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Top 10 Sugar-Reducing Tips

By J Schweppe

1. See if you can taste the difference.
Many of your favorite foods probably come in reduced sugar and no sugar versions. For some foods, you'd be surprised at how hard it is to tell the difference---ice cream for example. For others, sugar is a glaring omission. Try the reduced sugar version and if it tastes just as good or almost as good, opt for that version from now on.

2. Cut back gradually.
Cold turkey equals failure. Instead, if you usually have 2 sugary snacks a day, cut down to one; then one every other day etc, until you're at a level you can live with. If you normally have 2 teaspoons of sugar on your grapefruit, cut back to one. Don't go beyond your level of taste tolerance or you won't be able to keep it up for long. For some people, one teaspoon of sugar on an entire grapefruit would be, well, grim.

3. Only eat sugary food when you really want it.
Actually, this is good advice for breaking any bad habit, whether it's eating sugary snacks or watching too many 80s reruns on TV. Be mindful. Do you really want that snack or are you just bored? If you really, really want it go ahead without guilt. A good goal is to eliminate the sugar that you don't really, really want.

4. Opt for half and half.
Where practical, buy reduced sugar and regular versions of your favorite foods and mix them. Or just cut in something without sugar. For example, you can mix soda pop with sparkling water.

5. Don't eat anything sugary out of the container.
Always put a reasonable portion in a dish---you'll eat a lot less. You can always go back and get more, but you probably won't. You already know you're in trouble if you curl up on the couch with a box of Russell Stovers.

6. Buy lunchbox snacks. Sugary snacks meant for children's lunch bags are the perfect size to satisfy your sugar craving without going overboard.

7. Buy holiday treats at the last minute.
Any Halloween or Christmas candy that you buy two weeks ahead of time is almost certainly going to end up on your thighs rather than in someone else's trick or treat bag or Christmas stocking.

8. Don't go grocery shopping when you're craving sugar.
If you find yourself magnetically attracted to sugary food while you're shopping, go get a candy bar, eat it, and save the wrapper so that you can pay for it when you check out. This works like magic.

9. Do a final audit of your grocery cart before you checkout.
You know that uncomfortable feeling when you actually start unloading everything at the checkout stand and you realize it looks like a 5-year-old did your shopping. Rethink the snacks before you get in line.

10. Avoid sugar substitutes.
Some sugar substitutes are not much better than sugar and may actually be worse. You don't want to substitute chemicals for sugar. When a food says "reduced sugar" read the label to be sure that they didn't add a sugar substitute.

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