How much sugar is in your breakfast? (Spoiler alert: A lot!)

Have you ever wondered if muffins only look like cupcakes on the outside (minus the frosting, of course)? They’re both typically made up of the same ingredients (white flour, sugar, eggs, flavorings, etc.) so how different could they really be on the inside? This inspired me to look into how much sugar you’d find in each, along with many other “sweet” items you commonly find at the breakfast table for today’s new post!

Before we dive in though, I have to say my research led to some shocking findings. When I asked (on social media) which of these breakfast items has the most sugar, I was surprised how many people got it wrong. What’s your guess?

There were loads of guesses for the donuts, which certainly have the reputation for being sugar bombs. But as it turns out, those are basically the LEAST sugary items there! And the muffins? Well, I have to admit I was pretty floored when I turned over that box. Read on for the details!

How much sugar we should be eating…

A quick reminder that the recommended daily allowance of added sugar is:

• 12 grams for children
• 24 grams for women
• 36 grams for men

Sugar itself is not the enemy, it’s the amount in which we are consuming it! It’s in everything these days so it ADDS UP FAST and is causing many diet-related illnesses as a result. Even our own government agrees:

Americans are eating and drinking too much added sugars which can lead to health problems such as weight gain and obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. – CDC

How much sugar is in your breakfast?

Here are 15 breakfast “treats” to be on the lookout for … plus I’ll be sharing a “healthier” makeover for one of the more sugary items (coming to the blog later this week)!

I also shared these breakfast foods on the Charlotte Today Show yesterday. Here’s the clip if you prefer to watch instead of reading!

Charlotte Today Show Appearance

15 “Breakfast” treats and their sugar content (some may surprise you)

1. Donuts: 9 grams sugar per serving
2. Cereals: 9 to 14+ grams sugar per serving
3. Cinnamon Rolls: 10 grams sugar per serving (get my healthier recipe here)
4. Packaged Overnight Oats: 10 grams sugar per serving (get my healthier recipe here)
5. Flavored Oatmeal Packets: 12 grams sugar per serving, includes naturally occurring sugars (get my healthier recipe here)
6. Bars: 13+ grams sugar per serving
7. Danish: 14 grams sugar per serving
8. Pop Tarts: 14 grams sugar per serving, includes naturally occurring sugars (get my healthier recipe here)
9. Chocolate Chip Pancakes: 15.5 grams sugar per serving, at Denny’s (get my healthier pancake recipe here)
10. Banana Bread: 25 grams sugar per serving (get my healthier recipe here)
11. Crumb Cake: 26 grams sugar per serving
12. Yoplait Yogurt: 26 grams sugar per serving, includes naturally occurring sugars (get my homemade berry sauce recipe for yogurt here)
13. Coffee Cake: 30 grams sugar per serving
14. Muffins: 30 to 35 grams sugar per serving, includes naturally occurring sugars (get my healthier blueberry muffin recipe here)
15. Monkey Bread: 36 grams sugar per serving (be on the lookout for my healthier recipe later this week, get on my newsletter so you don’t miss it)

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And back to those cupcakes…

For comparison, cupcakes typically range from 25 to 35 grams of sugar per serving (25 – 30 grams at the supermarket and 34 grams at Starbucks). And that includes the frosting!

Just to recap:

*Also includes naturally occurring sugar

I am not saying don’t ever eat any of these things again … just consider them an occasional dessert, not a healthy breakfast!

And that brings me to a question. How did we get in the habit of serving sweets for breakfast that are sugary enough to be passed off as a dessert anyway? I think this can be confusing for our kids when we make “healthier” whole-wheat versions of these items at home, but then they don’t realize the store bought muffins (or banana bread or cinnamon rolls) are completely different animals! This is something I need to talk to my own kids about more. What are your thoughts on the topic?