How to Control Your Sugar Intake

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methods

1Reading Food Labels

2Reducing Sugar in Your Diet

3Cutting Back Gradually

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Tips and Warnings

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References

Both sweet and savory food products can contain high amounts of sugar, making it hard to control your sugar intake. While you are at the grocery store, make sure to read products’ ingredient lists and nutrition labels. Choose the product with the least amount of sugar. You can also control your sugar intake by making meals and baked goods at home. If your body is used to consuming high amounts of sugar, reduce your sugar intake gradually. This approach is a more realistic way to control your sugar intake over the long term.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Reading Food Labels

1. 
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   Read the ingredient list. The ingredients listed on food labels are ordered by quantity. This means that the ingredients at the front of the list make up more of the product than the ingredients at the back of the list. Purchase products that have sugar listed near the end of its ingredient list.
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   Look for sugar’s aliases on the ingredient list. Sugar may be disguised under names such as fructose, molasses, and sucrose. These are typically listed separately on ingredient lists. Even if “sugar” is listed at the end of an ingredient list, one or more of its aliases may be listed near the front. If a product contains several sugars, then pick a different product.

   • High fructose corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, glucose, maltose, fruit juice concentrate, invert sugar, hydrolyzed starch, and corn syrup are all forms of sugar.
3. 
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   Check the nutrition facts label. The nutrition facts label indicates how much sugar a product contains. Choose products with 5 grams (0.18 oz) or less of sugar per 100 grams (3.5 oz). These products are low in sugar. High sugar products contain 22.5 grams (0.8 oz) or more of sugar per 100 grams (3.5 oz).
4. 
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   Choose unsweetened products. Products labeled as “unsweetened” or “no added sugar” either contain no sugar, or low amounts of sugar. Choose these products instead of sugar-free products. Sugar-free products typically contain artificial sweeteners, though opinions about these products are mixed. Artificial sweeteners may be addictive in some cases, and consuming high amounts of artificial sweeteners can lead to weight gain.

   • Even if a product is labeled “unsweetened,” double-check its ingredients list to see what kind of sugars the product may contain.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Reducing Sugar in Your Diet

1. 
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   Make homemade meals and baked goods. Packaged foods and ready-made meals and sauces, like pasta sauce, contain high amounts of sugar. By making homemade meals and baked goods, you can control the amount of sugar that goes into your food.

   • For example, when making baked goods at home, cut the amount of sugar in the recipe by a third or a half.
2. 
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   Use spices to add flavor to your food instead of sugar. Spices such as vanilla, cinnamon, almond, lemon, and orange extract are a great way to add flavor to your baked goods without adding sugar. Use spices like cumin, paprika, pepper, and dried herbs to add flavor to savory dishes and sauces, like pasta sauce.
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   Be aware of condiments with high amounts of sugar. Condiments such as ketchup, BBQ sauce, and salad dressing typically contain high amounts of sugar. Replace these with mustard, hot sauce, guacamole, salsa, or a homemade salad dressing. These typically contain lower amounts of sugar.
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   Sweeten cereals and oatmeal with fruit. Instead of topping your cereal or oatmeal with sugar, add fruit like chopped bananas, blueberries, or strawberries. Fruits contain natural sugars that will provide a healthy sweetness to your oatmeal and cereal.

   • Choose plain oatmeal instead of instant oatmeal, which usually contains added sugar.
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   Replace sugary drinks with water. Sugary drinks such as sodas, bottled teas and coffees, fruit juice, flavored water, and energy drinks contain high amounts of sugar. Instead, drink water (plain or sparkling), herbal tea, or unsweetened tea.
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   Eat fruits for dessert during the weekdays. A fruit salad is a great way to curb sugar cravings if you are used to eating desserts after dinner. You can also mix the fruits with natural, unsweetened yogurt for added flavor and substance. Save sugary desserts for the weekends or special occasions, like anniversaries or birthdays.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Cutting Back Gradually

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   Identify your sources of sugar. Make a list of the foods and beverages that you consume on a daily basis. Identify the foods and beverages that contain high amounts of sugar, or that you add sugar to. Make a goal to reduce your consumption of the foods and beverages that contain high amounts of sugar, or to reduce the amount of sugar that you add to drinks and food.
2. 
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   Cut your consumption in half over a week. If you have been adding 1 teaspoon (4 grams) of sugar to your coffee or tea, then try using only 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) for a week. If you typically drink 1 coke per day, then try drinking only half a coke per day.

   • If cutting your consumption of sugar by half is too much, then try cutting it by a third or a fourth instead. The point is to cut your consumption of sugar at a comfortable, realistic pace.
3. 
   3
   Reduce your consumption further. Reduce your consumption by another half, third, or fourth the second week. Keep cutting your consumption of sugar each week until you have eliminated it from your diet or significantly reduced your consumption.

   • As you reduce your sugar intake, your body and taste buds will adjust accordingly.
4. 
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   Eat protein, fiber, and healthy fats. While you are reducing your sugar intake, make sure to replace sugary foods with healthy proteins, fibers, and fats. Proteins, fibers, and fats will not only give you energy, but they will also make you feel fuller for a longer amount of time, reducing your sugar cravings.

   • For example, start your day off with 2 eggs, a bowl of oatmeal, and an apple. You can then make yourself a turkey sandwich with avocado, lettuce, and tomatoes for lunch. Have grilled salmon, steamed broccoli, and black beans for dinner.
   • Eggs, poultry, beef, pork, salmon, broccoli, black beans, apples, rice, avocado, almonds, and walnuts are some examples of healthy proteins, fibers, and fats.
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Tips

• The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that women eat no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar each day, while men should eat no more than 9 teaspoons of sugar per day. Overall, sugar should make up no more than 5-10% of daily calorie consumption.
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