How To Reduce Your Sugar Intake Naturally
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How To Reduce Your Sugar Intake Naturally
Are you looking to reduce your refined sugar intake? Whether you want to drop some weight, boost your energy levels or improve your mood, reducing excess refined sugar is a great goal to focus on.
Cutting down on refined sugar can be tough, particularly if you’ve grown used to a lot of sweetened foods in your diet. But there are some simple tips and tricks that will help you decrease your sugar intake naturally.
Start your day off right
A huge part of sugar cravings and feeling ‘hangry’ comes back to not eating well-balanced meals, particularly when it comes to breakfast. If you reach for toast, cereal or even just a coffee as your go-to breakfast, it’s no wonder why your body is screaming for more fuel by 10am!
This all comes down to your blood sugar regulation. When you have a lot of refined carbohydrates, it causes a huge spike, followed by a sudden drop when your body stores away that energy. The crash leaves you shaky, hungry and unable to focus – and that’s when you reach for the sugary foods.
Instead, we want to fuel the body with long-burning fuel sources – think protein and fats, along with a good amount of fibre-rich carbohydrates. That way, your blood sugar is less likely to crash and burn or leave you craving sweet treats all day long.
Need some high-protein breakfast inspiration? I have 10 delicious recipes for you to try here.
Stock up on naturally sweet foods
You don’t need to go cold turkey on sweetness to reduce your sugar intake. Instead, you want to stock up on foods that are naturally sweet and nutrient-dense. That way, you have an option that will satisfy sweet cravings, and it will provide you with key nutrients as well.
You might like to try:
Berries
Bananas
Citrus fruits
Dates
Sweet potato
Nuts
Coconut
Spices such as vanilla and cinnamon
Swap added sugars for healthier options
Another simple change to make is to switch your current favourite sweet treat options for healthier alternatives. For example, you might switch:
Sweetened yoghurt for plain yoghurt with fresh berries
Soft drinks for sparkling mineral water(look for options that don’t add sugar)
Dairy milk chocolate for chocolate with 70%+ cocoa
Cereal for oats with fresh fruit
Premade liquid breakfasts for a smoothie with fruit, spinach and Greek yoghurt
Fruit juice for kombucha
You can find a reduced-sugar option for just about any of your favourite recipes as well. I’ve made over some favourites including pancakes, waffles, hot chocolate and even chocolate mug cakes!
Remember, sugar is not just in treats and desserts! You might also want to check the labels of your favourite sauces, salad dressings, marinades and even spice blends to see if there is added sugar.
Ditch the artificial sweeteners
One way that many people try to reduce sugar is by replacing it with artificial sweeteners. But this can actually sabotage your efforts and cause you to crave more sweet foods.
Artificial sweeteners repeatedly expose your body to sweet flavours and can encourage sugar cravings. Rather than reducing your sugar cravings, you’re teaching your brain how to demand more sweet-tasting foods.
I also recommend avoiding artificially sweetened options if you are looking to drop some body fat. Studies have found a link between artificial sweetener intake and weight gain. Now it is up for debate whether that is because of the sweeteners or the highly processed foods they are added to. But either way, it’s best to avoid them if you’re looking to improve your body composition.
Need some more tips on how to reduce your sugar cravings naturally? Make sure you check out this article.
Do you love your sweet treats, but want to reduce your sugar intake? You can still indulge in delicious desserts that are naturally low in sugar thanks to my recipe ebook Low Sugar Sweet Treats.
You’ll discover 30 recipes that not only taste amazing, but are also easy to make and are packed full of nutrition. To find your new favourite sweet treat, grab yourself a copy here.
Looking for nutrition tips and healthy hacks to help you feel better?
Hey there, I’m Rachel!
NUTRITIONIST, PERSONAL TRAINER, WELLNESS COACH
Here I share healthy recipe ideas, training plans, and nutrition & wellness advice you need to know.
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While we make every effort to make sure the information in this website is accurate and informative, the information does not take the place of medical advice.