6 ways to reduce your sugar intake

If your goal is to reduce sugar in your diet, an obvious place to start is by limiting your consumption of regular soda, candy and other high-sugar items. But chances are you're still consuming more added sugar than you realize.

By Jason S. Ewoldt

To reduce sugar in your diet, an obvious place to start is by limiting your consumption of regular soda, as well as the addition of the spoonful of sugar into your morning cereal. But what if you're already making strides in reducing the obvious high-sugar items? Chances are you're still consuming more added sugar than you realize from some everyday foods.

Here are some tips to help you reduce your sugar intake:

  • Instead of adding sugar to sweeten oatmeal or cereal, top your bowl with your favorite fruit.
  • Opt for low-calorie or sugar-free drinks instead of sugar-sweetened beverages. Better yet, drink water (plain or sparkling).
  • Enjoy fruit for dessert instead of cookies or pastries.
  • Cut the amount of sugar you use in recipes for cakes and cookies, or switch out sugar completely by using unsweetened applesauce.
  • Be mindful of condiments such as ketchup and barbecue sauce, which can be high in sugar, and opt for lower sugar options such as salsa, mustard or hot sauce.
  • Read food labels and research restaurant menus online. Avoid the high-sugar options.
Dec. 11, 2016 See more In-depth

See also

  1. MIND diet may cut Alzheimer's risk
  2. 3 diet changes women over 50 should make right now
  3. 3 key changes in the new Nutrition Facts label
  4. Healthy-eating habits
  5. Acai berries
  6. Added sugar
  7. Alcohol use
  8. Alkaline water
  9. Are energy drinks bull?
  10. Artificial sweeteners and other sugar substitutes
  11. Autism spectrum disorder and digestive symptoms
  12. Bad food habits at work? Get back on track in 5 easy steps
  13. Best oil for cooking?
  14. 2015-2020 Dietary guidelines
  15. Boost your calcium levels without dairy? Yes you can!
  16. Breast-feeding nutrition: Tips for moms
  17. Caffeine: How much is too much?
  18. Is caffeine dehydrating?
  19. Calorie calculator
  20. The role of diet and exercise in preventing Alzheimer's disease
  21. Can whole-grain foods lower blood pressure?
  22. Carbohydrates
  23. Chart of high-fiber foods
  24. Cholesterol: Top foods to improve your numbers
  25. Coconut water: Healthy drink or marketing scam?
  26. Coffee and health
  27. Diet soda: How much is too much?
  28. Dietary fats
  29. Dietary fiber
  30. Prickly pear cactus
  31. Does soy really affect breast cancer risk?
  32. Don't get tricked by these 3 heart-health myths
  33. Don't go cuckoo for coconut water
  34. Make healthy snack choices
  35. Eat more of these key nutrients
  36. Eggs: Bad for cholesterol?
  37. Energy drinks
  38. Fat grams
  39. For a healthy gut, feed the good bugs
  40. Fiber: Soluble or insoluble?
  41. Fish and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
  42. Fit more fiber into your diet
  43. Grape juice health benefits
  44. Guidelines for a good ileostomy diet
  45. Is chocolate healthy?
  46. Healthy heart for life: Avoiding heart disease
  47. Healthy-eating tip: Don't forget fiber
  48. High-fructose corn syrup
  49. High-protein diets
  50. Alcohol during the holidays: 4 ways to sip smarter
  51. Holiday weight: How to maintain, not gain
  52. How the right diet can help an overactive bladder
  53. Takeout containers
  54. Is there more to hydration than water?
  55. Juicing is no substitute for whole foods
  56. Juicing
  57. Depression and diet
  58. Limit bad fats, one step at a time
  59. Make food labels required reading
  60. Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
  61. MUFAs
  62. Multigrain vs. whole grain
  63. Need a snack? Go nuts!
  64. Need more fiber? Take 3 steps
  65. Nutrition Facts label
  66. Nutrition rules that will fuel your workout
  67. Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
  68. Omega-3 in fish
  69. Omega-6 fatty acids
  70. Phenylalanine
  71. Play it safe when taking food to a loved one in the hospital
  72. Protein: Heart-healthy sources
  73. Healthy eating plans
  74. Raw water: Risky fad?
  75. Reduce sugar in your diet
  76. Health foods
  77. Portion control
  78. Planning healthy meals
  79. High-fiber diet
  80. Social eating can be healthy and enjoyable
  81. Sodium
  82. Sodium: Look beyond the saltshaker
  83. Stevia
  84. Tap water or bottled water: Which is better?
  85. Taurine in energy drinks
  86. The best foods for healthy skin
  87. Time to cut back on caffeine?
  88. Time to scale back on salt?
  89. Trans fat
  90. Underweight: Add pounds healthfully
  91. Want a healthier dinnertime? Science says change your eating space
  92. Daily water requirement
  93. Functional foods
  94. What is clean eating?
  95. What's considered moderate alcohol use?
  96. What's the difference between juicing and blending?
  97. Why does diet matter after bariatric surgery?
  98. Working out? Remember to drink up
  99. Yerba mate