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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