Top 10 Tips To Cut Sugar From Your Diet - 310 Nutrition

Ready to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet? I promise that when you start to recognize that healthy foods can be incredibly delicious, you won’t feel deprived, but rather happier and healthier!

Tip #1 - Clean out the kitchen
If it has added sugar, toss it! Basically, anything that comes in a bag, container, or package that has a label (and a line for added sugar), is fueling your cravings. The good news is… if it’s not within your grasp, your temptation likely won’t be able to overcome you.

Tip #2 - Satisfy your craving with something more nutritious
Instead of reaching for your go-to sugar-filled sweets, satisfy your sweet tooth with a healthier source. Fruit, smoothies, or even some honey or dark chocolate in moderation are great options.

Tip #3 - Make things at home
The thing you want to avoid here is all the unnecessary ingredients that are added to foods you typically buy – including artificial sweeteners and sugar (in its many forms). You can avoid these by getting a little creative in the kitchen and making healthier versions of your favorite foods (even desserts)!

Pro Tip: Try swapping out sugar for monkfruit sugar, stevia, or even apple sauce.

Tip #4 - Pay attention to serving sizes
With any type of food (purchased or homemade), it’s also incredibly important to watch your serving sizes. Even fruit can lead you to an unbalanced diet if you're eating it in excess, so remember - everything in moderation! If you're craving something specific like chocolate, try going for a piece rather than the entire bar.

Pro Tip: Check out MyPlate to learn about portion sizes for every food category.

Tip #5 - Be mindful
Next, this is hands down one of the most important tips when watching your sugar intake. If you’re going to have a small piece of chocolate, enjoy it… Pay attention to how it smells, tastes and your level of satisfaction after eating it. Do not mindlessly scarf down four pieces of chocolate without even realizing you’re doing it!

Tip #6 - Watch out for sugar-filled beverages
If you think sugar is only in the “really bad” drinks like soda, unfortunately that's not the case. Sugar lurks in so many seemingly healthy drinks, like fruit juices, Gatorade, Vitaminwater, energy drinks, iced teas and more. Instead, try sparkling water, flavoring your own water with fruit, or even look for some sugar-free alternatives to your beverage of choice!

Pro Tip: If you're looking for sugar-free beverages, make sure to avoid artificially sweetened sugar-free drinks (aka diet drinks). Instead, aim for beverages naturally sweetened with stevia, etc.

Tip #7 - Avoid low-fat foods
You may think you’re doing yourself a favor when you choose low-fat foods but this isn't always the case.

Naturally occurring good fats are your friend! When you choose low-fat foods, what you’re really choosing is foods that have more added sugar (to replace the fat that was removed). Instead, fats like avocado, coconut and MCT oil, nuts, seeds and unsweetened dairy items can satisfy and provide many health benefits.

Tip #8 - Read your labels
Even so-called “healthy” food items can actually be junk foods in disguise. Some examples of these include high-sugar trail mixes, granola, granola bars, and low-quality protein powders and bars. Always read food labels and scan the ingredient list for impostors…

Pro Tip: Knowing the many names for sugar can help!

Tip #9 - Eat a balanced diet
It should be your goal to eat a balanced diet during every single meal. What does this look like? Healthy fats, quality protein and unrefined carbohydrates. Getting all of these important nutrients at each meal will ensure your sugar signals won’t be on full alert after eating.

Tip #10 - Don't sweat the small stuff!
Finally, remember to not sweat the small stuff. It’s perfectly okay and even healthy to treat yourself every now and then. If you feel like you "fell off track", just get back to your normal routine. As long as you're eating a balanced diet most of the time, a little sugar here and there is ay-okay!