14 SIMPLE WAYS TO STOP EATING LOTS OF SUGAR

8. Avoid Sugar-Filled Breakfast Foods

Breakfast cereals are among the worst when it comes to added sugar.

One report found that some of the most popular ones contained over half of their weight in added sugar.

One cereal in the report contained over 12 teaspoons (50 grams) per serving, which made it 88% sugar by weight.

What’s more, the report found that granola, which is usually marketed as “healthy,” has more sugar than any other type of cereal, on average.

Popular breakfast foods, such as pancakes, waffles, muffins and jams, are also loaded with added sugar.

Switch to these low-sugar breakfast options instead:

• Hot oatmeal: Add some chopped fruit if you like it sweet.
• Greek yogurt: Add fruit and nuts for extra good calories.
• Eggs: Boiled, poached, scrambled or as an omelette.
• Avocado: Packed full of nutrition and healthy fats for energy.

Choosing a low-sugar option with high protein and fibre at breakfast will help you feel full until lunchtime, preventing unnecessary snacking.

Summary: Breakfast cereals are among the worst culprits for added sugar, along with pancakes, waffles and jams. Switch to low-sugar options such as eggs, oatmeal or plain yogurt.

9. Read Labels

Unfortunately, eating less sugar isn’t as easy as just avoiding sweet foods. You’ve already seen that it can hide in unlikely foods, including some breakfast cereals, granola bars and dried fruit.

However, some savoury foods, such as bread, can also contain a lot of added sugar. Two slices can contain 1.5 teaspoons (6 grams) (25).

Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy to identify added sugars on a food label. Current food labels don’t differentiate between natural sugars, such as those in milk or fruits, and added sugars.

To see if a food has sugars added, you will need to check the ingredients list. It is also important to note the order in which sugar appears on the list, since ingredients are listed in order of the highest percentage first.

Food companies also use more than 50 other names for added sugar, which makes it more difficult to spot. Here are some of the most common:

• High-fructose corn syrup
• Cane sugar or juice
• Maltose
• Dextrose
• Invert sugar
• Rice syrup
• Molasses
• Caramel

Thankfully, identifying sugar in packaged food in the US just got much easier.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has changed their rules so that companies have to show the amount of added sugar in their products on the ingredients label in grams, along with a percentage of the daily value (26).

Companies have until 2018 to change their labels to comply.

Summary: Always read food labels to check for sugar by its many names. The closer to the beginning it is on the ingredients list, the greater percentage of sugar the product contains.

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14 SIMPLE WAYS TO STOP EATING LOTS OF SUGAR

6. Check for Sugar in Canned Foods

Canned foods can be a useful and cheap addition to your diet, but they can also contain a lot of added sugar.

Fruits and vegetables contain naturally occurring sugars. However, they’re not an issue since they do not affect your blood sugar in the same way that added sugar does.

Avoid canned foods that are packed in syrup or have sugar in the ingredients list. Fruit is sweet enough, so go for versions that are labelled with “in own juice” or “no added sugar.”

If you buy canned fruits or vegetables that do have added sugar, you can remove some of it by rinsing them in water before you eat them.

Summary: Canned foods, including canned fruits and vegetables, may contain added sugar. Always read labels to ensure you choose versions without it.

7. Be Careful With So-Called “Healthy” Processed Snack Foods

Most people know that candy and cookies contain a lot of sugar, so they may look for “healthy” snack alternatives.

Surprisingly, snacks like granola bars, protein bars and dried fruit can contain as much, if not more, sugar than their unhealthy rivals, such as chocolate bars.

Some granola bars can contain as much as 8 teaspoons (32 grams) (24).

Dried fruit is full of fibre, nutrients and antioxidants. However, it is also full of natural sugar, so it should be eaten in moderation.

Some dried fruit also contains high quantities of added sugar. To avoid this, look for ingredients labels that say “100% fruit.”

Or try these healthy snack ideas instead:

• A handful of nuts: Packed with good calories, protein and healthy fats.
• Trail mix: Make sure it’s just nuts and dried fruit, without added sugar.
• No-added-sugar jerky: Full of protein and low in calories.
• Hard-boiled egg: This super food is high in protein, vitamins and minerals.
• Fresh fruit: Contains natural sugar to satisfy those sugar cravings.

Don’t be fooled by the “healthy” marketing messages on some snacks. Be prepared and take low-sugar snacks with you when you’re on the go.

Summary: So-called healthy snacks, such as granola and protein bars, can contain lots of added sugar. Be prepared and take low-sugar snacks like nuts and fresh fruit with you when you’re out and about.

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14 SIMPLE WAYS TO STOP EATING LOTS OF SUGAR

4. Eat Full-Fat Foods

Low-fat options of your favourite foods — peanut butter, yogurt, salad dressing — are everywhere.

If you’ve been told that fat is bad, it may feel natural to reach for these alternatives, rather than the full-fat versions, when you’re trying to lose weight.

However, the unsettling truth is that they usually contain more sugar and sometimes more calories than their full-fat counterparts.

A 4-ounce (113-gram) serving of low-fat vanilla yogurt contains 4 teaspoons (16 grams) of sugar and 96 calories.

The same amount of full-fat plain yogurt contains just over a teaspoon (5 grams) of naturally occurring milk sugar and only 69 calories (16, 17).

Another example is an 8-ounce (237-ml) coffee made with whole milk and no added sugar, which contains half a teaspoon (2 grams) of naturally occurring milk sugar and 18 calories (18).

In contrast, the same amount of a low-fat mocha drink contains 6.5 teaspoons (26 grams) of added sugar and 160 calories (19).

High sugar intake has also been shown to cause weight gain, which negates the reason you might have chosen a low-fat food in the first place (20, 21).

When you’re trying to cut your sugar intake, it’s often better to choose the full-fat version instead.

Summary: Low-fat foods may contain more sugar and calories than full-fat versions. It is often better to choose full-fat versions when you’re trying to reduce your sugar intake.

5. Eat Whole Foods

Whole foods have not been processed or refined. They are also free of additives and other artificial substances.

At the other end are ultra-processed foods. These are prepared foods that contain salt, sugar and fats, but also substances not usually used in home cooking.

These substances can be artificial flavors, colors, emulsifiers or other additives. Examples of ultra-processed foods are soft drinks, desserts, cereals, pizzas and pies.

Ultra-processed foods differ from standard processed foods, which usually only have minimal ingredients added, all of which you might find in a standard kitchen.

Examples of standard processed foods are simple bread and cheese (22).

90% of the added sugars in the average American’s diet come from ultra-processed foods, whereas only 8.7% come from foods prepared from scratch at home using whole foods (22).

And it isn’t just junk food that contains high amounts of it.

Seemingly healthy options like canned pasta sauce can also contain alarming amounts. One serving (128 grams) can contain nearly 3 teaspoons (11 grams) (23).

Try to cook from scratch when possible so you can avoid added sugars. You don’t have to cook elaborate meals. Simple tricks like marinating meat and fish in herbs, spices and olive oil will give you delicious results.

Summary: Whole foods are free of added sugar and other additives commonly found in processed foods. Eating more whole foods and cooking from scratch will reduce your sugar intake.

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