- Drink water. Sugary drinks are the number one source of sugar in the diet of Americans. Try flavoring water with fruit slices – lemons and lime or watermelon and fresh mint. Or freeze your favorite sweet drink into ice cubes and add a few to a glass of water – a compromise and far less sugar per serving.
- Ditch candy and eat fresh fruit or dried fruit. Swap sugar coated cereal for candy. The cereal is based in a grain, often a whole grain, is very low in fat, rich in nutrients, and has less added sugar than a candy bar.
- Check the nutrition label. Sugar is part of the total carbohydrate value. If a food has 30 grams of carb and 28 grams of sugar, it is a high sugar food. One teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams. Do the math to see how many teaspoons of sugar you are eating in a serving.
- Check the ingredient list for additions that are really sugar in disguise – evaporated cane juice, fruit juice concentrate, honey, molasses, raw sugar, organic sugar, corn syrup and fructose.
- Reduce portion size. If you love sweets, simply eat less – a cup of ice cream not a soup bowl full, a snack size candy bar, single-serve pudding or custard, a snack-size bag of cookies not a boxful. Split dessert with a friend.
Bottom line: There are no bad foods. It is how much and how often we eat them. Remember the old adage: Dose makes the poison. Go easy on sugar.
