The Overlooked Aspect of Health! Are You Missing the Sweetness in Your "Healthy Diet"? A Discussion on the Sugars Hidden in Salads and Lattes

In the morning, coffee with oat milk. For lunch, a sandwich filled with plenty of vegetables. For dinner, a vibrant salad garnished with beets.

Even in meals chosen with health in mind, there can be unexpectedly high sugar content. What is often overlooked is not the main ingredients, but the sauces, seasonings, and drinks that accompany them.

An article updated on November 3, 2026, by the English Daily Mail highlights these everyday "hidden sugars." Nutrition expert Arya Nelson, featured in the article, explains that even foods not considered sweet can contain sugars from dressings, marinades, and seasonings.

However, it's premature to interpret this article as saying "salads and plant-based milk are bad for you."

Nelson's suggestion is not to throw away everything in your fridge or feel guilty with every meal. Instead, check what you frequently consume, switch to alternatives you like if available, and adjust quantities slightly. It's a realistic review of your habits.

First, let's clarify: "sugars" and "added sugars" are not the same.

When reading news about "high sugar content," the most important thing is to avoid confusing terms.

The "total sugars" in food include not only sugars added during manufacturing but also lactose in milk and sugars naturally present in fruits and vegetables.

On the other hand, "free sugars," which the WHO advises reducing, refer to sugars added by manufacturers or cooks, as well as sugars in honey, syrups, fruit juices, and concentrated fruit juices. They are distinct from sugars found within whole fruits and vegetables or naturally in milk.

Thus, seeing a label that says "10g of sugars" doesn't mean "10g of sugar has been added."

Skipping this distinction might lead to avoiding fruits and unsweetened dairy while intending to cut back on sugary drinks. To improve your diet, it's crucial to understand not just the size of the numbers but what they represent.

Pickles in sandwiches—being sour doesn't necessarily mean low sugar.

One example from the original article is the "Branston Original Pickle," popular in the UK. According to the article, it contains about 31g of sugars per 100g.

However, the term "pickle" here doesn't refer to all cucumber pickles. It refers to a sweet and sour condiment made with chopped vegetables. You can't apply these numbers to all pickles or preserved foods.

Moreover, the 31g per 100g figure is different from the amount consumed in a single sandwich. If you use 10g of this product, the sugars amount to approximately 3.1g.

The 100g measurement is useful for comparing product concentration, but to understand your intake, you need to adjust it to the actual amount used.

In Japan, the same approach applies when choosing sweet and sour pickles or sauces. Just because something tastes sour or salty doesn't mean it's low in sugar. Checking the labels of products you regularly use can reveal differences from assumptions.

Oat lattes depend on the product. "Plant-based" alone isn't enough to judge.

Plant-based drinks like oat milk come in plain, sweetened, and flavored varieties like vanilla. Even if they are shelved together, their contents aren't uniform.

The original article points out that sweet-flavored oat drinks may contain sugars even before you add sugar to your coffee.

However, the specific product's "10.2g of sugars" figure mentioned in the article doesn't clarify per how many ml. You can't calculate the sugar content of a latte with just this number.

Another point to know is the breakdown of starch from oats. Oatly explains that the sugars in their unsweetened type arise from the breakdown of oat starch during production.

Thus, even if "sugar" isn't listed in the ingredients, sugars may appear in the nutritional information. The manufacturer notes that the labeling of these sugars differs between the US and Europe.

When choosing, don't rely solely on the "plant-based" image. Compare sugars, carbohydrates, actual consumption, and nutritional enhancements like protein and calcium.

The amount used varies greatly between adding a small amount to coffee and drinking a large cup of latte.

The blind spot in salads is not the vegetables but the "finishing touch."

A thick balsamic sauce drizzled over a salad. Even if you think it's a light seasoning because it's a type of vinegar, some products contain concentrated grape juice or sugar.

An example from the original article is Tesco's chili-flavored balsamic glaze, which contains 6.8g of sugars per 15ml, equivalent to a tablespoon.

A light vinegar and a sweet glaze are not the same. Even if a product is labeled "balsamic," it doesn't mean the composition is identical.

Also, attention should be paid to beets. It's not about avoiding beets themselves, but distinguishing between sweetened processed products and plain-cooked ones.

You can change just the finishing touch while still enjoying vegetables. For example, serve the sauce on the side and add it gradually. Add aroma and acidity with lemon, vinegar, or herbs. Measure the usual amount once.

Instead of quitting salads, look at what and how much you put on them. That makes it clearer where to focus your efforts.

Ketchup and sweet and sour sauces should also be compared in equal amounts.

The numbers for foods mentioned in the original article, organized with units, are as follows.

※Examples of UK products featured in the original article. They may not apply directly to products sold in Japan or those with different capacities or compositions. Also, these figures do not represent the amount of added sugar alone.

You can't determine "bad foods" simply by the size of the numbers in this table, as the standard amounts are not uniform.

Regarding sweet and sour sauce, the original article itself explains that sugars derived from tomatoes and pineapples are included. Reading "all 14g are added sugars" would be incorrect.

When shopping, compare by the same 100g or 100ml. When eating, convert to the amount you use. This two-step approach helps avoid being swayed by numbers.

You can switch to reduced-sugar types or use the same product sparingly. Keeping a flavor you like is important for continuity.

Even "sugar-free fruit juice" requires attention to the amount consumed.

100% orange juice contains vitamin C. However, not adding sugar and not containing sugar are different matters.

Sugars in fruit juice are considered free sugars by WHO's definition. Eating whole fruits and drinking squeezed juice are not treated the same.

The UK's NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies to a total of 150ml per day and consuming them with meals. This is a public health guideline in the UK, not a nationwide intake standard in Japan.

If you habitually pour a large glass, measure the capacity once. The perception of "one glass" may differ from the actual amount.

Also, chocolate drinks made with milk contain protein and calcium, but some products may also have added sugars. Having nutritional benefits doesn't mean you can ignore the quantity.

On social media, "I don't understand the labels," and from readers, "Leave some enjoyment."

This theme reveals both an interest in health and fatigue from micromanaging diets.

For example, on Reddit, there's a post questioning the sugar content label of oat milk when no sweeteners are found in the ingredients list. Another post expresses confusion over a label stating "7g of added sugars" without knowing which ingredient it refers to.

These are not direct responses to the current Daily Mail article but longstanding questions on the same topic. What these posts reveal is not just a wariness of sugar, but the difficulty in linking nutritional and ingredient labels.

Meanwhile, comments from readers of the original article express a desire to preserve the enjoyment of foods like sauces they have long cherished. In response, there are replies suggesting not to worry too much about diet and to enjoy everything in moderation.

These comments don't represent the overall opinion on social media or medical evidence. However, they offer insights into how health information is received.

If the message is only "there's sugar here, there's sugar there," readers might feel like their food options are shrinking. What's needed is information that clarifies where small changes can be made, rather than explanations that increase anxiety.

In Japanese food labeling, "carbohydrates" do not equate to "sugar."

When trying to apply this discussion to Japanese products, there's another hurdle. "Total sugars," often mentioned in overseas articles, is not the same as "carbohydrates," prominently displayed on Japanese food labels.

The basic relationships can be summarized as follows:

Therefore, seeing "20g of carbohydrates" doesn't mean "20g of sugar is included."

In general nutrition labeling of processed foods, carbohydrates are included as a basic item, but sugars are not always displayed separately. For products where the amount of sugars is unknown, the ingredients list will also need to be checked.

However, you can't accurately calculate how many grams of added sugars you've consumed just from the ingredients list. Comparing similar products within the known range and being mindful of the actual amount used is still quite helpful.

The goal is not to make "sugar zero."

The WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars for adults and children to less than 10% of total energy intake. Further reducing it to less than 5% is a conditional recommendation for additional health benefits.

For a 2,000 kcal daily intake, 10% corresponds to about 50g of sugars, and 5% to about 25g. However, this refers to free sugars and doesn't mean reducing all carbohydrates, including rice and bread, to this amount.

The concern with excessive sugar intake stems from weight gain due to extra energy intake and dental cavities. It's not a simple matter of getting sick after eating something with sugar once.

If you want to start reviewing from tomorrow, begin by choosing one item you use daily.

• Compare your usual plant-based drink with another product of the same capacity.
• Instead of pouring sauce directly, put it in a small dish to see the amount.
• Measure the glass of juice once.
• Reconsider the habit of sipping sweet drinks slowly over a long period.
• Check not only sugar numbers but also dietary fiber and protein.

Leave one favorite flavor unchanged while changing another. You can change your daily choices without creating major prohibitions.

The point of knowing "hidden sugars" is not to find new enemies at the table. It's to understand what and how much you're consuming and to be able to choose for yourself. You don't have to give up the enjoyment of salads, coffee, or sandwiches.

Sources and References

1. Daily Mail:
   Refer to Arya Nelson's explanations, sugar content in UK products, substitution suggestions, and reader comments.
   https://www.dailymail.com/lifestyle/fitness-wellbeing/article-16245179/The-pickle-sandwich-oat-milk-coffee-beetroot-salad-nutritionist-reveals-hidden-sugars-impacting-health.html

2. WHO: Explanation of guidelines on sugar intake for adults and children
   Refer to recommendations to reduce free sugars to less than 10% of total energy and additional reductions to less than 5%.
   https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-NMH-NHD-15.3who.int