How did you stop consuming processed sugar?
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I went cold turkey, no added sugar whatsoever. If you can have the self control and do a 200 calorie treat in moderation, fine, but for me a few bites of a dessert left me less satisfied than none at all (and had me extra on edge next day). The first week of cold turkey was really rough, but it really does change your tastebuds. Fruit comes to taste really sweet, and processed things taste sickly sweet (no seriously, I gagged at the Starbucks drink that I've loved for a decade).
My favorite healthy dessert when I'm really wanting one is frozen banana, cashews, cocoa powder, and a splash of vanilla thrown in the food processor. It's my pudding/ice cream substitute.
This and minimal (if any) prepackaged foods from the grocery store (what the heck is sugar doing in marinara sauce anyways). And, no snacking allowed the first few weeks I eliminated added sugar. Fruit and natural sugars with their fiber and nutrients saved for deserts but only with a regular meal.
Good luck!
Most of the sugar in marinara sauce is not 'added' sugar - it comes from the tomatoes, which have 3.2 grams of sugar in a 123 gram (medium tomato) serving.
As has been said before, unless you have a medical reason to avoid sugar there is no reason to cut it out. If you find that you cannot regulate the sugary/fatty snacks, don't buy them or bring them into your house.
Most of the sugar in marinara sauce might be natural from tomatoes. But when the ingredient list includes sugar - sugar was added.
There is plenty of reason to avoid sugar for some people. For me, I don’t need empty calories - my calorie allowance is so small there has better be nutrition and satiety associated with the calories I eat. For others, eliminating sugar helps control cravings. Also, I suspect, but admit I can not prove, my skin is less prone to breakouts the less sugar I eat.
I’ll save the sugar for nutrition dense items like tomatoes, and other fruits and veg. The added sugar items are not welcome here. My life is better avoiding them. YMMV.7 -
artbyrachelh wrote: »Most of the sugar in marinara sauce is not 'added' sugar - it comes from the tomatoes, which have 3.2 grams of sugar in a 123 gram (medium tomato) serving.
As has been said before, unless you have a medical reason to avoid sugar there is no reason to cut it out. If you find that you cannot regulate the sugary/fatty snacks, don't buy them or bring them into your house.
I have to chime in here... I disagree. I've made homemade marinara sauce loads of times before, if you don't add sugar it's super acidic! I happen to like the acidic flavor, so i choose sugar-free option, but there's no freaking way store bought doesn't add significant sugar to make it taste as mild as it does! Every recipe for marinara sauce calls for sugar.
That claim raised my eyebrows, as I have a crap-ton of cookbooks and magazines and can't remember ever noting recipes calling for sugar, from Mario Batali to Bon Appetit or Food and Wine to Better Homes and Gardens. From looking online now, I do see that sources like the Pioneer Woman call for a teaspoon of sugar or so of sugar, but I don't think she is particularly noted for her authentic Italian cookery. To me some grocery store tomatoes are so acidic they taste like puke (sorry) and if that was all I had access to I would probably want to put in some sugar too.
However...the acidity/sweetness profile can just as easily be determined by the kinds of tomatoes you use. I put up many jars of marinara every year and use a mix of homegrown San Marzanos, Brandywines, Black Krims and a family heirloom cherry, which creates a balanced, subtly sweet and smoky profile which is more pronounced if I roast the tomatoes. Recipes made with wine or balsamic vinegar are also going to have a sweeter profile. Obviously one would probably pay much more for a jarred sauce made with a bespoke heirloom tomato mix or more expensive ingredients, but that's the trade-off. The best option in my book is to make your own.
To tie this back into the OP's question, there are a lot of tricks and techniques for different foods where you can play with the flavor profiles to bring out the natural sweetness. I think you just have to be really disciplined at first and muscle through it, but over a couple of weeks your palate will adjust and the cravings should get less, and really something like an apple or banana has so much sugar in it, those become a dessert in themselves. When I was actively cutting, I would use a little honey on my greek yogurt, or have a small square or two of chocolate, and those really helped with the cravings.3 -
French_Peasant wrote: »That claim raised my eyebrows, as I have a crap-ton of cookbooks and magazines and can't remember ever noting recipes calling for sugar, from Mario Batali to Bon Appetit or Food and Wine to Better Homes and Gardens.
Ok I stand corrected. I should have said "every receive I've ever seen." Obviously I haven't seen all recipes. Haha! Also I know nothing of the tomato language you speak. It's cool! But I buy tomatoes at the grocery store. Hopefully I can someday be exposed to other tomatoes!
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artbyrachelh wrote: »Most of the sugar in marinara sauce is not 'added' sugar - it comes from the tomatoes, which have 3.2 grams of sugar in a 123 gram (medium tomato) serving.
As has been said before, unless you have a medical reason to avoid sugar there is no reason to cut it out. If you find that you cannot regulate the sugary/fatty snacks, don't buy them or bring them into your house.
I have to chime in here... I disagree. I've made homemade marinara sauce loads of times before, if you don't add sugar it's super acidic! I happen to like the acidic flavor, so i choose sugar-free option, but there's no freaking way store bought doesn't add significant sugar to make it taste as mild as it does! Every recipe for marinara sauce calls for sugar.
This isn't true. I make marinara sauce often and never add sugar, and it's not acidic (to my taste) at all.
It also can have a decent amount of sugar, especially if I add a variety of other vegetables.
Store bought (which I have not purchased for about 20 years, but started looking at occasionally when this became something people talked about) various a LOT in the amount of added sugar. Some, I expect, are ridiculously sweet, whereas others have little added sugar.1 -
French_Peasant wrote: »artbyrachelh wrote: »Most of the sugar in marinara sauce is not 'added' sugar - it comes from the tomatoes, which have 3.2 grams of sugar in a 123 gram (medium tomato) serving.
As has been said before, unless you have a medical reason to avoid sugar there is no reason to cut it out. If you find that you cannot regulate the sugary/fatty snacks, don't buy them or bring them into your house.
I have to chime in here... I disagree. I've made homemade marinara sauce loads of times before, if you don't add sugar it's super acidic! I happen to like the acidic flavor, so i choose sugar-free option, but there's no freaking way store bought doesn't add significant sugar to make it taste as mild as it does! Every recipe for marinara sauce calls for sugar.
That claim raised my eyebrows, as I have a crap-ton of cookbooks and magazines and can't remember ever noting recipes calling for sugar, from Mario Batali to Bon Appetit or Food and Wine to Better Homes and Gardens. From looking online now, I do see that sources like the Pioneer Woman call for a teaspoon of sugar or so of sugar, but I don't think she is particularly noted for her authentic Italian cookery.
Fundamentals of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazen, which is a book I'd recommend, does suggest a little sugar in marinara, but it's just a bit, nothing significant. (She also recommends good quality canned san marzano tomatoes out of season vs. trying to use supermarket, if memory serves. I agree with that recommendation although maybe someday I will can my own.)2 -
Anyway, unless OP says otherwise, I seriously doubt her issue is about marinara sauce.3
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lemurcat12 wrote: »French_Peasant wrote: »artbyrachelh wrote: »Most of the sugar in marinara sauce is not 'added' sugar - it comes from the tomatoes, which have 3.2 grams of sugar in a 123 gram (medium tomato) serving.
As has been said before, unless you have a medical reason to avoid sugar there is no reason to cut it out. If you find that you cannot regulate the sugary/fatty snacks, don't buy them or bring them into your house.
I have to chime in here... I disagree. I've made homemade marinara sauce loads of times before, if you don't add sugar it's super acidic! I happen to like the acidic flavor, so i choose sugar-free option, but there's no freaking way store bought doesn't add significant sugar to make it taste as mild as it does! Every recipe for marinara sauce calls for sugar.
That claim raised my eyebrows, as I have a crap-ton of cookbooks and magazines and can't remember ever noting recipes calling for sugar, from Mario Batali to Bon Appetit or Food and Wine to Better Homes and Gardens. From looking online now, I do see that sources like the Pioneer Woman call for a teaspoon of sugar or so of sugar, but I don't think she is particularly noted for her authentic Italian cookery.
Fundamentals of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazen, which is a book I'd recommend, does suggest a little sugar in marinara, but it's just a bit, nothing significant. (She also recommends good quality canned san marzano tomatoes out of season vs. trying to use supermarket, if memory serves. I agree with that recommendation although maybe someday I will can my own.)
San Marzanos are awesome and are the backbone of my sauce mix, but yes a little acid; here is an interesting article saying Indiana grown Red Gold are the best due to a very pleasant balance of sweetness. https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/best-canned-tomatoes-san-marzano-italian-taste-test-article If I buy from the store as a Hoosier, I’m buying local.
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artbyrachelh wrote: »French_Peasant wrote: »That claim raised my eyebrows, as I have a crap-ton of cookbooks and magazines and can't remember ever noting recipes calling for sugar, from Mario Batali to Bon Appetit or Food and Wine to Better Homes and Gardens.
Ok I stand corrected. I should have said "every receive I've ever seen." Obviously I haven't seen all recipes. Haha! Also I know nothing of the tomato language you speak. It's cool! But I buy tomatoes at the grocery store. Hopefully I can someday be exposed to other tomatoes!
Check out the farmers markets in the later summer—they might have a lot of fun things to try. I especially love any black tomato. Yellows I have for the most part found to be insipid. Also Whole Foods type stores will have different heirlooms but the prices can be obnoxious.
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I haven't quit sugar but I use sucralose when it works for me...typically in coffee and other drinks. I am in the camp of table sugar isn't evil.1
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I have a huge problem binge eating sugar (and flour). What is helpful to me to get back on track is lots of leafy greens. I eat some at every meal and my cravings decrease much more rapidly. Breakfast is the hardest one. Many times I just eat a fistful before my oatmeal or wheatberries and call it medicine. A big salad with lunch and dinner rounds it out. It's usually 4 or 5 cups of greens in a day. Also, drinking lots of water helps me. And herbal tea in the evening when I tend to reach for the junk.
Not everyone has a problem with sugar but for those of us who do, it's a big deal. I read a book from a woman who had been addicted to both hardcore drugs and food. She said sugar/flour was the harder addiction to overcome. The book is called Bright Line Eating. Good luck!!6 -
Up your fat intake which helps to curb cravings and add fruit to your meals. I have learned to really love fruit and I don’t crave processed sugar the way I used to.1
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I've done a couple Whole30's and found there is sugar added to just about EVERYTHING! It's absurd. I always read the ingredients. Just because the label says 0g of sugar doesn't mean there hasn't been some added. For me, I'm a total candy/sweet junky. I have to reduce carbs and really cut back/remove added sugars to lose weight. If I'm really in a funk, one square of high quality dark chocolate (75% or higher) does the trick. I discovered organic tisano cacao tea and that is my go to every time first. It's cacao pods that you brew like tea. I don't use any creamer/milk/sweetener and it smells/tastes like hot chocolate cake. I've purchased on Amazon and that brand was good but my favorite is from Capital Teas.
If the label says 0g sugar, there is no sugar in it. If there is added sugar, it will be reflected in the total grams of sugar listed in the nutritional information.0
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