Reduce your own sugar consumption: 10 ways

Anyone who wants to do without industrial sugar does not have it quite so easy. Because it is contained in countless products and processed foods. Nevertheless, there are a few tips and tricks that make it easier to adjust or reduce your own sugar consumption. Most of these options are easy to implement and can be easily integrated into everyday life.

How sugar works, and if it's really as bad as everyone says, you can find out here by the way.

Let's get started!

10 ways to control your sugar consumption:

1. Adjust recipes:

In most cases, sugar quantities in recipes can be reduced by at least ¼ without really tasting it or changing the texture.

2. Wholefood instead of industrial sugar:

Whenever possible, it is a good idea to sweeten our food with wholefood instead of sugar. For example, you can use crushed bananas in your pancake recipe or pure applesauce when baking instead of syrup for our banana bread. In smoothies or porridge, it is quite sufficient to use the natural sweetness of fruit instead of syrup, fruit juice or sweetened milk.

3. Spices, spices, spices:

Sugar can also be super substituted by spices (provided, of course, it goes with the dish). Cinnamon or natural extracts such as vanilla, almond or lemon add flavour to our food without the need for extra sweeteners.

4. Drink water:

We often confuse a craving for sugar with thirst. So when we feel like eating something sweet, it is often enough to drink a glass of water first.

5. When water alone is not enough:

Especially if you're used to sweetened drinks, water can taste boring. But you can also spice up water without having to pour in tons of sugar. From fresh fruits like raspberries and strawberries to lemon and cucumber, mint or basil - there are many ways to make water taste more interesting.
If you still want to drink fruit juices, you can also dilute them wonderfully with sparkling water. And it already tastes like delicious fruit spritzer.
You can also reduce sugar consumption in cafés, either by using less sugar yourself or by asking to sweeten the drink less (e.g. you can ask to put less caramel syrup in the coffee).

6. Buy unsweetened products:

This tip may be obvious, but it's still important. Especially with milk alternatives and yoghurt, there are usually versions with little or no added sugar. If you do want to add sweetener later, you can at least determine how much sweetener should be added.

7. Dessert cravings:

Especially after dinner you often feel the urge to snack on something sweet. Fruit is great to put in here. Whether apple with nut butter, chocolate covered fruit or frozen grapes with yoghurt. There are many ways to integrate fruit into the dessert.

8. Do it yourself:

Ready-made sauces, salad dressings and spreads almost always contain large amounts of sugar. So whenever possible, you should make your own variations. This is often not as elaborate and complicated as you first think, and you can decide for yourself how much sugar or sweetener you want to use in the end.

9. Read labels:

This is probably one of the most important. Even products from which one would not necessarily expect it, often contain sugar. And it is not always called "sugar", but has many names: Fructose-glucose syrup, caramel syrup, molasses syrup, dextrin and all the words that end with "-ose", such as lactose, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, etc. So it is always worthwhile to at least scan the label for these ingredients. This helps you to make conscious purchasing decisions.

10. Changes are noticeable:

If you have been paying attention to your own sugar consumption for a while or have reduced it, sugar cravings usually come about all by themselves. Because we train our taste buds to perceive and acknowledge the natural sweetness of food. One is really surprised when one suddenly notices that one no longer feels such a desire for sweets and sweetened products as before!

Finally, I would like to point out that everyone naturally has a different relationship with sugar. And everyone knows for himself what is best for his own body. So do what suits you and is good for you. And if you have any further tips or suggestions on the subject of sugar, please leave a comment!

If you want to learn more about healthy eating, mindfulness or sustainability, take a look here it's over.

PHOTO BY CLAUDIA CRESPO ON UNSPLASH