How to decrease sugar intake / good substitute for fruit

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manda1015
manda1015 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I seem to go over my daily intake for sugar EVERY day. I especially went over it today. It's primarily coming my fruit intake. Anyone know a tasty alternative? I love my fruits but clearly, a little too much or something. Thanks for any suggestions!

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  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
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    Sweet veggies like carrots, red peppers and sugar snap peas are a great alternative. Or stick to berries. Lots of volume and a lot less sugar than other fruits like grapes and bananas.
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
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    Go for higher fiber, lower sugar fruits; raspberries, strawberries, blackberries... lots of berries. :smile:

    For me, the killer was the skim milk I was adding to my milk. Lactose is a sugar. Switching to unsweetened almond milk cut my sugar intake in half or better.
  • ak_in_ak
    ak_in_ak Posts: 657 Member
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    Dont worry about the sugar from fruit to much. I would suggest eating two servings a day and things like berries are lower in sugar. Look up low GI fruits and that will give you some good options
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    seriously..I ignore the sugar content on mfp for 2 reasons:

    1. it's ridiculously low, and more importantly..
    2. It dosnt separate fruit sugar from the refined stuff which is way more harmful.

    I really wouldn't worry about being over on sugar, especially if you eat a lot of fruit. Fruit sugar is only a real issue if you are diabetic, etc..but other than that, i don't pay no notice to high fruit sugar.
  • Panda86
    Panda86 Posts: 873
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    seriously..I ignore the sugar content on mfp for 2 reasons:

    1. it's ridiculously low, and more importantly..
    2. It dosnt separate fruit sugar from the refined stuff which is way more harmful.

    I really wouldn't worry about being over on sugar, especially if you eat a lot of fruit. Fruit sugar is only a real issue if you are diabetic, etc..but other than that, i don't pay no notice to high fruit sugar.

    I don't pay much attention to sugar from fruits, either.
  • TeenaMarina
    TeenaMarina Posts: 420 Member
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    I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure sugar is sugar. Meaning you shouldn't go crazy on fruits - but yes, sugar from fruit is better than sugar from Twix bars. But still pay attention to the numbers and don't overconsume fruits.
  • alienblonde1
    alienblonde1 Posts: 749 Member
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    seriously..I ignore the sugar content on mfp for 2 reasons:

    1. it's ridiculously low, and more importantly..
    2. It dosnt separate fruit sugar from the refined stuff which is way more harmful.

    I really wouldn't worry about being over on sugar, especially if you eat a lot of fruit. Fruit sugar is only a real issue if you are diabetic, etc..but other than that, i don't pay no notice to high fruit sugar.

    I don't pay much attention to sugar from fruits, either.

    I third that. Subtract the sugar from fruit
  • ivansmomma
    ivansmomma Posts: 500
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    Two to three servings is the recommended daily dose, but I feel the same as the others here. I wouldn't worry a whole lot about my sugar in fruit. Sugars are not all the same, as you have your 'healthy' sugars such as found in fruit, then you have your 'high fructose' corn syrup, etc., which is not a good sugar at all.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    Sugar from fruit *is* different, according to Dr. Lustig. The reason, he claims, is that it is bound up in fiber. *BUT* he also equates fruit juice (even absolutely natural, 100% fruit juice) to soda. I definitely wouldn't cut out fruit if you like it and you're eating just fruit (not juice, not fruit cocktail in syrup, etc.) And check out his lecture on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM It was very eye-opening and educational to me. Granted, this is just one researcher. His claims jive with me, but make your own decisions for what works for you.
  • CassieLEO
    CassieLEO Posts: 757 Member
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    seriously..I ignore the sugar content on mfp for 2 reasons:

    1. it's ridiculously low, and more importantly..
    2. It dosnt separate fruit sugar from the refined stuff which is way more harmful.

    I really wouldn't worry about being over on sugar, especially if you eat a lot of fruit. Fruit sugar is only a real issue if you are diabetic, etc..but other than that, i don't pay no notice to high fruit sugar.

    I don't pay much attention to sugar from fruits, either.

    I third that. Subtract the sugar from fruit

    I FOURTH that!!! The health benefits of fruit far outweigh any of the risks. Dont eat a huge bowl of it, but dont limit it either!
  • jemclean
    jemclean Posts: 10 Member
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    I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure sugar is sugar. Meaning you shouldn't go crazy on fruits - but yes, sugar from fruit is better than sugar from Twix bars. But still pay attention to the numbers and don't overconsume fruits.

    I once had had one banana and a cup of strawberries and was WAY over my sugar for the day already! I freaked out and went to the gym to ask my trainer about it. She said that your body actually processes fruit sugar and refined sugar in totally different ways, so fruit sugar is significantly better for you and you shouldn't worry about it. There is sugar in EVERYTHING, from milk to fruit to crackers. So...get in your daily servings of fruit, and limit your sugar from other sources.
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
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    I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure sugar is sugar. Meaning you shouldn't go crazy on fruits - but yes, sugar from fruit is better than sugar from Twix bars. But still pay attention to the numbers and don't overconsume fruits.

    I agree!! While a lot of people will say they don't worry about fruit from sugar, most of my sugar is from natural sources and I do best when I limit it. That means a couple of servings of fruit, maybe a serving of dairy or 2 (non fat plain yogurt, cottage cheese, or occasionally milk), and my veggies. That is 50-60 g per day easy!
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure sugar is sugar. Meaning you shouldn't go crazy on fruits - but yes, sugar from fruit is better than sugar from Twix bars. But still pay attention to the numbers and don't overconsume fruits.

    I keep track of all sugar whether it be from junk, fruit, or dairy (not by logging - I no longer count calories - I just keep an eye on carb and protein grams and eat all the fat I want. I treat all sugar as the same. But fruit is a lot more than empty calories. Search online for listing of sugars in fruit. Berries are the best bet.

    sugar = sucrose/fructose
    HFCS = sucrose/fructose
    apple = sucrose/fructose/water/fiber/nutrients - the body will treat the sugar the same but as far as insulin response I don't believe it is the same but if you are insulin resistant then fruit probably isn't the best food for helping with weight loss. At least not in large amounts. (I use to eat an apple and oatmeal every morning. 30 mintues later I was ravenous and shaking like a leaf - I got the same reaction from fruit as I did from any other sugar).

    Since I switched over to my 3 eggs drenched in butter or coconut oil and 4 natural uncured bacon for breakfast I stay full for hours.
  • manda1015
    manda1015 Posts: 2
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    Thanks for the tips! Today for example I had a banana and an orange and those alone topped my limit - I mean, I know that's better than the twix bar calling to me from the vending machine, but still I find it so easy to go over the amount they give on this site. I was getting confused on how to get my servings of fruit and not go way over. Berries is a good tip and someone noted that darn skim milk, I went to check and yes my 1/2 cup of milk was not helping it. I think I'm going to try the almond milk.

    Thanks again! :smile:

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