Cut Sugar: 18 Smart Diet Tips

While enjoying ice cream or margaritas occasionally is fine, excessive sugar intake has negative health impacts and can hinder weight loss. The FDA recommends limiting added sugars to 10% of your daily calories. These sugars are added during processing or packaging, including syrups, honey, and concentrated fruit or vegetable juices with more sugar than the same volume of 100% fruit or vegetable juice.

Sugars naturally found in fruits, vegetables, and dairy are more nutritious than added sugars, as they contain vitamins, nutrients, fiber, and protein, which slow digestion and provide a steadier energy source.

Replacing added sugars with naturally occurring ones or reducing overall sugar intake is beneficial for energy levels and overall health.

Here are 18 easy ways to begin:

First, examine the nutrition labels on your favorite foods and drinks. Shaw notes that sugar can be listed under various names, including high fructose corn syrup, cane syrup, caramel, beet sugar, dextrose, fructose, honey, maltodextrin, turbinado, and many more. Even seemingly healthy options like granola and yogurt labeled “high fiber” or “low fat” may contain extra sugar for flavor. This guide lists 44 different names for added sugar.

To monitor your sugar intake, use a food tracking app like MyFitnessPal, suggests Dr. Caroline Cederquist, an obesity medicine specialist. After a week, determine how much you need to reduce high-sugar foods to stay within your daily limit and support your weight loss goals.

Prepackaged cereals, granola, and yogurt often contain hidden added sugar - adding honey, maple syrup, or sweeteners further increases your intake. Instead, choose plain yogurt with fresh fruit and nuts. Alternatively, make overnight oats with cinnamon and add chopped fruit and unsweetened nut butter.

Another way to reduce sugar at breakfast is to opt for savory options instead of sweet ones. If you typically eat waffles or pancakes, try switching to veggie omelets or sweet potato hash a few times a week. For convenience, make baked egg cups at the beginning of the week and reheat them for breakfast.

Look for store-bought granola with no more than 5 grams of added sugar per serving. KIND Peanut Butter Granola Clusters and Bear Naked Granola V’nilla Almond meet this requirement, being lightly sweet, full of whole grains, and containing healthy fats from nuts.

Drinking coffee with sugar daily can hinder your weight loss goals. Consider trying high-quality cold brew or nitro brews, which have a richer but less intense flavor than traditional coffee, making them enjoyable plain or with milk.

Margaritas, daiquiris, and sangrias are often high in sugar due to the use of pre-made mixes or syrups. If you're looking for a lower-sugar option, try making these drinks at home.

While a little sugar in pies can enhance the fruit's sweetness and texture, you can often reduce the sugar in recipes by 1/3 or even 1/2 without sacrificing the deliciousness.

Ripe bananas are naturally sweet and also provide potassium, which is beneficial for blood pressure and stroke prevention. Many recipes use mashed banana as a substitute for sugar and fat, making baked goods healthier without compromising texture.

Off-season fruits like blueberries in January are often less flavorful and less sweet compared to in-season produce. To find out which fruits are in season in your area, ask vendors at your local farmers market.

 

Flavored sparkling water is a good alternative to sugary sodas, as long as you choose options without added syrups or sugar. Consider La Croix or create your own version by mixing plain seltzer with mashed and sliced fruit.

For occasional treats, serve juice, sweet tea, or soda in small, narrow glasses to create the illusion of a larger serving, suggests Cederquist. Conversely, use large, tall glasses for healthier beverages like water, tea, and seltzer to encourage consumption.

Canned fruits, such as peaches and orange segments, are often unfairly criticized due to their sugar syrup packaging. However, canned fruit itself is not inherently unhealthy and can provide a convenient and affordable way to add variety to your diet. Opt for fruit packed in water with no added sugar.

Ketchup and barbecue sauce, while flavorful, are typically high in added sugar. Although some brands offer condiments sweetened with ingredients like date paste or fruit extract, even these “healthier” versions contain significant amounts of sugar without fiber or other nutrients. Instead, try reducing your intake of high-sugar condiments by using alternatives such as mustard, oil-and-vinegar dressing, pesto, or even mayonnaise made with olive oil or other unsaturated fats. While some of these options are relatively high in fat, moderation is key. Healthy fats contribute to satiety and can enhance the absorption of vitamins from meals.

If you find yourself struggling to resist high-sugar foods like ice cream, cookies, and chocolate, establish specific limits for their consumption, advises Colleen Tewksbury, PhD, MPH, a registered dietitian and national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For example, allow yourself a square of chocolate after dinner each night or reserve major indulgences for special occasions.

According to Cederquist, enjoying sweet foods and drinks in moderation can be part of a healthy weight management plan, but portion control is essential. Instead of buying large quantities of cookies or ice cream, opt for single-serving desserts or portion out your servings into individual bags or containers. This way, you need to make a conscious decision to have more, instead of easily consuming a large portion when buying in bulk.

Cederquist suggests that it's easier to resist temptation once in the grocery store than repeatedly in your kitchen. If you find it challenging to control portions with certain foods or drinks, consider not buying them or storing them on a higher shelf in your pantry.

Ensure you get enough sleep every night and don't rely on caffeine to stay awake. Studies show that people who sleep less than the recommended 7-9 hours per night consume more sugary treats and sugary drinks than those who get enough sleep. When deciding between watching another episode on Netflix or going to bed, choose the latter.