A diet low in added sugars may be beneficial for blood-sugar control and may help weight loss. Most sugary foods are high in calories and low in nutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that Americans reduce their consumption of added sugars because these foods provide calories but little, if any, essential nutrients. There are simple steps you can take to reduce the sugar content of your diet.
Alter Recipes
Revamp favorite recipes, particularly those for baked goods. While it may be easier to purchase commercially prepared "sugar-free" muffins, cookies and snacks, these products are usually full of artificial ingredients and not healthy choices. If you prefer not to use artificial sweetener, consider cutting the sugar you use in recipes by at least a fourth. You'll enjoy more dramatic results if you replace the sugar in your favorite recipes with a low-calorie non-nutritive sweetener such as Splenda.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Splenda--sucralose--is safe, and better for you than table sugar. Try replacing the sugar in your muffin, sweet bread, cookie, sauce and dessert recipes with sucralose, one at a time. While it may not be appropriate for all recipes, you may be pleasantly surprised with the results, and at the same time significantly reduce the amount of added sugars in your diet.
Care with Condiments
Few people realize how high in sugar many condiments are and how much sugar they add to the diet. Some high-sugar, frequently consumed condiments include ketchup, jams and preserves, commercially prepared salad dressings, barbecue sauce and sweet and sour sauce. According to CBS contributor and registered dietitian Keri Glassman, 3 tablespoons of ketchup provides 48 calories, and over 2 teaspoons of sugar. One tablespoon of preserves contains 2.5 teaspoons of sugar. Reduced-sugar and sugar-free versions are available. Or try cutting down on the amount you use.
Other Suggestions
Enjoy naturally sugar-free beverages such as water, milk, coffee and tea. If you like, sweeten your beverages, such as iced tea, with a non-nutritive sweetener.
The University of Massachusetts suggests reading labels, particularly since the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends limiting added sugars to 10 teaspoons daily or approximately 40 grams. When reading labels, keep in mind that total sugars on the label reflect both natural and added sugars. Four grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon. Since the nutrition-facts panel does not distinguish between natural and added sugars, you may prefer to focus on the ingredient list. Ingredients are listed in order by weight, with the first five ingredients making up the majority of the food item. If a type of sugar or syrup is listed as a primary ingredient, think twice before choosing it. To spot sugars, look for words that end in "ose" or "ol" in the ingredients, such as sucrose, maltose, dextrose, fructose, glucose, mannitol and sorbitol.
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