Eating Less Sugar Without Feeling Deprived

Sugar is everywhere, including on your breakfast coffee, in your dinner sauces, and in almost all foods. Although some sugar isn't an issue, most of us are taking way too much more sugar than our bodies need. The average American consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day, way more than the 6 teaspoons recommended for women and 9 for men. Too much added sugar has been linked to weight gain, diabetes, inflammation, heart disease, and even mood swings. But there are many ways you can cut back without feeling deprived.

1. Look For Hidden Sugars

Added sugars can hide in plain sight such as in yogurt, salad dressing, granola bars, spaghetti sauce. You can start by examining food labels. Look at the "Added Sugars" line under Total Sugars, and read the ingredient list for these names:

• High-fructose corn syrup

• Cane sugar

• Maltose

• Dextrose

• Brown rice syrup

• Fruit juice concentrates

Once you find out the certain foods that contain too much sugars, you can make better substitutions.

2. Ease into The Changes

If you quit eating all sugar immediately, you might end up failing. Try making small adjustments each week. For example:

• Reduce sugar from your coffee or tea by half after each week.

• Mix flavored yogurt with plain yogurt to slowly reduce sugar.

• Reduce recipes by half for sweetener and flavor before adding more.

These changes enable your taste buds to adjust so that you crave less sugar.

3. Swap Sweet Snacks for Better Options

You don't have to cut out your favorite snacks, you just replace them with smarter options:

• If you want ice cream, grab frozen banana mixed with a spoon of peanut butter.

• If you want soda, grab fizzy water with fresh fruit or citrus juice.

• If you want a granola bar, choose one with fewer than 6 grams of added sugars, or do it yourself from scratch.

4. Eat Naturally Sweet Foods

Naturally sweet foods like fruits contrast with processed sugar since they contain fiber, water, and nutrients.

Berries, apples, oranges, and grapes can be great snack substitutes. You could even use fruits as substitutes in baked items to reduce added sugar in recipes.

5. Eat Balanced Meals

Sugar cravings normally spike when you’re hungry or when your meals lack protein, fiber, and fats. If you’re eating a lot of refined carbs, your blood sugar will crash and your body will crave sugar. Some examples of good meals for this are:

• Oatmeal with chia seeds and almond butter

• A turkey sandwich on wholegrain bread and avocado

• A salad with grilled chicken, nuts, and olive oil dressing