Help cutting down on added sugar?
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NadNight
Posts: 794 Member
I eat a lot of sugar. I didn't realise quite how much until I started looking to decrease the amount of added sugar in my diet and found that I don't even know what to eat that isn't high in added sugar! From adding honey to my porridge to a lunch filled with chocolate biscuit snacks and cake bars, yoghurts with those yummy (but sugary) fruit compotes and daily chocolate bars plus whatever sweet treat I may have picked up (doesn't sound too bad but I had 7 mini egg crispie cakes! On top of what I would normally eat!). I also spend all day thinking about my next sugar fix and my skin is paying the price for the ridiculous amounts I eat.
So something needs to change. I'm not looking to lose weight so I need to keep my calories as they are. Some things are simple- like don't add honey to my porridge or honey glaze my salmon or veggies (sad but I'll live) and trade my chocolate dessert for a fruit based one. But when it comes to snacks...what do you snack on?! My go to snacks are biscuits and cakes or fruit if I'm feeling healthy but even that is high in sugar.
What are some low sugar snacks? I'm also struggling for low sugar packed lunch ideas
So something needs to change. I'm not looking to lose weight so I need to keep my calories as they are. Some things are simple- like don't add honey to my porridge or honey glaze my salmon or veggies (sad but I'll live) and trade my chocolate dessert for a fruit based one. But when it comes to snacks...what do you snack on?! My go to snacks are biscuits and cakes or fruit if I'm feeling healthy but even that is high in sugar.
What are some low sugar snacks? I'm also struggling for low sugar packed lunch ideas
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Replies
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I don't snack, but you can snack on any food you would eat at meals. Typical snack foods are typically high in added sugar, or fat, or both.
If you want to reduce added sugar, it's probably going to be more cooking from scratch.3 -
There are many "artificial" sweeteners on the market. If you don't want artificial, try Stevia. Best of luck.0
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I don't snack, I'd rather have larger meals, but some ideas are nuts, hard boiled eggs, a Quest bar (it's just fake sugar), vegetables + hummus or baba ganoush, plain greek yogurt with added berries, a pickle.1
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Try to go a week without added sugar. After a while the things you used to love become way to sweet.6
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Take it slow. Better to cut down on sugary snacks gradually and get used to it, than cut them all out at once and make an unsustainable change. I like high protein snacks like Skyr or 0% Greek yoghurt (Fage) with cocoa powder and Truvia - the protein keeps me full which stops me needing to snack more. I still like sugary foods (eg protein bars, fibre one bars, Hell I had ice cream today) but those are good intermediaries. Also, meaty snacks and Quest bars.3
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To all the above suggestions I add, to keep calories same, but eat less sugar, eat a bigger sandwich, or two, rather than biscuits and cakes. Try adding spicy ingredients to your sandwich or salad. Love the hummus and baba ganoush suggestion.0
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I’m trying to cut down on sugar too bc I notice that the more I have the more I want all day long! I just plain avoid foods I can’t enjoy without pouring tons sugar, like hot oatmeal.
This might sound crazy, but often I sprinkle sugar on things instead of adding honey or syrup. Waffles or toast with a bit of butter and teaspoon of sugar sprinkled on top is surprisingly sweet and satisfying, and seems more sweet than the same amount of jam or honey but it isn’t actually that much sugar. I think it just hits your tastebuds faster!
I also try to snack on cheese and deli meat, crunchy fresh veg with vinegar, popcorn instead of sweets. And if I have something sugary I try to pair it with something with protein or fiber so it’s more filling and I eat it slower. Maybe try having just one or two biscuits with a glass of milk or a few almonds and see how you feel.0 -
Try to go a week without added sugar. After a while the things you used to love become way to sweet.
Very true, that's how I kicked my habit. I did the whole30 and after about 2 weeks all the sugar cravings were gone. I have noticed some people like to attack others for not eating sugar, but they don't realize that for some of us it makes depression really unbearable. Without (added) sugar I feel like i always hoped i would. Less anxiety and depression, also clear skin.2 -
I'm always amazed about how people can get away with so much added sugar and still maintain a healthy weight. How are you guys not starving all day? I'm so jealous.
For what it's worth, switching any of those things for fruit is not going to make much of a difference sugar-wise.
Anyway, low sugar snacks - cheese, crackers, pretzels, nuts, plain Greek yogurt, beef jerky/sausage sticks.Try to go a week without added sugar. After a while the things you used to love become way to sweet.
Yeah that never happened to me LOL. I did get pickier about what I want to spend my calories on though.4 -
Giving up sugar isn't easy because it's in so many things! Focus on the fact that eliminating sugar will improve not only your skin, but your overall health. Try to avoid sugar for one week like others have mentioned. If you can make it 30 days, you can easily give it up. I did. I don't even crave sugar anymore and I used to love my sweets, especially anything chocolate. I can barely tolerate honey now and use it only when baking gluten free muffins.
If you can't go cold turkey on giving up sugar, you could try eliminating anything prepackaged and only have small portions of dark chocolate. It's not as sweet, but might help you transition to sugar free.
You can still have fruit for snacks, just aim for berries. They have the lowest sugar content in fruit and contain lots of nutritional benefits. I also added in healthy fats to keep cravings at bay, such as avocado. Nuts are also a good option for snacking, but I don't care for them.
You may get some headaches at first, just like detoxing from anything else. Eliminating sugar from my diet was one of the best decisions I ever made. I wish you lots of luck!!15 -
VeggieGirlforLife wrote: »You may get some headaches at first, just like detoxing from anything else.
What's "toxic" about sugar?9 -
Agree with what has been said already, plus sugar is really addictive, the more you will cut down on it the less you will crave it and crave different tastes, a bit like salt for those who want to cut down on salt. I managed to cut down on sugar some years ago by switching to stevia and fruits and cooking from scratch, but I notice a very clear difference when I have a cheat day and eat chocolate, biscuits or candy... the next days I'm craving it like crazy.12
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Rather than "cutting out added sugar" I just looked at it like a budget. I have tote calories a day. I can't afford to eat too many high calorie items, so I look where I can cut down. I used to drink my cappucino with sugar, then sweetner, but decided to train myself to drink it without. Then I avoid drinking my calories. I mostly drink water. A piece of cake, or a sweet roll is high calorie, so I have it on exercise days, and sometimes eat half. These are are small changes, but doable for me. Some cannot give up a glass of wine, or doughnut a day. That's perfectly fine, but then you cut somewhere else within your budget. I like sugar just fine, it's just like salt, or olive oil, or another flavor. MFP is a learning and training experience. If you want to change your life around you have to do things you can to last.4
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VeggieGirlforLife wrote: »You may get some headaches at first, just like detoxing from anything else.
What's "toxic" about sugar?
To detox means to abstain from or rid the body of unhealthy substances.
I didn't state that sugar was "toxic" although there are many medical research articles out there that state sugar is toxic. I said "detoxing" from sugar may cause headaches.15 -
Agree with what has been said already, plus sugar is really addictive, the more you will cut down on it the less you will crave it and crave different tastes, a bit like salt for those who want to cut down on salt. I managed to cut down on sugar some years ago by switching to stevia and fruits and cooking from scratch, but I notice a very clear difference when I have a cheat day and eat chocolate, biscuits or candy... the next days I'm craving it like crazy.
Sugar has addictive like qualities IMHO, but addictive? I would dare anyone to eat a 5lb bag of table sugar at a sitting, but add fat, salt, and sugar together? Food crack! It's like chewing coco leaves while I was in the Andes years ago. They have the active alkaloids that are in cocaine, but I would not at all say they were addictive. Never tried cocaine, but according to Rick James, "cocaine, that's a hell of a drug!"0 -
VeggieGirlforLife wrote: »VeggieGirlforLife wrote: »You may get some headaches at first, just like detoxing from anything else.
What's "toxic" about sugar?
To detox means to abstain from or rid the body of unhealthy substances.
I didn't state that sugar was "toxic" although there are many medical research articles out there that state sugar is toxic. I said "detoxing" from sugar may cause headaches.
Is your argument that one can "detox" without toxins ever being involved? I'm not sure this is how most people are using the word.
Or are you citing the "medical research articles" (which ones?) to make a claim that sugar is toxic?9 -
janejellyroll wrote: »VeggieGirlforLife wrote: »VeggieGirlforLife wrote: »You may get some headaches at first, just like detoxing from anything else.
What's "toxic" about sugar?
To detox means to abstain from or rid the body of unhealthy substances.
I didn't state that sugar was "toxic" although there are many medical research articles out there that state sugar is toxic. I said "detoxing" from sugar may cause headaches.
Is your argument that one can "detox" without toxins ever being involved? I'm not sure this is how most people are using the word.
Or are you citing the "medical research articles" (which ones?) to make a claim that sugar is toxic?
I wasn't arguing. I was providing a dictionary definition regarding the word "detox" and clarifying my use of the word in a sentence.8 -
VeggieGirlforLife wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »VeggieGirlforLife wrote: »VeggieGirlforLife wrote: »You may get some headaches at first, just like detoxing from anything else.
What's "toxic" about sugar?
To detox means to abstain from or rid the body of unhealthy substances.
I didn't state that sugar was "toxic" although there are many medical research articles out there that state sugar is toxic. I said "detoxing" from sugar may cause headaches.
Is your argument that one can "detox" without toxins ever being involved? I'm not sure this is how most people are using the word.
Or are you citing the "medical research articles" (which ones?) to make a claim that sugar is toxic?
I wasn't arguing. I was providing a dictionary definition regarding the word "detox" and clarifying my use of the word in a sentence.
It seems that we agree that sugar isn't a toxin, but given that this is the case, I think "detox" (even if one is using it in the sense that you mean it, with no toxins involved) is unnecessarily confusing and fear-driven.9 -
VeggieGirlforLife wrote: »Giving up sugar isn't easy because it's in so many things! Focus on the fact that eliminating sugar will improve not only your skin, but your overall health. Try to avoid sugar for one week like others have mentioned. If you can make it 30 days, you can easily give it up. I did. I don't even crave sugar anymore and I used to love my sweets, especially anything chocolate. I can barely tolerate honey now and use it only when baking gluten free muffins.
If you can't go cold turkey on giving up sugar, you could try eliminating anything prepackaged and only have small portions of dark chocolate. It's not as sweet, but might help you transition to sugar free.
You can still have fruit for snacks, just aim for berries. They have the lowest sugar content in fruit and contain lots of nutritional benefits. I also added in healthy fats to keep cravings at bay, such as avocado. Nuts are also a good option for snacking, but I don't care for them.
You may get some headaches at first, just like detoxing from anything else. Eliminating sugar from my diet was one of the best decisions I ever made. I wish you lots of luck!!
Your post is confusing. You talk about eliminating sugar and giving it up, but say you eat fruit, which has sugar. You cannot avoid sugar totally--you can cut down. That is what most do on MFP, eat less of it. As for "detoxing" there are threads on that subject constantly. It's not necessary.8 -
VeggieGirlforLife wrote: »Giving up sugar isn't easy because it's in so many things!
OP didn't say she was giving it up, just cutting down. Because of her current habits, she was having trouble thinking of snacks without it, which is totally understandable.
It's not actually hard to avoid, if you mean ADDED sugar -- I know people like to claim it's in everything (you didn't say that, but it gets repeated over and over), but it's really not. The vast majority of things I purchase have no added sugar, and those that do are either condiments with just a little (lots of pepper sauces) or really, really obviously do (ice cream) and are being consumed as a bit of an indulgence (the sugar is a feature, not a bug).
If you mean that all sugar is hard to avoid, of course, but that's because tons of whole foods have it. I personally think a diet without any sugar (which would mean no fruit or veg) would be unhealthy.Try to avoid sugar for one week like others have mentioned.
Why should she do this, if it works for her to just cut down and replace some of the sugary choices with other options?You can still have fruit for snacks, just aim for berries.
Why? What's wrong with apples, bananas, clementines, peaches, mango, melon, plums, and so on?
And personally I cut out added sugar for a while as an experiment, and never got a headache or anything of the sort. Guess it was the fruit that protected me! Or maybe the sweet potatoes?10
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