The pickle in your sandwich, the oat milk in your coffee or even the beetroot on your salad, nutritionist reveals the 'hidden sugars' impacting your health

Not just limited to a biscuit or bar of chocolate, sugar crops up in a wide range of foods and ingredients. In fact, savoury meals often contain 'hidden sugars' in places most people wouldn't even think of. According to food nutritionist Aaliyah Nelson: 'Hidden sugar usually means sugar in foods we do not expect to be sweet, such as dressings, marinades and savoury condiments. It still contributes to our intake, even if we barely notice we are eating it.'She said: 'Regularly adding sweetened sauces and drinks without accounting for them can increase your calorie intake and make weight loss harder.'But it's not just weight gain, according to Nelson the effects of an excessive sugar intake go far beyond putting on a few extra pounds.She said: 'Too much free sugar also increases the risk of tooth decay, particularly when sugar foods and drinks are consumed frequently throughout the day.'A diet dominated by sugary foods and drinks can also leave less room for foods that provide fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals.' Nelson also warned that long-term weight gain could increase the risks of diseases like Type 2 diabetes and heart diseases.But before chucking out the contents of your fridge and committing to a sugarless life, she said: 'There's no need to make every meal from scratch or turn eating into an exercise in guilt.' Instead, she recommends considering how often you have certain foods, drinks or sauces and whether there's a simple switch you might also enjoy. It's worth avoiding beetroot that have been flavoured or that have lots of added sugar. The pickle in your sandwich'Pickle is a good example of a food people associate with sharpness rather than sugar,' according to Nelson.A jar of Branston Original Pickle contains around 31g of total sugars per 100g – almost a third of its weight. Its sugar content is so high that it, appearing second in its ingredients list after vegetables. She recommends swapping a pickle with a sliced cucumber, radishes or a no-added-sugar pickled cucumber for crunch and tang.If ditching the pickle is too tricky, she says to use a smaller amount of pickle alongside other vegetables.Oat milk in your coffeeNelson said: 'If you use a sweetened vanilla oat drink in your coffee, there can be added sugar in the drink before you reach for the sugar bowl.'Oatly's Barista Vanilla Flavour has 10.2g of total sugars, and that's before you add in sugar or a pump of syrup. Luckily, not every oat milk is as excessively sugary.'Compare the specific product and quantity you use rather than assuming all plant-based drinks are the same,' she advises.She also recommends choosing an unflavoured oat milk with no added sugars. It's also worth checking the milk for calcium and vitamin fortification as well.The drizzle on your salad'A drizzle of balsamic glaze can seem like an insignificant finishing touch to a salad, but a thick sweet glaze is different from a splash of vinegar. Some contain concentrated grape must and added sugar,' Nelson explains.Tesco's Chilli Balsamic Glaze contains 6.8g of total sugars per 15ml tablespoon. But staying healthy isn't about avoiding a glaze altogether but changing or reducing what you're using.Nelson said: 'You can keep enjoying your salad and simply change or reduce the finishing touch.' One healthier alternative is using lemon juice or wine vinegar with herbs and olive oil.The beetroot in your saladBeetroot is packed full of antioxidants and fibre, but it might be worth avoiding those that are flavoured or have lots of added sugar.It might sound healthy, but Tesco's Finest Sweet & Fiery Beetroot has 15.8g of total sugar per four beetroots.But instead of avoiding the vegetable entirely, Nelson suggests changing how you prepare the vegetable. She recommends plain cooked beetroot dressed with vinegar, chilli and herbs. The ketchup on your chipsNo chips are complete without a dollop of red sauce, so it's a good job you don't have to cut it out entirely in order to live healthier.Instead of Heinz's traditional tomato ketchup, which contains 3.4g of sugar per 15g, she recommends opting for Heinz's 50 per cent less sugar and salt alternative.She said: 'This is a straightforward swap for someone who wants to keep the same type of sauce. A reduced-sugar version can help, but so can simply noticing how much you pour.'The bottled chocolate milkshakeAccording to Nelson: 'Milkshakes can provide protein and calcium, but that doesn't cancel out their added sugar.'Plain milk, or milk mixed with unsweetened cocoa powder, is a healthier option if you're still craving something sweet.If a chocolatey milkshake is too good to ditch, she recommends drinking a smaller portion.Nelson advised: 'You don't have to finish the bottle in one sitting.'The sweet-and-sour cooking sauce on your chickenPacked full of vegetables, a stir fry can feel like a quick and healthy dinner time option but adding a sugary sauce over your chicken can make it...Ben's Original Sweet and Sour Sauce contains 14g total sugar per 112g portion, though it is important to note that some of this sugar also includes those naturally occurring in the sauce's tomatoes and pineapples.A tasty alternative recommended by Nelson is to stir fry your vegetables with ginger, garlic, rice vinegar and a reduced-salt soy sauce. To add some added sweetness, she also recommends frying your vegetables with pineapple chunks.The orange juice on your breakfastTropicana's smooth orange juice doesn't contain any added sugar, but the UK guidance recommends limiting those naturally occurring in the oranges as well.'Orange juice provides vitamin C and can fit into a balanced diet, but a generously poured glass can be considerably larger than the recommended serving.'The NHS recommends limiting orange juice to a combined total of 150 a day.