Foods with No or Less Added Sugar

We now know that added sugar is neither necessary nor healthy. The extra sugar can lead to higher risk of several health problems. What’s a family to do? Many convenient foods (especially with kids) have an abundance of added sugar. The good news is that we do have some options! Below is a list of mostly-convenient foods with versions that have less of this common ingredient.

I try to be practical with my kids and have scoured grocery aisles and online for options with less or no added sugar. The list below includes a few simple swaps that result in less added sugar.

How much is too much sugar for kids?

As a reminder, kids over age two should have less than 25 grams each day of added sugar. (Toddlers and babies under age 2 should strive for no extra sugar at all).

Food labels in the United States have done a great job since about 2020 of making grams of added sugar easy to spot.

I often think of the statistic that cutting 20 percent of sugar from packaged foods could prevent 490,000 cardiovascular deaths. (This is obviously a population-based statistic. It’s really most useful when thinking about public health as opposed to individual grocery store choices. However, it’s dramatic enough to help guide decisions towards reducing added sugar in our kids’ diets).

Foods with Options Containing Less Added Sugar:

I’ll add to this list as I learn and discover more foods with no added sugar. Because research on artificial sweeteners is nuanced, I’m also leaving out foods that have artificial sweeteners as an ingredient. If you have a favorite food that limits added sugar (especially also without artificial sweeteners), please share and I’ll try it out!

Without further ado, here are some of the products I have tried myself and learned that they are perfectly adequate (if not superior) options to those with more extra sugar. 

1. Apple Sauce

The key to less added sugar in apple sauce is looking for “unsweetened” on the label. There are many brands that offer unsweetened apple sauce for the same price as the version with added sugar. Neither I nor my kids have ever found it lacking in the sweet department. Apples are sweet enough!

This swap can save 11 grams of added sugar per serving (comparing it to a “classic” applesauce, for example).

A few brands of unsweetened applesauce that we’ve tried (and enjoyed):

• Simple Truth Organic Applesauce (from a chain grocery store)
• Kirkland Signature Organic Applesauce Pouches
• North Coast Organic Apple Sauce

2. Peanut Butter

Peanut butter varies a lot. Many brands have around 2 grams of added sugar per serving. It may not seem like much, but it adds up, especially if we’re thinking about babies who should ideally have zero added sugar daily.

When introducing solids, I loved finding peanut butter with no added sugar to include in baby food purees. It’s a great for a source of iron and protein. And, it’s worth thinking about when considering food allergen risk. See this post about the details and about talking with your pediatrician about introducing peanut butter for the first time.

3. Cereal

Many people have their favorite cereals. Of course there are big differences between the flavors and brands. While finding minimal added sugar is not too hard (shredded wheat!) finding one that also tastes sweet to kids is a bit trickier.

Many low-sugar cereals these days are marketed to those following a keto diet. However, I’m not including most here, as several also include artificial sweeteners. The following have neither added sugar nor artificial sweeteners.

• Cascadian Farms Organic has several cereals and granola that include no added sugar. They’re often sweetened with date powder, but not any of the ingredients that would qualify as added sugar. I have found the granolas to be just about as sweet-tasting as granolas from other brands that include extra sugar and honey.
• Simple Truth Organic Toasted Oats Cereal has 1 gram of added sugar. It’s not zero, but it is a cereal that many kids nevertheless appreciate. Many of the simple “O” oat-based cereals are similar. And, if we compare them to other cereals, many of which have between 12 and 18 grams per serving, the 1 gram seems more reasonable. Let’s think about those 18 grams, though! A kid could easily get more than half their day’s added sugar from a serving of cereal.

4. Juice

First, let me assure you that most kids don’t need juice at all. It’s not great for their teeth, and it usually doesn’t add any benefit that a whole fruit can’t offer. 

Sometimes it’s helpful for constipation (talk to your pediatrician).

However, each family chooses what’s best for them. And, if your family drinks juice and wants to find options without added sugar: it’s a step towards healthier eating. 

To be clear, I’m not necessarily recommending the juice drinks that advertise “zero sugar,” as those are often artificially sweetened. Regular juice still has plenty of natural sugars in it. The goal here would be less extra sugar.

Many drinks labeled “juice drinks” do have several grams of added sugar (or corn syrup, as is often the case). However, there are options that just contain the natural sugars found in fruit:

• POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice has no added sugar
• Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice has no added sugar
• Most juices with only the fruit listed in the ingredients do not have the added sugar.

5. Fruit Rolls and Snacks

Fruit roll-ups are a fun and convenient snack for many families. They often stem from dried fruit or juice, but can vary a lot in nutrition. For example, some have 7 grams of added sugar per serving (as well as artificial coloring), so it’s nice to know there are other options.

The following products have no added sugar. Even better, my kids (and I) really like the taste. They make for a quick packed snack when fresh fruit isn’t practical.

• That’s It Mini Fruit Bars have dried fruit as the main ingredient and come in a variety of flavors. (I think mango is the favorite over here).
• Bear Strawberry Fruit Rolls also have no added sugar, but are definitely sweet enough. Many also come with whimsical collectible cards featuring different animals. It’s a fun little bonus.
• The Froot Thief Real Fruit Whips are a berry and juice-based snack with no extra sugar. The texture is unique too in that they’re more like a “rope” than a bar or roll up.

6. Hazelnut Spread

I haven’t found the perfect alternative to Nutella (19 grams of added sugar per serving), but there’s another hazelnut-based spread with only 8 grams per serving.

Justin’s® Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Blend has “only” 8 grams per serving. I must note, there is a texture difference between it and Nutella, so this may not be an easy substitute for everyone. My family prefers this taste and texture. It’s a bit thicker and less sweet (in a yummy way).

7. Tomato sauce

This is a quick mention because traditional jarred tomato sauces often get a reputation for having a lot of added sugar. Anecdotally (from me observing and reading food labels in the grocery aisle for the past several years), it seems this is less of a problem now. There are a lot of option for tomato sauce with no added sugar!

So, if you’re making spaghetti or pizza and want to use a premade tomato sauce, a quick look at a few different labels should help you land on a product with no added sugar.

8. Ketchup

Things like ketchup are great for introducing new flavors. For some kids, it helps to pair something familiar (ketchup) with something new… (like broccoli tots?) However, a thoughtful selection of ketchup can help limit the added sugar that often comes with this food. 

For example, some common products have 4 grams per serving (mostly in the form of high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup). But, there are definitely other options:

• Simple Truth Organic® No Sugar Added Tomato Ketchup is one option, available at Kroger grocery stores.
• There are also “no added sugar” ketchups available sweetened with various ingredients like dried apples, bananas, or stevia extract. I haven’t tried these personally, so won’t list them here yet. Just know there are more options every day.

9. Yogurt

In my experience, most flavored yogurts have added sugar (13 grams a serving, for example). There are more options now sweetened with stevia leaf extract or allulose. This may be a good option for some families. (I personally haven’t found one I like).

So, what’s another solution if kids love yogurt and you’re trying to avoid the added sugar? Plain yogurt with toppings. We often add frozen fruits, sometimes thawed into an almost-syrup.

For convenience, I’m still on the lookout for individual tubes or cups of plain yogurt. Depending on how many tubes a child eats in one sitting, it’s worth noting that an individual tube often has less added sugar than a cup just because it’s less yogurt overall.

10. Frozen Ice Pops

These also vary widely in levels of sugar (and artificial coloring, for that matter).

There’s a couple of solutions to limiting both ingredients.

First, for my family, making our own at home is pretty easy once we get into a rhythm. We either use unsweetened juice or leftover smoothies (a favorite way to get more plants into my kids’ daily intake). We use a small popsicle mold that makes pretty tiny popsicles. It’s great for young ones who are unlikely to finish an entire full-sized popsicle. 

Here is a tasty premade option:

• Deebee’s Organics Fruit Freezies Ice Pops. These are great for picnics and convenience. My family’s current favorite is strawberry lemon.

Many frozen treats advertised as “sugar free” also have artificial sweeteners, so I just like to alert families that there are options without. As mentioned before, some of these artificial sweeteners are probably best to avoid in most kids when possible.

Summary: It’s best to avoid added sugar when possible. And, it’s becoming more possible!

Most added sugar in the United States comes from packaged foods and drinks. So, an easy first step to avoiding added sugar is preparing more meals at home. However, that isn’t always practical. Thankfully, there are more options than ever for packaged and convenient products with less added sugar.

Maya M. Mahmood, D.O., FAAP is a board-certified pediatrician and mom. She is passionate about parents having evidence-based information to help their families be healthier.

This is for information only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. Full disclaimer here.