Sugar is added to almost every processed food you buy at the store, whether it’s obvious or not. Too much sugar leads to weight gain, diabetes, and potential heart problems. Cut out sugar easily with these steps and become and stay healthier.
Cut Out Sugar Easily with These Steps
1. Don’t Buy Processed Foods
Processed foods can be extremely high in sugar, even when it’s not baked goods or treats. Foods like lasagna and tomato sauce have high amounts of sugar.
Instead of buying these items, learn to make your own and control the ingredients that go in them. You’ll develop new talents and be healthier.
2. Keep Treats Out of the House
Food cravings and temptations come to everyone. Giving into those sugary cravings can be your diet demise.
To cut out sugar easily, do not keep sweets in the house.If you have easy access to ice cream, cookies, or whatever treat you love, the chances are that you’ll eat it. If it’s not in the house, you probably won’t want to drive to the store to get it.
3. Cut Out Sugary Drinks
This is a problem for many people–soda. Soda packs in at least 20 grams of sugar per can, which is about triple the recommended daily amount.
Sugar Reduces Risk for Heart Disease
Soda isn’t the only sugary drink culprit. Mixed alcoholic drinks, sports drinks, and juice can have up to 50 grams of sugar per serving.
If you want something sweet, try Crystal Light or Mio. Both are low in calories, have zero sugar, and will give you your sweet fix.
4. Choose Whole Fruit
Yes, some 100% fruit juices will give you your day’s serving of fruit. However, you’re also most likely getting too much added sugar.
Juices like Naked Juice, which are healthy in theory, have just as much or more sugar than a can of soda. Instead of finding your fruit in a drink, opt for the real thing and get the pure form of your fruit.
5. Give Yourself Sugar Goals
If you want to cut sugar easily, make specific goals as to how much sugar you’ll eat per day. Gradually decrease your goal until you barely eat added sugar or none at all.
Saying you’ll eat fewer treats works, but some treats have more sugars than others. Being aware of how many grams of sugar you’re consuming will keep you healthier.
6. Switch to Dark Chocolate
IF you’re going to indulge in sweets, try to eat dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. Dark chocolate with over 65% cacao has less sugar and fewer added ingredients.
Dark chocolate has been shown to be good for the heart in moderation. It is high in antioxidants and polyphenols.
7. Don’t Use Store-bought Tomato Sauce
Spaghetti with tomato sauce and meatballs is a classic dish that just about everyone eats fairly regularly.
However, if you’re making some at home, then it’s best to avoid using the store-bought tomato sauce as they usually contain high amounts of sugar.
Besides, making your own homemade sauce is relatively simple: just simmer fresh tomatoes in a pot and add some fresh herbs.
You can even add some sugar to add to the taste and it will be much less than the amount found in store-bought sauce.
8. Replace Flavored Yogurt
While yogurt is considered to be healthy, especially for your gut health, the truth is that many commercial yogurt products are full of sugar.
These flavored yogurts sometimes contain about as much sugar as the amount found in candy bars – sometimes even more.
If you buy ready-made yogurt, buy the plain, unflavored kind and add fresh fruit and other ingredients to it for some flavor.
9. Make Some Dessert Rules
Even though we all love sweets from time to time, it is best to wean yourself off from them due to their high sugar content.
Start by limiting yourself and setting some rules about when you can eat desserts and stick to it.
Try to reserve desserts for only certain days of the week, weekends, holidays, or special occasions.