{"id":117222,"date":"2025-08-04T03:41:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T03:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/117222\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T03:41:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T03:41:11","slug":"8-restaurant-dishes-ranked-by-how-much-sugar-they-hide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/117222\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Restaurant Dishes Ranked by How Much Sugar They Hide"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re sticking to health goals, eating out can be tough. Avoiding excess sugar<\/a> isn\u2019t always easy to do when dining out at your favorite go-tos because it\u2019s often hidden in meals you don\u2019t realize.\u00a0When you think of added sugar, desserts and sodas usually come to mind\u2014but some restaurant meals sneak in way more sugar than you\u2019d expect. From savory entrees to seemingly healthy protein entr\u00e9es, sugar can hide in everything like sauces, dressings and breaded dishes. To get a better sense of what meals are unknowingly packed with sugar, Eat This, Not That! spoke with Mary Sabat<\/a> MS, RDN, LD, who is also a personal trainer. She ranks the top eight popular restaurant dishes from bad to worst in terms of sugar content.<\/p>\n

\tGlazed Chicken or Salmon<\/p>\n

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Health conscious diners know how important protein is so ordering glazed chicken or salmon seems like a smart choice, but it\u2019s one to skip.\u00a0\u201cThese dishes are typically marinated or finished with sauces made from honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, or fruit reductions\u2014all concentrated sources of added sugar,\u201d says Sabat. \u201cDepending on the size and amount of sauce, sugar totals can range from 15 to 35 grams. While they may seem \u201clight\u201d or \u201cclean,\u201d they often carry more sugar than a frosted doughnut.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tOatmeal with Toppings<\/p>\n

\"bowlShutterstock<\/p>\n

Oatmeal is a morning staple, but be mindful when ordering the popular dish out.\u00a0\u201cAdd-ons like brown sugar, sweetened dried fruit, flavored nuts, and syrups quickly turn it into a sugary trap,\u201d says Sabat. She explains, \u201cA typical healthy oatmeal bowl from a coffee shop or fast-casual chain can sneak in 20 to 40 grams of sugar\u2014comparable to a slice of cake. Even more alarming, it\u2019s often marketed as a heart-healthy option despite the sugar overload.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tTeriyaki Bowls<\/p>\n

\"salmonShutterstock<\/p>\n

Everyone loves a good teriyaki bowl and while they provide a nice balance of rice, veggies and a protein, the teriyaki sauce is filled with sugar. \u201cMade with soy sauce, sugar, and mirin or honey, this glossy glaze can easily add 20 to 45 grams of sugar to a single bowl,\u201d Sabat points out. \u201cIn fact, just 1\/4 cup of teriyaki sauce can contain over 15 grams of sugar. Served generously over meat and rice, it transforms a healthy-looking meal into a sugar-heavy dish without most diners realizing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tSweet Chili Shrimp or Chicken<\/p>\n

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Sweet chili instantly elevates a shrimp or chicken entr\u00e9e, but go light on the sauce or completely avoid it. \u201cThe signature sauce\u2014often described as sweet heat\u2014relies on sugar, corn syrup, and sometimes sweetened chili pastes,\u201d says Sabat. \u201cOne serving can pack 20 to 50 grams of sugar, depending on how heavily it\u2019s sauced. The dish may sound spicy, but the sweetness usually dominates\u2014and so do the added sugars.\u201d6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e<\/p>\n

\tGeneral Tso\u2019s Chicken<\/p>\n

\"generalShutterstock<\/p>\n

General Tso\u2019s Chicken may sound like a savory indulgence, but it\u2019s often a sugar bomb in disguise. According to Sabat, \u201cThe crispy, deep-fried chicken is coated in a thick, glossy sauce made with sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and sometimes hoisin or corn syrup.\u201d She explains, \u201cThis sweet-and-spicy favorite can pack 25 to 65 grams of sugar per serving depending on the restaurant\u2014making it one of the highest-sugar entr\u00e9es on a typical Chinese menu. Despite its spicy profile, it delivers more sugar than many desserts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tA\u00e7a\u00ed Bowls<\/p>\n

\"cleanClean Juice \/ Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

A\u00e7a\u00ed bowls are often marketed as superfood-packed and antioxidant-rich that are a trendy breakfast item, but they\u2019re also notorious sugar traps. Sabat explains, \u201cThe a\u00e7a\u00ed base is usually blended with sweetened juices or purees, and the toppings\u2014granola, honey, banana, coconut, and more\u2014stack on additional sugars quickly.\u201d She says, \u201cA typical a\u00e7a\u00ed bowl can deliver anywhere from 30 to over 60 grams of sugar in a single serving. While they look Instagram-worthy and \u201chealthy,\u201d these bowls can rival a milkshake in sugar content.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tPancakes with Toppings<\/p>\n

\"chocolateShutterstock<\/p>\n

A stack of golden fluffy pancakes loaded with your favorite toppings sounds like the ultimate indulgence, but it\u2019s got more sugar than you think.\u00a0According to Sabat, \u201cRestaurant pancakes are rarely just flour and eggs.\u201d \u201cThe batter often contains added sugar, and once syrup, whipped cream, chocolate chips, or fruit compotes are added, the total sugar can skyrocket,\u201d she says. \u201cA full pancake breakfast at a diner or brunch spot can deliver 30 to 70 grams of sugar\u2014sometimes even more than a soda and dessert combined. What seems like a classic breakfast quickly turns into a dessert in disguise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tChinese Orange Chicken<\/p>\n

\"\"Shutterstock<\/p>\n

The No. 1 order that has so much hidden sugar is Chinese Orange Chicken.\u00a0\u201cA staple on many Chinese takeout menus, this seemingly savory dish is often drenched in a thick glaze made from sugar, corn syrup, and sometimes fruit juice concentrate,\u201d says Sabat.\u00a0 She explains, \u201cWhile it may satisfy a sweet-and-savory craving, the sugar content is shockingly high\u2014ranging anywhere from 18 to a staggering 88 grams per serving, depending on the restaurant.\u201d Sabat adds, \u201cThat\u2019s more than double the daily recommended added sugar limit in just one entr\u00e9e. It\u2019s a prime example of how sugar can quietly dominate your plate, even when you\u2019re not ordering dessert.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When you\u2019re sticking to health goals, eating out can be tough. Avoiding excess sugar isn\u2019t always easy to…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":117223,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[210,6330,1182,6924,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-117222","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-healthy-eating","10":"tag-nutrition","11":"tag-sugar","12":"tag-united-states","13":"tag-unitedstates","14":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114968427718601999","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117222\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}