like white bread, your average white flour pasta, as well as some snack foods like cereal and crackers. The basic common ingredient here is white flour.
34. Dairy Substitutes
It’s no secret to anyone living with diabetes that sugar itself can interact with your blood sugar a lot. You might know that even if you aren’t diabetic! If you’re looking at switching to a dairy substitute, you have plenty of options available.
Honestly, oat, almond, soy, and other plant-based milk options are all healthy options! However, be careful if you’re avoiding excess sugar and look for “unsweetened” options. Still, most of these options will be lower in sugar than cow’s milk.
33. Full-Fat Dairy
Of course, as we’ve already said, this isn’t all black and white, either. As we said, there are benefits to plant-based milk, and there are a few things you’ll want to be aware of.
So, what about the standard milk that you might buy? Well, you’ll just want to be careful about high levels of saturated fats. Some lower fat options are excellent substitutes, though, just watch out for added sweeteners.
32.Non-Sugar Sweeteners
Alright, there are a few things that are meant to be sweeteners, even if they aren’t the average white sugar that you might see at your local coffee shop.
A lot of them market that they’re better for you, no matter what particular ingredient the brand in question at the moment relies on. You’ll want to be careful with non-traditional sweeteners because some ingredients may also lead to unexpected changes in blood sugar.
31. Processed Meats
When it comes to the meat you eat, you have a lot of options. For a second, let’s take a moment to focus on processed meats.
This includes things like deli meats, beef jerky, bacon, or ham. The Diabetes Care Community suggests replacing processed meats with leaner meats like chicken or turkey. They also offer alternative protein choices, including fish like tuna or eggs if you want something a little different.
30. Dried Fruit
If you’re trying to think of healthy snacks, options like fruit often come to mind. If you’re on the go, though, slicing open a mango isn’t always convenient.
That’s where dried fruits come into play, promising your favorite snack in an easier package. However, you’ll want to remember that these dried fruits are small but don’t lack any of the sugar of the size they were before they were dried, so they can sneak up on you fast!
29. Fruit Smoothies
Fruit smoothies are a great way to have a powerful punch of fruit in a single serving. Once again, though, you’ll want to be careful of natural and added sugars adding up.
Much like dried fruit, smoothies are a great way to eat more fruit than you might if they were just laid out in front of you, but you do want to be aware of how much natural sugar there is. You can lower the natural sugar by using lower-sugar fruits or even swapping out some of those fruits for veggies!
28. Pre-Packaged Snacks
Here, we’re talking about those easy foods that are simple to grab while you’re on the move or pack in a lunch for later.
Even on a cozy night in, a package of cookies is hard to go wrong with. Just make sure to enjoy them in moderation because they’re often full of sugar and refined carbohydrates, both of which can cause quick changes to your blood sugar you’ll want to account for.
27. Sugary Cereal
If you opt for a simple muesli breakfast or a quick batch of microwaved oatmeal, we aren’t worrying about that right now.
Honestly, we aren’t even talking about cereals like basic Cheerios or Grape Nuts. Instead, we’re talking about more sugary cereals that often advertise themselves as part of a healthy breakfast (especially those marketed towards kids and families!) that might have more sugar than you think.
26. Fried Foods
When it comes to fried foods, a lot of the options you have are delicious but best enjoyed in moderation, especially if you’re trying to be careful of foods that impact your blood sugar.
There are a lot of salts, saturated fats, and oils that come with fried food and the nutritional value of anything after deep frying it is often diminished. It’s best to enjoy these with a limit to ensure your favorite snacks don’t derail your day.
25. Country Fried Steak
Speaking of fried foods, we aren’t just talking about things like funnel cakes and deep-fried Oreos. You’ll want to be aware of other fried dishes.
Country fried steak isn’t necessarily deep-fried but it’s something that can interfere with your diabetes. The primary culprit in this food is the breading. White flour is often used, which can become a problem if you aren’t aware of how it can interact with your blood sugar.
24. Soft Drinks
This is one that you probably already saw coming on this list. After all, it’s no secret that soft drinks are full of sugar — that’s what makes them so sweet.
Still, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few surprises to watch out for here. For one, diet and no-sugar soft drinks often feature sweeteners that can still have an impact on your blood sugar levels, so it’s good to be aware when you’re managing diabetes.
23. Sweet Tea
There are a few things that you won’t want to forget about when it comes to sweetened drinks. After all, soda isn’t the only one loaded with sugar.
So, you’ll want to look out for other sweetened drinks as well. For instance, sweet tea isn’t quite as sugary as something like a Pepsi or Coca-Cola, but it can still sneak up on you if you don’t think about the sugar that goes into these drinks.
22. Sweetened Coffee Drinks
Of course, you have a lot of freedom to control how much sugar and sweetener goes into your coffee when you make it at home, so there aren’t too many surprises there.
Then again, it’s not a bad idea to address how sugary you might find a specialty drink at a coffee shop. Usually, even if it’s not on the menu board right away, you can ask for additional nutritional information if you aren’t sure about the sugar content in a specialty drink you’re considering.
21. Sherbet
When you want to stay cool in the summer, your first instinct might be to reach for a big bowl of ice cream, but that can be a rather sugary food.
Sherbet is often marketed as a slightly healthier choice if you want to avoid sugar or dairy. However, you might notice that a lot of sherbet does increase the carbs in ice cream, and there’s still a good amount of sugar in it.
20. Cereal Bars
Cereal has become a breakfast classic, and we’ve already talked about how some types of cereal have way more sugar than others.
If you don’t have time to sit down and enjoy a bowl of cereal, you might find that a cereal bar is a little bit easier to take on the go when you’re busy. These are often marketed like granola bars but often have a sugar content closer to candy bars.
19. Loaded Baked Potatoes
A baked potato on its own isn’t too bad, and it’s not full of sugars or anything that will leave you too worried about your blood sugar.
Yet, you’ll want to be careful as you start to load up the baked potato on your plate. If you add a dollop of sour cream, a pad of butter, extra salt, and bacon bits, you quickly build up to something that takes a greater toll on your blood sugar.
18.Sweetened Salad Dressings
A good salad usually isn’t just made by throwing some leaves of lettuce into a bowl. You rely on things to add to it and enhance the flavors.
Among those are dressings that can often come with a lot more sugar than they advertise on the surface. On the other hand, you’ll want to be careful of fat-free dressings, as many replace that fat with more sugar.
17. Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners, not just in your food but sold as lone packets as well, are often marketed towards people like those with diabetes who want to cut sugar out.
On the contrary, these might not be helping you as much as you might think. Many artificial sweeteners can still have an impact on your blood sugar levels.
16. Honey
Speaking of artificial sweeteners, they may not be the only sweetener you try out in place of sugar. You might try some naturally sweet options as well!
As we’ve learned, though, there are a number of ways that natural sugars can sneak up on us in our food too. If you opt for honey in your tea, you should be aware that honey can raise your blood sugar as well, so make sure you keep that in mind as you plan your meals and snacks.
15. High-Salt Cheese
It’s hard to categorize cheese because there’s so much variety in that food category alone. There are so many cheeses, and there’s no chance anyone has tried them all!
So, what about if you have diabetes? We’d suggest being careful with any cheeses that are high in salt content. It’s best to look for low-salt cheeses like mozzarella, swiss, ricotta, or even cottage cheese even if there’s no added sodium.
14.Energy Drinks
There are some things that you should probably really limit, whether you’re diabetic or not. Energy drinks aren’t known as a healthy option.
That being said, if you do have diabetes, you might find that you have a harder time reacting to energy drinks. The caffeine, sugar, and other ingredients designed to give you more energy can wreak havoc on your blood sugar. They pack a punch, but it comes with a cost.
13. Sports Drinks
Sports drinks are another option that’s marketed as one of your healthiest choices when it’s time to rehydrate and get a little energy.
As you might have guessed, these drinks aren’t alwasy everything they promise to be. They often feature a lot more sugar than they say upfront and some even fetaure caffeine. Luckily, it seems like some brands are coming up with more diabetic-friendly options.
12.Flavored Popcorn
It’s hard to beat popcorn when you want a healthy snack that won’t impact your blood sugar too terribly. Still, there are exceptions you’ll want to be aware of.
When it comes to flavored popcorn, you’ll want to take into account how the added ingredients will impact your blood sugar. For example, adding a caramel drizzle, your favorite candies, chocolate, or even a heavy helping of butter can change how popcorn changes your blood sugar.
11. Sugar-Free Coffee Creamer
With all of this talk about how sugar can, of course, raise your blood sugar, you might want to opt for something that advertises itself as sugar-free.
Usually, that doesn’t mean your creamer is unsweetened at all, though. Rather, they often substitute sugar for artificial sweeteners. In general, it’s a good idea to check and see what ingredients are in your sugar-free creamers to understand the impact you can expect from it.
10. Hazelnut Spread
There are a lot of items on the market that advertise themselves as healthier or better for you than similar options that you might be more familiar with.
Take hazelnut spread, for instance. It’s often touted as an option that’s so much healthier than chocolate. Then again, this is another case where the nutritional label says something different. These spreads are often still filled with sugar.
9. Saltines
This is one case where we’re getting a little more specific. After all, there are many different types of crackers out there for you to add to your pantry.
Saltines and similar crackers are ones that might not be as simple as you think. Because they’re made with enriched flour, they have a lot of the same effect as other enriched flour products we’ve looked at here, so it’s best to enjoy these in moderation.
8. Pretzels
There are a few really tasty snack foods, but eating too many might make you feel worse than when you started out.
One food that you’ll want to be careful with is pretzels, especially small, hard pretzels that are easier to eat a bunch of them at once. This is thanks to their high salt content, so you’ll want to make sure that, once again, you enjoy this snack in moderation.
7.Vegetable Oil
Food isn’t all about what you eat. Sometimes, part of nutrition to take into account is what your food is cooked in as well. So, let’s take a minute to talk about oil.
One thing that you’ll likely want to avoid is vegetable oil, particularly vegetable oil made with soybeans, which is one of the least suggested options. Luckily, there are plenty of alternatives out there that can keep your favorite foods on the table.
6.Frozen Dinners
At the end of the day, when you’ve been on your feet all day, a TV dinner is a great way to make sure you get something to eat without exerting too much effort.
This is another one you’ll want to enjoy in moderation, though. That’s because these frozen dinners are convenient but heavily preserved. That level of salt and preservatives can have a big effect on your blood sugar levels.
5. Gluten-Free Food
We’ve talked a lot about how sugar-free items might be hiding other ingredients that can have their own chain reaction when it comes to managing your blood sugar. For now, we’re stepping away from the sugar-free options to consider gluten-free food.
This is another case where you want to be careful and read the labels. A lot of gluten-free options remove gluten but add carbs which can make it unexpectedly harder to manage your blood sugar if you aren’t aware.
4. Coffee
Okay, so a cup of coffee to help jumpstart your morning probably isn’t going to ruin your whole day. Remember, these things are often about moderation, not just good and bad.
Coffee can have an impact on your blood sugar if you aren’t careful. So, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t overdo it. It’s also a good idea to make sure that your aware of this impact as you choose your breakfast alongside your morning cup of joe.
3. Bagels
Speaking of carbs, it’s hard to get a food that’s more rich in carbs than a bagel. It’s best to be aware of their impact before you find yourself in a pinch.
It’s easy to think that these tasty bites are about the same as a slice of bread but they’re actually incredibly dense in not only carbs but refined grains that packs a much bigger effect for those with diabetes than you might have initially guessed.
2. Fast Food Burgers
We’ve already talked about some of the more detrimental effects of fried carnival food and French fries on your blood sugar.
In this case, we want to take a moment to highlight the fact that while they aren’t deep fried, you’ll want to be careful with non-fried fast food options too. Those burgers are tasty but are full of carbs, sodium, and sugar that you won’t want to be surprised by.
1. Juices
Finally, we want to warn you to check the labels on your favorite fruit juices as well before you throw them in your grocery basket.
This is another case where natural and added sugar can start to add up pretty quickly. In this case, you get all the nutrients from all that fruit but with a healthy dose of sugar and additives as well. Of course, if you’re fresh-squeezing your own OJ in the morning, there’s not much to worry about here.