Just comparing some of the snacks I regularly take into work, or buy from the charity boxes or fundraiser boxes.
| Snack | Sultanas 40g | Banana 118g | Apple 182g | Giant Freddo Frog 40g | Carmans Apricot & almond muesli bar | Mars Bar 60g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 536 kJ | 440 kJ | 396 kJ | 884 kJ | 796 kJ | 1150 kJ |
| Protein | 1.1 g | 1 g | 0 g | 3.3 g | 4.7 g | 2.1 g |
| Fat – total | 0.2 g | 0.5 g | 0 g | 11.8 g | 8.2 g | 10.4 g |
| – saturated | 0.0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 7.4 g | 0.8 g | 6.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 26.0 g | 27 g | 25 g | 22.9 g | 22.8 | 42.3 g |
| – sugars | 25.3 g | 14 g | 19 g | 22.3 g | 4.7 g | 36.7 g |
| – dietary fibre | 2.4 g | 3 g | 4 g | ? | 3.3 g | ? |
| Sodium | 18 mg | 1 mg | 2 mg | 36 mg | 13.5 mg | 89 mg |
| Potassium | 324 mg | 422 mg | 195 mg | ? | ? | ? |
Source: Bananas, Freddo, various packets. Recommended daily intake.
So the energy (which of course if unused turns into fat) in a Mars Bar is about triple that of a banana or apple. Yikes.
I feel like going for a jog.
See also: Recommended daily intake levels
2 replies on “Snacks”
I always check out the sugar content of pricessed foods – esp when it’s for the children. No surprise that their favourite stuff contains 25% sugar by weight. Amazing what’s in some stuff that is often believed to be ‘good food’ like breakfast cereal.
I have been trying to follow a low carb diet of late (with varied success!) but it has made me pay attention to the amount of sugar in foods. Now that I am aware of sugar content, there are some foods that I will rarely eat again or else feel as though I might as well be sitting there eating spoonfuls of sugar. Of course, chocolate will always be an exception…