4 Simple Ways to Cut Down On Added Sugar
People that consume more than the recommended amount of added sugar are more susceptible to inflammation, weight gain, obesity, cavities, chronic diseases like Type 2 Diabetes & Heart Disease, and also more likely to catch the common cold or flu. Most of us know that consuming lots of sugar is not in our benefit.. so why do we overdo it?
#1 It’s easy! More sugar is added to products to make them taste exxxxxtra good. It usually doesn’t take eating the whole bag of cookies to overdo it. Just one product can be packed with enough added sugar to tip you over the edge for the day.
#2 The more sugar we eat, the more we want! Research has revealed that consumption of sugar can activate receptors in our brain, which impact the reward center. In turn, we may build up a tolerance and crave more and more sugar overtime. Read more on this here
Before I share my tips to cut down on added sugar, I want to share what ‘added sugar’ really means. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that added sugars includes sugars, syrups, and other caloric sweeteners. Added sugars provide calories, but have no nutritional value. Examples of added sugars include: brown sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup, crystal solids, high fructose corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, raw sugar, rice syrup, and others.
So how much added sugar is too much? The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting added sugars to less than 10% of your daily calorie needs. So this number will vary from person to person. For a person that consumes around 2,000 calories per day, this means their added sugar recommendation is ~48 grams of added sugar (or 12 teaspoons). For a person that consumes around 2,500 calories per day, this means their added sugar recommendation is ~62 grams of added sugar (or 15.5 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams of sugar
The cool thing is, added sugar is now a section on the food label required by the FDA. This means we can see how much of the sugar in a product is coming from natural sources of sugar and how much is from added sugar.
NOW!! My tips to become more aware of added sugars in products and also cut down on added sugars in your everyday life:
1. Rethink your drinks
One of the most common sources of added sugar is in beverages! Sweetened coffees, teas, fruit juices, energy drinks, sports drinks, soda, frozen margaritas, daquiris, martinis……. The list goes on and on.
-1 20 oz lemon lime Gatorade contains 34 grams of added sugar
-1 large iced coffee with flavoring & sugar contains 35 grams of added sugar
-1 can of Pepsi contains 41 grams of added sugar
Considering most peoples’ daily added sugar recommendation is around 50-60 grams PER DAY, this should be an eye opener!
You could basically fulfill your daily added sugar allotment with just one beverage.
So what can we do? We can start by cutting down on the sugary beverages we consume on a daily basis. If you usually consume 3 sodas per day, make your goal to have just one with dinner and then with time try to eliminate the soda or only have on special occasions. If you love your Starbucks in the morning, find a way to cut down on added sugar without losing the great taste you love (they have low sugar and 0 sweeteners). If you love fruit juice look for 100% fruit juice without added sugars. Try deconstructing your favorite alcoholic drink and building it up with low sugar ingredients. For example, most margaritas contain sweet n sour mix, which has a lot of sugar. Instead, you can make your own version with fresh lime juice and stevia. The drinks we consume everyday add up so even small changes could bring great results!
2. Hydrate with H20
Reducing sugar intake means we should drink more water. I recommend about 60 ounces/2 liters per day. I know this isn’t the most exciting tip, but the majority of us aren’t consuming enough water. And we’re more likely to reach for sugary drinks or snacks when we’re not properly hydrated. Think about the last time you felt parched while at work. The Glacier Freeze Gatorade in the refrigerator probably looked a lot more appetizing than the water fountain. We must stay hydrated so that we don’t get tricked into thinking we need an extra “kick” of added sugar to meet our needs. If plain water isn’t your style, try one of the many sparkling waters on the market that are flavored with essence and contain 0 sugar. (My favorite flavor to date is Key Lime La Croix) There are so many ways to spike your water to make it more satisfying. You can also infuse your own water at home! Add water and the fruit, vegetables, or herbs you like for a fresh taste without the sugar. Here’s a chic infuser from Amazon. It also helps to have a water bottle that will be easy to carry around with you throughout the day. Drinking out of a straw is also a trick that helps some people drink more water. You can also consider a bottle with a straw. One of my favorite water bottles with a straw.
3. Limit packaged convenience foods with added sugars
Common food items with added sugars include bakery items, oatmeal, cereals, granola/granola bars, yogurt, candy, jam/jellies, frozen meals.. and more. Even some of the most well known “health” foods contain added sugar. The best way to search for products with less added sugars is by checking the ‘added sugar’ section on food labels or looking for products that say no added sugars. The good news is the more you look at food labels, the easier deciphering products will become.
4. Choose natural instead of added sugars
Some of my favorite ways to add sweetness to products without adding a lot of added sugar is using vanilla extract (a little goes a long way), cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla flavored unsweetened almond milk, dates, and fresh or frozen fruit! Fruit contains a variety of natural sugars, which makes it perfect for sweetening food. Have you ever mashed a banana into your pancake mixed or pureed berries for a topping on whole grain muffins? The opportunities are endless.. you just have to get creative!
Some other smart sweeteners include monk fruit sweetener and stevia. These are both 0 calorie sweeteners that can be helpful for someone trying to reduce their sugar intake.
There you have it. Proof that life can still be sweet without going overboard on added sugars! I hope you have a better understanding of what added sugars are, how much is too much, and some tools to sweeten things up without going overboard. As always, I’m open to new ideas, tips, and tricks! If you have any you’d like to share, comment below! XOXO
