12 Incredibly Easy Tips to Quit Sugar…Or Just Eat A Lot Less

I confess, I’m a sugar lover.

I’ve even written a whole post about being a sugar free failure.

And you know what, I finally realized that I’m just fine being not sugar free! Athletes inherently burn a little more sugar and I do think endurance running gives me a little more carb cravings.

But that doesn’t mean, I can’t always be a little more aware of ways to keep myself from getting in to a cycle where I’m eating too much sugar.

Which lead me to ask my good friend Lindsay, a Registered Dietitian {what does that mean?} from The Lean Green Bean,

“How does one get off the sugar cravings without doing some crazy sugar free challenge, which seems to make us want more?”

7 TIPS TO REDUCE YOUR SUGAR INTAKE

When people ask me how to improve their diet, reducing their sugar intake is almost always at the top of my list. When Amanda reached out to see if I wanted to share some of my favorite tips for reducing you sugar intake, I jumped at the chance!

1) Start by cutting back.
I know there are a lot of people out there who believe in quitting cold turkey with a detox, Whole 30, etc. If that works for you, great…but in my experience that often makes people crave sugar even more.

When I started really watching my sugar intake after I graduated from college, I did it in small steps.

So what does that mean?

• If you’re eating two sugary snacks a day, cut back to one.
• If you put three packets of sugar in your coffee each morning, cut back to two, then one.
• If you like juice, start mixing in sparkling water and reducing the amount of juice.

As your taste buds adjust to lower amounts of sugar, you’ll probably find that if you return to your original eating habits, things will taste overly sweet!

2) Find the hidden culprits.
Sugar is hidden in so many foods. It often replaces fat in low-fat/fat-free foods and you’ll find it in things that can really be made from just a few ingredients like nut butters, breads and salad dressings.

For example, there are many brands of peanut butter that are made with added sugar, when in reality all you really need to make peanut butter is one ingredient- peanuts.  {Avocado Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies}

3) Eat real, whole foods.
If you have a sweet tooth, try satisfying your cravings with sweet foods like fruit. When you do eat packaged foods, check the ingredient list and know the various names for sugar so you can spot it in packaged foods. Remember that low fat/fat-free often means high sugar.

How to reduce, not eliminate, sugar and still get all the health benefits! #eatclean via @runtothefinish Click To Tweet

4) Savor and enjoy!
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying dessert occasionally…but perhaps you could eat it more frequently if you learned to be satisfied with a smaller amount.

Do you really need that gigantic piece of carrot cake all in one sitting? Probably not. Split it into smaller pieces and enjoy a few bites each night of the week.

Eat it slowly and really enjoy it.

5) Cut back when baking.
A lot of baked goods are made with large amounts of added sugar.

Try cutting back the sugar in your favorite cookies, muffins, etc by 1/4, then by 1/2 the original amount. You probably won’t even notice the difference in a lot of cases.

You can also try sweetening baked goods with fruits like bananas, date or applesauce. Just keep in mind that even though these are natural sources of sugar, they’re still sugar.  {Pumpkin Protein Pancakes without Protein Powder or added Sugar}

6) Make your own.
Sauces, dressing and condiments are all notoriously high in sugar and sodium. Making them yourself means you can control how much goes in! Try skipping the sugar all together or adding smaller amounts.

And don’t forget the things that seem so innocent, like oatmeal! Those packets often have tons of added sugars. Try making your own and you’ll be impressed by the flavor and nutrition.{Peanut Butter Banana Chia Pudding}

7) Read the label and know what it means.
How much sugar are you really eating when the label says a serving contains 6 grams? To give you a visual, 4 grams = 1 teaspoon of sugar. So if your muffin has 6g of sugar, visualize the 1.5 teaspoons of sugar that’s inside it. It may make you rethink your choices.

Read this post: Don’t Be Fooled By The Sugar-Free Label. People often misuse the term sugar-free and it drives me crazy!

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Thanks to Lindsay for sharing her great tips with us!! You must find more of her great tips, including a weekly meal planning series on her blog and say hi on social media:
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook & Pinterest!

5 Bonus Resources

Sugar Detox Series: Why, how, obstacles, cravings and more
Follow the Clean and Lean Blueprint for daily support to making changes that last
How to fuel your runs with whole foods (nix the gels)
11 Low to No Sugar Snack Ideas for Work
Understanding Your Personality to Make Quitting Easier (scroll half way down for my sugar story!)

Do you find it easy to pass on the sugar?

What’s helped you cut back?

Other ways to connect with Amanda
Instagram: RunToTheFinish

Facebook: RunToTheFinish

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