THE COFFEE RUN — Your coffee run's hidden sugar load
It's half past ten, and it's coffee run o'clock. A flat white, a pastry, maybe a full meal deal – job done. But between the counter and your desk, this small treat run can quietly load in more sugar than a chocolate bar. Let's decode it, cup by cup.
THE CARAMEL LATTE — One flavoured latte, six teaspoons of sugar
Swap that flat white for a caramel or vanilla latte and the syrup alone adds around six teaspoons of sugar to your cup, before you even count the natural sugar in the milk. Ask for one pump instead of the usual four, or try cinnamon on top instead.
THE ALMOND CROISSANT — One pastry, roughly five teaspoons of sugar
That almond croissant by the till carries around five teaspoons of sugar in a typical bakery version, frangipane filling and all. A plain croissant has under one teaspoon, so the sugar's coming from what's inside it, not the pastry itself.
THE MEAL DEAL DRINK — One cola, about nine teaspoons of sugar
Grab the meal deal and pick a regular cola over water or a diet version, and you've just added roughly nine teaspoons of sugar to your lunch, more than the sandwich and the crisps combined. It's the easiest swap of the whole run.
THE HEALTHY SMOOTHIE — One smoothie, up to seven teaspoons of sugar
Smoothies feel like the sensible choice, but a typical shop bought fruit smoothie can carry six to seven teaspoons of sugar. It's all natural, but it's still sugar, and without the fibre a whole piece of fruit would give you.
THE FLAPJACK — One flapjack, around six teaspoons of sugar
That flapjack by the till looks wholesome, oats, a bit of honey, but a typical bakery flapjack holds around six teaspoons of sugar, similar to a couple of digestive biscuits' worth, just pressed into one bar.
Start your transformation — try SugarCoach free, then £2.99/weekGeneral lifestyle education, not medical advice — personal medical decisions belong with your GP or pharmacist.