Rearranged Desserts in Restaurants, Unveiling the Amount of Secret Sugar in Each
A new analysis reveals that some of our favourite takeout dishes might be packing more sugar than we think. Here's a rundown of the top eight restaurant dishes with the highest sugar content, as ranked by Mary Sabat MS, RDN, LD.
Chinese Orange Chicken Leads the Pack
Topping the list is Chinese Orange Chicken, a staple on many Chinese takeout menus. This dish, often drenched in a thick glaze made from sugar, corn syrup, and sometimes fruit juice concentrate, can contain anywhere from 18 to 88 grams of sugar per serving. That's more than double the daily recommended added sugar limit, making Chinese Orange Chicken a prime example of how sugar can quietly dominate your plate, even when you're not ordering dessert.
Glazed Chicken or Salmon Takes the Second Spot
In second place, we have Glazed Chicken or Salmon. These dishes, typically marinated or finished with sauces made from honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, or fruit reductions, can contain 15 to 35 grams of sugar.
Other High-Sugar Dishes to Watch Out For
From savory entrees to seemingly healthy protein entrees, sugar can hide in everything, like sauces, dressings, and breaded dishes. Here are some other dishes to be mindful of:
- Sweet Chili Shrimp or Chicken, with its signature sauce that relies on sugar, corn syrup, and sometimes sweetened chili pastes, can contain 20 to 50 grams of sugar.
- Pancakes with toppings, which often contain added sugar in the batter and have syrup, whipped cream, chocolate chips, or fruit compotes added, can deliver 30 to 70 grams of sugar per serving.
- The popular restaurant dish, Oatmeal with Toppings, can be a sugary trap due to add-ons like brown sugar, sweetened dried fruit, flavored nuts, and syrups.
- Teriyaki Bowls, with their glossy teriyaki sauce made with soy sauce, sugar, and mirin or honey, can add 20 to 45 grams of sugar to a single bowl.
- General Tso's Chicken, while not explicitly ranked in the top eight, is another dish that may contain a significant amount of sugar.
The Importance of Being Aware
Eat This, Not That! spoke with Mary Sabat MS, RDN, LD, a personal trainer, who ranks the top eight popular restaurant dishes from bad to worst in terms of sugar content. The message is clear: sugar is often covertly present in savory meals, leading to surprisingly high sugar content even in non-dessert restaurant dishes.
So the next time you're ordering takeout, be sure to check the nutritional information or ask about the ingredients in your favourite dishes. A little bit of knowledge can go a long way in helping you make healthier choices.
| Rank | Dish | Sugar Content (grams) | |-------|----------------------|-----------------------------| | 1 | Chinese Orange Chicken | 18 to 88 | | 2 | Glazed Chicken or Salmon | 15 to 35 |
- The shocking truth is that Chinese Orange Chicken, a takeout staple, can contain anywhere from 18 to 88 grams of sugar per serving, making it the dish with the highest sugar content.
- Coming in second, Glazed Chicken or Salmon, often finished with honey, maple syrup, or fruit reductions, can contain 15 to 35 grams of sugar.
- When it comes to sugar, it can befound sneaked into even savory entrees and seemingly healthy protein dishes, such as Sweet Chili Shrimp or Chicken, Pancakes with toppings, Oatmeal with Toppings, Teriyaki Bowls, and General Tso's Chicken.
- In the world of health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise, being aware of the nutrition facts of our food-and-drink choices is essential for maintaining a healthy-diet and healthy-cooking lifestyle.
- A registered dietitian and personal trainer, Mary Sabat, ranked the top eight popular restaurant dishes based on their sugar content, emphasizing the need for increased transparency about added sugar in savory meals.
