If you are like most of us you enjoy the taste of sugar. The sweet hit on the tongue can be satisfying but unfortunately this immediate taste satisfaction has an after effect of energy and excess energy in a day can add unwanted additions to your waistline, increase your risk of chronic diseases and overall an unhealthier you. So what can you do to take control and promote a healthier? Choosing foods and beverages with less added sugar do not need to be tasteless and can even make you feel better over a day. Foods and drinks with less added sugar help your blood sugar stay in a moderate range rather than spiking like a roller coaster, helping you have more sustained energy, feel fuller for longer, think better because you are not ‘hitting the wall’ and overall help you maintain a healthy weight.
Now that the benefits are clear, these are the actions you can take to help you reduce the amount of added sugar in your day:
- Swapping flavoured lattes and speciality coffee and tea drinks with unsweetened coffee or coffee or herbal tea with or without a low fat or no fat milk. If you wish to add some sweetener try adding stevia .(a natural sweetener made from a leaf) instead of sugar
- Check if your fruit juice has added sugar, as some fruit juices contain more added sugar than soft drinks! If it does swap for 100% fruit juice and choose this as a drink on occasion only and half a glass at most. Juice does not have all the fibre of the whole fruit and it can be easy to drink in excess and give your body more energy than it needs. Another option can be choosing mineral water and adding a squeeze of lemon and lime and like above if you feel the need for some more sweetness try adding stevia.
- Cereals with over 15g of sugar try swapping for wholegrain cereals with no added sugar like Weetabix, bran or oats. The sweetness can come from adding some fruit like a banana on top or a cup of strawberries or 1.5 tablespoons of sultanas (which equals a serve of fruit).
- Fruit canned in syrup can add more sugar and energy to your day without any other benefits. Try choosing the whole fruit as a first choice and if you do used canned try selecting one in water.
- Sweet and salty packaged foods like caramel corn, premade trail mixes with chocolate pieces or granola bars can have a stack load of added sugar. Try swapping these for plain popcorn with added chili or garlic powder for extra flavour or a homemade trail mix without any chocolate pieces or lollies or a small handful (30g) of nuts to replace these snacks.
- Sweetened or flavoured yogurt for no added sugar and add the sweetness from natural sugars found in fruit.
- If you are going to choose the cake or sweet which is part of enjoying a balanced diet try splitting the dessert with a friend instead of eating the whole piece by yourself.
Take home message: Try these easy swaps to help your waistline and your health. You do not need to stop enjoying food to be healthy and moderation and balance is the key for long term health and enjoyment of life around food.
