Lunchbox Sugar Traps: What No One Tells You (and the Easy Swaps)
You expect sugar in Oreos, muffins, chips and gummies... the sweet treats you are consciously packing to be exactly that, a treat. And in small amounts, added sugar is perfectly safe for both you and your family.
But have you ever discovered that something you thought was healthy actually had far more sugar than you realised?
This happened to me just yesterday.. and it sent me down a research rabbit hole. After reviewing the findings with our dietitians, I think you might find some of these just as surprising as I did.
It turns out manufacturers are making it almost impossible for parents to know what’s genuinely healthy anymore. Labels are confusing, portion sizes are sneaky, and products that look wholesome often hide sugar under names like “concentrate,” “puree,” “organic coconut sugar,” or “organic cane juice.”
If you’re thinking, Wait… should I be avoiding these?? Hold that thought. Read our Sugar Cheat Sheet first.
So let’s take a breath, shake off the guilt, and uncover three of the most common places sugar hides at unexpectedly high levels in the lunchbox. No need to cut these foods out, just follow our simple tips to pick better brands and keep sugar levels low.
1. Yoghurt pouches
These are such a convenient lunchbox staple — the ultimate guilt-free “healthy” choice, right?
Well…turns out it depends on the brand.
CHOICE reviewed 118 squeezy yoghurt products from Yoplait Petit Miam, Chobani, Tamar Valley Kids, Farmers Union and more, and found that most pouches are over 100g of sugar per serve, with 12g of sugar per 100g or more. For kids under eight, that’s almost the full daily recommended free-sugar limit in just one pouch.
Top tip:
-
Choose pouches with “no added sugar” clearly labelled on the front, or aim for below 7g sugar per 100g.
-
Tamar Valley Kids sits at ~3.8g per 100g — a huge drop without giving up the convenience during the busy mornings demands.
2. Muesli & cereal bars
My personal daily go-to, and the reason I ended up writing this article. The difference in sugar levels between brands is massive.
CHOICE compared 224 cereal, muesli, nut, seed and raw bars and found:
“Many of these bars are so loaded with saturated fat and sugar, they have more in common with confectionery than health food.”
Most bars were 25% sugar or more, some hit 50%, and a few lowered sugar by adding artificial sweeteners instead. Another complication: many bars include whole fruit, making it impossible to tell how much of the sugar is natural vs added.
After learning this, I chatted to our dietitians and to keep things simple, here are some practical tips that will work in 9/10 situations.
Top tips:
-
If you can, stick to nut, seed and oat bars without added fruit, and eat fruit (in it’s whole form) separately - it’s delicious on its own and makes sugar intake much easier to track.
-
Look for bars with under 15g of sugar per 100g. Since most bars are around 35g, this keeps the per-serve sugar to under 6g .. a much more manageable amount.
-
Scan the ingredient list, if you see sweeteners like sucralose or erythritol, check for alternative options. They’re lower in sugar but can cause gut upset for some kids. Our Sugar Cheat Sheet helps you learn the names to watch for.
3. Fruit roll-ups & fruit strips
This one breaks hearts. They look natural, convenient and kid-friendly.. but it’s a bit more complicated than that.
Consumer NZ reviewed 14 fruit snacks and found most contained over 50g sugar per 100g, meaning most are half sugar. And while the labels say “made with real fruit,” the reality is that concentrated fruit purée is not the same as fruit. It gives sweetness, without the benefit of fibre — so your child’s blood sugar spikes quickly and they are hungry again sooner.
Top Tip:
-
If you’re choosing packaged snacks, aim for dried fruit made from 100% real fruit with no added sugar, artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Brands like Nibblish list just one ingredient — the fruit itself. That’s exactly what you’re looking for.
-
Whole fruit wins every time. Think berries, apples, mandarins – delicious just as they are, naturally portion-controlled, satisfying, a source of slow-release energy, without the various types of added sugar found in many fruit snacks.
🫶 You’re doing better than you think
Lunchboxes are hard. Life is busy. You’re showing up, you care, and that counts.
This isn’t about perfection, just small, smart swaps that help your kids get the goodness they need without the sugar they don’t.
 |
AUTHOR: CATHRINE HOSKINGCath studied Nutrition Science at Stanford University and holds a double major in Business Management and Law. She’s the founder of Veghead — a former veggie-hater herself — and is passionate about simplifying the science and making everyday nutrition accessible to all families in practical, realistic ways. |
