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As a health-conscious person, you realize that sugar can be one of the most damaging and addictive substances you can include in your diet. Although there are many delicious sugary snacks and drinks available, you may want to consider how to cut down on your intake so that you can live a healthier and balanced life. Whether you’re looking into low-sugar meal ideas that are suitable for your lifestyle, or being more mindful of packaged foods, there are many options for you to explore. This is especially important if you are a diabetic as sugar can be a huge trigger. Consider all of the options below, and you will soon be one step closer to reducing the amount of sugar you consume on a daily basis.
- Skip the Sugar in Your Morning Beverage
A spoonful of sugar in your coffee or tea can significantly impact your daily intake of the sweet stuff. Moreover, if you have more than one caffeinated beverage a day, you could be heaping on as many as six extra spoonfuls of sugar than you really need. Start reducing the amount of sugar you take in your latte until you’re used to having none at all.
- Read the Labels of Your Cupboard Items
If you’re into healthy eating and meal replacements such as the lipotrim diet, you will already be aware of how to dramatically reduce the amount of extra sugar you’re eating on a daily basis. When it comes to snacking, you should always carefully read your labels before reaching for cereal bars, crackers, and biscuits. Opt for natural and healthy pick-me-ups such as fruit, nuts, 100% dark chocolate and raw vegetables if you need a snack to see you through the day.
- Make Your Own Jams and Sauces
There are so many preservatives and sugars in jams and condiments. Adding these to your breakfasts or evening meals will significantly increase the amount of sugar you’re eating, so why not make your own. Use fresh raspberries to make jam or use tomato puree instead of your usual ketchup!
- Opt for Low Sugar Desserts
Low sugar jellies, fruit salads and Greek yogurt should be your go-to dessert options. Instead of reaching for a bar of chocolate or a slice of cake, be mindful about the sugar content in your favorite desserts, and opt for something healthier instead. You could even make your own chocolate mousse out of avocado and pure cacao powder; it’s simple, delicious and super low in processed sugar.
- Cut Out Fizzy Drinks
Fizzy drinks may seem refreshing in the heat of the midday sun, but they are full of hidden sugar and chemicals that need to be avoided at all costs. If you’re looking for a fruity beverage to quench your thirst, try adding fresh fruit such as blueberries, raspberries or cucumber to sparkling water for a refreshing and tasty drink.
- Choose Full Fat Options
If you think you’re being healthy by reaching for the low fat yogurts, cheese and butter then you would be sadly mistaken. Believe it or not, low fat foods are usually laden with extra sugar to make them taste better. Opting for a slightly more calorific and higher fat option will not only taste more authentic, but it will keep you fuller for longer too.
- Try a Raw Food Diet
You don’t necessarily need to adopt a fully raw diet in order to benefit from the nutrients in raw foods, but you could increase your intake of raw and unprocessed fruits and vegetables. Naturally occurring sugars found in all fruits and vegetables are not harmful to your body, and the fiber actually helps to aid digestion too. So, instead of reaching for a strawberry flavored yogurt or energy bar, opt for strawberries in their natural form instead!
- Make Simple Swaps
Swapping sugary cereal to oatmeal, or white bread to wholemeal can significantly impact the amount of sugar you take in. Making simple and mindful swaps can help you to cut down on processed snacks and discover a healthier way of living on a day to day basis.
Hopefully, the ideas mentioned above will spark some inspiration when it comes to reducing the amount of sugar in your diet. There are so many different things to consider, that you may find this to be overwhelming at times. Take one step at a time so that you aren’t making any drastic changes to your diet, and remember to speak to your doctor or a dietician if you have any concerns.