How to Eat a Low-Sugar Diet

Whether you’re focusing on eating healthier or are making a direct move against sugar and saying to heck with it, we have some great tips for you as to how to cut down your sugar intake (or eliminate it together!). 

1. Focus on whole foods

Processed foods are more likely to contain added sugars, while whole foods are pretty true to their label!

When eating a low-sugar diet, it’s best to aim for as many whole foods as possible. Think:

• Fresh fruit and vegetables
• Lean and organic sources of meat, like poultry 
• Fish
• Nuts and seeds
• Wholes and unprocessed grains and legumes, like rice and black beans

Some dairy products have added sugars in them, but you can choose to keep these in, such as yogurt, cheese, milk, etc., if it works for your personal lifestyle!

2. When choosing a beverage, go for water

When watching your sugar intake, it’s best to stick away from beverages like lattes, sodas, bottled juices, bottled teas, bottled coffees, etc., and stick with the tried and true water.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you’re banned from drinking any other beverage aside from water! But just be cautious as the sugars in beverages can add up fairly quickly. Coffee and tea when homemade are both wonderful ways to still enjoy the flavor in drinks while not having any added sugar.

Another great way to drink something other than water is by adding mint leaves or fresh fruit to your water!

3. Read labels

The labels will always get you! Make sure that if you’re buying sauces, cans, or any packaged food, you read the label carefully to make sure that there aren’t any added sugars in there. 

For instance, rolled oats are a wonderful way to add whole grains and fiber to your morning breakfast. But rolled oats in a to-go cup with a myriad of added sweeteners, sugars, and other strange ingredients maybe aren’t be such a wonderful way. 

Here’s a list of many of the disguises added sugar goes under: 

• cane sugar or brown sugar
• corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup
• evaporated cane juice
• sucrose
• fructose
• dextrose
• lactose
• glucose
• invert sugar
• beet sugar
• coconut sugar
• maple syrup
• agave syrup
• rice syrup
• apple or grape juice concentrate
• honey
• demerara
• sucanat
• panela or piloncillo
• turbinado
• muscovado

While some of these sweeteners, like maple syrup, honey, and coconut sugar, are natural, they still do count as added sugar. 

4. Be wary of artificial and “natural” sweeteners 

Many times, low-sugar diets or low-sugar products will tout that they’re sweet but have zero sugar. This is called a marketing ploy. What they really mean to say is that they’ve sweetened the product with an artificial sweetener to make your brain and taste buds think that you’re eating sugar so that you get pleasure from it, but still no added sugar.

However, there have been some studies suggesting that increased and consistent consumption of artificial sweeteners will potentially lead to a drastic alteration in gut bacteria and ultimately spike blood sugar levels.  

It can also potentially trigger metabolic derangements, meaning that your body will soon become accustomed to thinking that tasting sweet means it won’t be receiving calories. So when you do go to eat something with actual sugar in it, your body won’t know to use that food as a source of fuel and you’ll most likely end up storing it. 

Now, there are some natural sweeteners like Stevia, but even then you should still be cautious. Sometimes, these natural sweeteners can trigger bloating and abdominal discomfort. 

It’s best to use these “zero calories” sweeteners as minimally as possible. 

5. Use other flavor enhancers

Yes, there are other ways to add deliciousness to meals other than sugar! Trust us, they do exist!

In place of sugar, focus on fresh or dried herbs, like rosemary, thyme, and oregano. Add healthy fats, like olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil, to dishes to help with satiety and as a way to marinate the flavors from the herbs. 

Don’t forget to use (sea) salt! While table salt is something to also be cautious of overconsumption, sea salt has been shown to actually protect against hypertension. 

Now, we know you don’t want to throw herbs onto a dessert or say chocolate (which 100% chocolate does exist! It’s very bitter, but it is technically still chocolate). So instead of going all “salt bae” with the savory flavorings, try using cinnamon, vanilla extract, or fruit as a natural form of sweetness! Cinnamon and vanilla are actually wonderful because they’re typically sugar-free (just check the label on the vanilla, because some brands add sugar), and give you the sense of eating something sweet.

6. Get sleep!

This isn’t too much of a surprise (although maybe to some, it is!), but the biggest way to reduce sugar intake and the cravings for sugar are to get not only an adequate amount of sleep but also quality sleep.

Several studies have pointed to the fact that a good night’s sleep is correlated to less sugar consumption the next day. 

If you’re currently struggling with sleeping at night, be sure to consult your healthcare professional as to how to address your sleep issues. Sleep is absolutely vital to just live your life healthily and fully. If you want some quick suggestions for better sleep, check out this article!