Eating too much sugar may be devastating for your health. Added sugar, which is the sugar found in sodas, sweets, and other processed foods, has been shown to contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and tooth decay (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source). Research suggests that most Americans eat anywhere from 55–92 grams of added sugar daily, which is equivalent to 13–22 teaspoons of table sugar each day — representing about 12–16% of daily calorie intake (4Trusted Source). This is significantly more than the Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ recommendation of getting less than 10% of your daily calories from added sugars (5). The World Health Organization goes a step further, recommending less than 5% of calories from added sugar for optimal health (6Trusted Source). However, it can be challenging to slash added sugars from your diet. This article lists 13 simple ways to stop eating so much sugar.

1. NUTRITION
13 Simple Ways to Stop Eating Lots of
Sugar
Eating too much sugar may be devastating for your health.
Added sugar, which is the sugar found in sodas, sweets, and other processed foods, has been
shown to contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and tooth decay (1 
, 2 
,
3 
).
Research suggests that most Americans eat anywhere from 55–92 grams of added sugar daily,
which is equivalent to 13–22 teaspoons of table sugar each day — representing about 12–16%
of daily calorie intake (4 
).
This is significantly more than the Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ recommendation of getting
less than 10% of your daily calories from added sugars (5).
The World Health Organization goes a step further, recommending less than 5% of calories
from added sugar for optimal health (6 
).
However, it can be challenging to slash added sugars from your diet. This article lists 13 simple
ways to stop eating so much sugar.
Stocksy
Most added sugars in the American diet come from sugary drinks — sodas, sports drinks,
energy drinks, sweetened teas, and others (7 
).
Additionally, drinks that many people perceive as healthy, such as smoothies and fruit juices,
can still contain astounding amounts of added sugar.
For example, 1 cup (271 grams) of cranberry juice cocktail contains more than 7 teaspoons of
sugar (31 grams) (8
).
Additionally, your body doesn’t recognize calories from drinks in the same way as those from
food. Calories from drinks are absorbed quickly, resulting in a rapid increase in your blood sugar
level.
u
u Evidence Based
Evidence Based
1. Cut back on sugary drinks
Written by Alexandra
Rowles, RD and SaVanna
Shoemaker, MS, RDN, LD —
Medically reviewed by Kim
Rose RDN, CDCES, CNSC,
LD — Updated on July 22,
2021
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2. Drinks also don’t make you feel as full as solid food, so people who consume lots of calories
from drinks don’t eat less to compensate (9 
, 10 
).
Reducing your intake of sugary drinks can help with weight loss and improve overall health (11 
,
12 
).
Here are some healthier beverage options that are naturally low in sugar:
water
unsweetened sparkling water
herbal teas
black or green tea
coffee
Most desserts don’t provide much in the way of nutritional value. They’re loaded with sugar,
which causes blood sugar spikes that can leave you feeling tired and hungry and make you
crave more sugar (13 
).
Grain- and dairy-based desserts, such as cakes, pies, doughnuts, and ice cream, account for
more than 18% of the intake of added sugar in the American diet (14 
).
If you want something lower in added sugar that can still satisfy your sweet tooth, try these
alternatives:
fresh fruit
Greek yogurt with cinnamon or fruit
baked fruit with cream
dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher)
A bonus of eating whole fruit? Swapping sugar-heavy desserts for fresh or baked fruit not only
reduces your sugar intake but also increases the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in
your diet.
Sauces like ketchup, barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce, and sweet chili sauce are commonplace
in most kitchens. However, most people aren’t aware of their sugar content.
A 1-tablespoon (17-gram) serving of ketchup contains about 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of sugar. That
means ketchup is a whopping 29% sugar — more sugary than ice cream (15 
, 16 
).
Look for condiments and sauces labeled “no added sugar” to cut back on the hidden sugars in
these products.
DIY Herbal Tea to Curb Sugar Cravings
2. Avoid sugary desserts
3. Avoid sauces with added sugar
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DIY Herbal Tea to Curb Sugar
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Herbalist Kate August mixes an herbal tea for curbing sugar cravings.
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3. Other options for seasoning your food that are naturally low in added sugars include herbs and
spices, chili, mustard, vinegar, pesto, mayonnaise, and lemon or lime juice.
Low fat varieties of your favorite foods — like peanut butter, yogurt, and salad dressing — are
everywhere.
If you’ve been told that fat is bad, it may feel natural to reach for these alternatives rather than
the full-fat versions — especially when you’re trying to lose weight.
However, the unsettling truth is that they usually contain more sugar and sometimes more
calories than their full-fat counterparts.
For example, a 6-ounce (170-gram) serving of low fat vanilla yogurt contains 24 grams of sugar
and 144 calories (17 
).
The same amount of full-fat plain yogurt contains just 8 grams of naturally occurring milk sugar
and only 104 calories (18
).
High sugar intake has also been shown to cause weight gain, which negates the reason you
might have chosen a low fat food in the first place (19 
, 20 
).
When you’re trying to cut your sugar intake, it’s often better to choose full-fat foods instead. But
make sure to read the list of ingredients so you can make the better choice.
Whole foods haven’t been processed or refined. They are also free of additives and other
artificial substances. These foods include whole fruits, legumes, whole grains, vegetables, and
meat on the bone.
At the other end of the spectrum are ultra-processed foods. These are prepared foods that
contain salt, sugar, fat, and additives in combinations that are engineered to taste amazing —
which makes it hard to moderate your intake of these foods (21 
).
Examples of ultra-processed foods are soft drinks, sugary cereals, chips, and fast food.
Almost 90% of the added sugars in the average American’s diet come from ultra-processed
foods, whereas only 8.7% come from foods prepared from scratch at home using whole foods
(22 
).
Try to cook from scratch when possible, so you can avoid added sugars. You don’t have to cook
elaborate meals. Simple preparations like marinated meats and roasted vegetables will give you
delicious results.
Canned foods can be a useful and inexpensive addition to your diet, but they can also contain a
lot of added sugar.
Fruits and vegetables contain naturally occurring sugars. However, these aren’t usually an issue
since they don’t affect your blood sugar the same way added sugar does.
4. Eat full-fat foods
5. Eat whole foods
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6. Check for sugar in canned foods
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4. Avoid canned foods that are packed in syrup or have sugar on the ingredient list. Fruit is sweet
enough, so go for versions labeled “packed in water” or “no added sugar.”
If you buy canned fruits or vegetables that do have added sugar, you can remove some of it by
rinsing them in water before you eat them.
Some processed snack foods have a “health halo.” They seem healthy at first glance, and words
like “wholesome” or “natural” may be used in their marketing to make them seem healthier than
they actually are.
Surprisingly, these snacks (such as granola bars, protein bars, and dried fruit) can contain just as
much sugar as chocolate and candy bars.
Dried fruit is a great example. It’s full of fiber, nutrients, and antioxidants. However, it also
contains concentrated amounts of natural sugar (and some versions may be “candied” with
additional added sugar), so you should moderate your intake to keep from overdoing it (23 
).
Here are some healthy low sugar snack ideas:
nuts and seeds
no-sugar-added jerky
hard-boiled eggs
fresh fruit
Some breakfast cereals can be loaded with added sugar. One report found that some of the
most popular ones contained more than half their weight in added sugar (24).
One cereal in the report contained more than 12 teaspoons (50 grams) per serving, making it
88% sugar by weight.
What’s more, the report found that granola, which is usually marketed as a health food, has
more sugar than any other type of cereal, on average.
Popular breakfast foods — such as pancakes, waffles, muffins, and jams — are also loaded with
added sugar (25 
, 26 
, 27 
, 28
).
Save those sugary breakfasts for special occasions and try these low sugar breakfasts instead:
oatmeal sweetened with fresh fruit
Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts
egg scramble with cheese and veggies
avocado on whole grain toast
Choosing a low sugar option with plenty of protein and fiber at breakfast will also help you feel
full until lunchtime, preventing unnecessary snacking (29 
).
Eating less sugar isn’t as easy as just avoiding sweet foods. You’ve already seen that it can hide
in unlikely foods such as ketchup and granola.
Fortunately, food manufacturers are now required to disclose added sugars on food labels.
You’ll see added sugars listed under total carbohydrates on foods that contain them.
Alternatively, you can check the ingredient list for sugar. The higher on the ingredient list sugar
appears, the more sugar the item contains, since ingredients are listed from the highest amount
to the lowest amount used by weight.
7. Be careful with “healthy” processed
snack foods
8. Limit sugary breakfast foods
9. Read labels
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5. However, there are more than 50 names for added sugar on food labels, which makes it more
difficult to spot. Here are some of the most common:
high fructose corn syrup
cane sugar or cane juice
maltose
dextrose
invert sugar
rice syrup
molasses
caramel
A high sugar intake has been linked to increased appetite and weight gain. Conversely, a diet
low in added sugar but high in protein and fiber may have the opposite effect, reducing hunger
and promoting fullness (29 
, 30 
).
Protein has also been shown to directly reduce food cravings. One study found that increasing
protein in the diet by 25% reduced cravings by 60% (31 
).
To curb sugar cravings, stock up on protein-rich whole foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, full-fat
dairy products, avocados, and nuts.
There are several artificial sweeteners on the market that are totally free of sugar and calories,
such as sucralose and aspartame.
However, these artificial sweeteners may be linked to imbalances in gut bacteria that can lead
to poorer blood sugar control, increased food cravings, and weight gain. For this reason, it may
be best to avoid artificial sweeteners too (32 
, 33 
).
Some other natural zero-calories sweeteners show promise. These include stevia, erythritol,
monk fruit, and allulose (34 
, 35 
, 36 
, 37 
).
They are all naturally derived, although they do go through some processing before they arrive
at your local grocery store. Still, research on these sugar alternatives is ongoing.
If you keep high sugar foods in the house, you may be more likely to eat them. It takes a lot of
willpower to stop yourself if you only have to go as far as the pantry or fridge to get a sugar hit.
However, if you live with others it can be hard to keep certain foods out of the house — so you
may want to have a plan in place for when sugar cravings strike. Studies have shown that
distractions, such as doing puzzles, can be very effective at reducing cravings (38
).
If that doesn’t work, then try to keep some healthy low sugar snacks in the house to munch on
instead.
Good sleep habits are incredibly important for your health. Poor sleep has been linked to
depression, poor concentration, reduced immune function, and obesity.
However, lack of sleep may also affect the types of food you eat, predisposing you to choices
that are higher in sugar, fat, salt, and calories (39 
).
10. Consider eating more protein
11. Switch to natural zero-calorie
sweeteners
12. Limit items with high sugar content in
the house
13. Get enough sleep
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