Choosing to cut down on sugar is something to be proud of. Taking control of your health and your diet is empowering! However, it can be difficult to let go of all the sweet treats in your life that you love so much. Here are ten ways to cut down on sugar without having to give up treating yourself.
In the grand scheme of things, yoghurt is not the worst snack for your health – but there are some brands and variations that are full of sugar. Fortunately, there is a way to enjoy still enjoy yoghurt without damaging your health – and this is by changing to Greek yoghurt! Greek yoghurt is rich in protein and contains probiotics that aid gut health. Greek yoghurt is generally not flavoured, so you might find the taste a bit jarring at first – but mix in some fruit or oats and you will have a truly delicious snack!
We all have those moments where all you want is something sweet to munch on, and it is so easy to go to the kitchen and grab a handful of biscuits – but don’t! Get some fruit instead! A take a few grapes from the brunch, or have a small apple or a satsuma. It will give you that sweet taste you are craving without all that harmful sugar and fat.
Chocolate is delicious and we all crave it sometimes – especially when we are feeling hormonal! Sadly, chocolate can be full of sugar. Luckily, there is a remedy. Dark chocolate has a much higher cocoa content than milk chocolate and also contains far less sugar. So the next time you are desperate for a tasty bar of chocolate, consider grabbing a dark chocolate instead! Another positive about eating dark chocolate is that it tends to have a stronger taste, so you may not want to eat as much of it as you did milk chocolate – which is even better for your health!
It can be a real struggle trying to drink water exclusively. Eventually, you become bored – and sometimes it gets to the point where you stop drinking altogether and become dehydrated. To avoid this, swap your sugary drinks for ice tea! Ice tea does still have sugar in it, but the quantity is much smaller than that off fizzy drinks – and it does not contain any of those questionable additives that are found in diet drinks. There are a few different flavours of ice tea these days, so try a range and see what ones you like!
We all deserve a treat every now and then – but when you are trying to cut down on sugar, it can be difficult to decide what to have. If you normally enjoy a slice of cake as a treat, try swapping it for a pastry! This could be an almond croissant or a danish, or even a cinnamon swirl. The lack of heavy fillings like cream or chocolate mean these foods are less likely to be full of sugar. Do remember to eat with moderation, though!
Another alternative for when you want to pass up your sugary drinks is a fruit smootie. Of course, a smoothie will still contain the natural sugar that occurs in fruit – but it is still a lot healthier than an artificial drink. You can also control the sugar contain by carefully choosing the fruits that you include. Stay away from fruit which is heavy in sugar such as grapes or strawberries, and focus on things like apples or bananas. You could even through in some vegetables like carrots or kale!
If you are used to sprinkling sugar on things like cereal, fruit, ice cream or the like, it can be really hard to break the habit and get used to the less sweet taste. There is a healthier alternative though. Trade in your sugar for spices! You could use cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg to sweeten your food. It will add a new flavour to your meal – and you might find you even prefer it!
Dessert is always the most difficult time of day when you are trying to cut down on sugar. How do you enjoy a sweet treat after dinner without lots of sugar? You could try eating baked fruit! Think about the way apples are baked into a pie, but without the pastry. Lots of fruits lend themselves well to baking, including peaches and plums. Drizzle from fresh cream over the top (but not too much!) and you will have a delicious dessert.
Everyone assumes that cereal must be a healthy option for breakfast – but unfortunately that is not always the case. Check the nutritional information on the box and you might find there is a lot more sugar in your cereal than you thought. To combat this, swap your branded cereals to organic ones made entirely of corn, bran, or wheat, and stay away from anything with dried fruit. You will be grateful in the long run!
Sometimes you just want to munch something. You don’t really care what it is as long as it is edible. Instead of instantly reaching for a bag of crisps or a pack of biscuits, try eating some nuts instead! They are small, easy to nibble on, and rather filling considering their size! Do be careful not to over-indulge though. Nuts can contain a lot of calories. They will definitely help you to cut down on sugar, but you might find they are causing other problems if you do not limit your intake.
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