Sugar is currently a hot topic, with many health experts saying we should quit the sweet stuff altogether.
Previously dieters thought it was fat that was making them fat, but now many have realised sugar is a huge waistline expander.
A diet high in sugar can also contribute to obesity and lead to an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke.
But if you’re avoiding chocolate bas and cakes like the plague, but still piling on the pounds, it could be due to your breakfast choices.
The NHS recommended people aged 11 and over eat no more than 30g (7 cubes) of free sugar per day for a healthy, balanced diet.
While children aged 7-10 should have no more than 24g (6 cubes) and children from 4-6 no more than 19g (5 cubes).
Yet some unsuspecting breakfast foods can equate to more than your entire daily allowance.
A granola bar for instance, might be sold as a health snack, but some actually contain up to 8.5 sugar cubes – that’s around 35g and the same as a 330ml can of cola.
Research from AXA PPP healthcare also reveals that a a large Caramel Macchiato with vanilla syrup and skimmed milk drinking an astonishing 14 sugar cubes in one sitting – that’s nearly double your recommended daily allowance.
But while this might not surprise you, some other “healthy” options contain a lot more sugar than you’d expect.
A blueberry and blackcurrant smoothie for instance contains around 9.7 cubes of sugar, while a bowl of plain yoghurt with honey and granola has around 8.8 cubes.
You might think a bowl of no added sugar muesli with skimmed milk would be a safe choice, but it still contains 3.3 cubes of the white stuff.
While a simple slice of toast with butter and marmite has one cube’s worth of sugar.
Free sugars are those that have been added by the food manufacturer, cook or consumer to a food and include sugars naturally found in fruit juice, honey and syrups.
It doesn’t include sugars naturally found in milk and milk products and whole fruit and vegetables.
This news comes after it was revealed that some high street meal deals contain up to 30 teaspoons of sugar. With this knowledge it’s easy to see where Brits are going wrong when it comes to calorie and sugar control.
To find out exactly how much you should be eating in order to maintain or lose weight check out this calorie calculator.
You simply put in details including your current weight, height, age, gender and activity level and it does the hard bit for you.
According to the online tool a 5ft 3in woman, who weighs 126lbs and participates in “light activity” should be eating around 1,864 calories to stay at the same weight.