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Saturday, May 3, 2025

Good morning,

From breakfast smoothies to seemingly wholesome cereal bars, sugar is hiding in some of the foods we least suspect – and in quantities that can rival or even exceed a can of fizzy drink. With the government’s proposed expansion of the sugar tax to include pre-packaged milk-based drinks, there’s renewed scrutiny on the “healthy” products that aren’t so innocent after all. We lift the lid on some of the worst offenders, from iced coffees masquerading as diet-friendly grab-and-go fixes to fruit yoghurts, cereals and breads that quietly rack up our daily sugar intake. It’s a compelling case for better labelling and more transparency in how food is marketed – because it’s hard to cut back if you don’t know where the sugar’s hiding in the first place.

And as May’s first bank holiday rolls in with the promise of sunshine, it’s time to take your barbecue game up a notch. Forget bland bangers and dry chicken – this week’s round-up of 20 knockout recipes is here to save your grill. Think coal-roasted aubergines smothered in red miso butter, lamb ribs slow-grilled to sticky perfection, fiery ’nduja-stuffed Scotch olives and perfectly pink chicken shish with pistachios and orange zest. There’s halloumi with black honey, grilled potatoes with miso ranch, even a watermelon and feta salad that tastes like sunshine. The desserts hold their own, too – a baked ricotta cheesecake crowned with rosemary-roasted tomatoes, and poached peaches with oregano syrup that prove the pudding doesn’t have to be sweet to be sensational.

No sunny weekend feast would be complete without something to toast it with, and Rosamund Hall’s latest wine column is the perfect springtime guide to sparkling. As the season shifts, so too does our palate – away from heavy reds and into lighter, brighter bubbles. From a South African Méthode Cap Classique with presidential pedigree to a sweet and frothy Moscato d’Asti that tastes like liquid blossom, she offers four uplifting bottles for the months ahead, all under £17.

Back in Marylebone, two wildly different restaurants are reimagining what the word “bistro” even means. In the latest Fine and Dime, Hannah Twiggs compares Josephine Bistro – all soufflés, French onion soup and low-key luxury – with Lita, a Michelin-starred firecracker serving lobster rice and smoked monkfish to a soundtrack of bangers. One is nostalgic and neighbourly; the other modern, expensive and unapologetically bold. And yet both feel like bistros at heart – warm, generous and designed to make you happy, just in very different ways.

Finally, Rosie Kellett is rewriting the rules of city living – and dinner parties – on a £25-a-week food budget. In her East London warehouse, 10 housemates share not just rent but meals, rotas and rituals, proving that cooking communally can be cheaper, more joyful and, frankly, more delicious than yet another overpriced dinner out. Her debut cookbook, In for Dinner, captures that spirit in recipes like citrus mackerel spaghetti, salt and vinegar potato soup and halva-studded cookies. It's a reminder that good food isn’t about budget – it’s about intention, care and a willingness to share.

Whether you're counting sugars, firing up the grill, raising a glass or sharing a meal, there’s plenty to chew on this week.

Written by Hannah Twiggs

From granola bars to green smoothies – the hidden sugars lurking in your ‘healthy’ choices

The government’s plan to expand the sugar tax is welcome because products often marketed as diet-friendly, protein-rich or healthy choices can be packed with hidden sugars. Hannah Twiggs looks at how to spot the worst offenders

The government has announced it could extend the sugar tax to include pre-packaged milk-based drinks like bottled milkshakes and iced coffees. It’s a smart move because sugar is hiding in places you wouldn’t expect, and in quantities that would make a Haribo share bag blush.

Many of the foods and drinks we think of as wholesome, virtuous or vaguely good for you are packed with added sugar. Not always under the name “sugar”, of course – food labels are masterclasses in misdirection, with terms like glucose syrup, agave nectar, maltodextrin and concentrated fruit juice doing a lot of heavy lifting.

Some of these products are even marketed as diet-friendly, protein-rich or plant-based. But check the label and you’ll often find they contain as much sugar as the things we’re told to avoid.

And even when brands have “reformulated” products to dodge sugar taxes, the result isn’t always better: sweeteners, emulsifiers and additives are often added instead – the hallmarks of ultra-processed foods, which growing research suggests could harm gut health and drive overconsumption.

Here are just a few of the biggest offenders…

Read the full article here

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On the menu

Spring greens and spicy things: Two knockout recipes to wake up your tastebuds

This chicken caesar dip is filthy, crunchy and dangerously scoopable

How Rosie Kellett turned a £25-a-week food budget into the dinner party dream