Four Easy Ways to Cut Back on Added Sugar

These days sugar is everywhere. Its difficult to find any processed food that doesn't add sugar. And it is the added sugar that you really have to watch out for. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar to no more than 36g for men and 25g for women. But the average American (that means for everyone who consumes less, someone else is consuming more) now gets 77g per day.

The new nutrition labeling requires added sugar to be listed separately from total sugar, but it has not yet been universally adopted. In the meanwhile, here are four very simple things you can do to start cutting back on added sugar.

1. Do Breakfast "Old Style"

Instead of reaching for the latest sugary cereal - and the ones touting their protein and fiber are as bad as the kid stuff - go old school. Eat the cereals you had as a child. Original Cheerios, Wheaties, Shredded Wheat and Corn Flakes are all either low in added sugar or missing it altogether. Toss on some banana slices or berries to add sweetness and a lot of nutrition.

Prefer a hot cereal? Avoid the "instant" varieties, they are loaded with sugar and salt. Just make it from scratch. Oatmeal takes at most 10 minutes (use the rolled oats for a faster meal, the steel cut take much longer) or can even be made overnight in a slow cooker. Oat bran is even quicker. Add a little cinnamon for zing.

2. Hydrate Healthfully

Sodas and "fruit" juices are among the biggest sources of added sugar in people's diet. There are about 13 teaspoonfuls of sugar in a 12 oz can of soda, and fruit juices are a repellent mix of sugar, preservatives and artificial colors with a few drops of actual fruit juice added for legal cover. Just stop buying them.

If you simply MUST sweeten your coffee or tea, use a natural sweetener like stevia. Replace that soda with sparkling water. If you prefer a bit of flavor you can add a dash of juice like lemon or orange squeezed from actual fruit. Or you can infuse stillwater by letting different fruits and herbs soak in it in the fridge for a few hours. And as a last resort, if you simply cannot ditch the soda, buy it in the smaller 7-ounce cans.

3. Glance at the nutrition label.

Added sugar can be sneaky. It is often hidden within other ingredients that sound "natural" and "healthy". Pretty much anything ending in -ose is added sugar. Corn syrup (high fructose especially), cane juice, rice syrup and molasses are all another way to say sugar. Compare products and choose the ones with the least sugar added. Ignore everything on the package except the nutrition label. The rest is all marketing lies.

4. Trick Yourself.

Cinnamon, vanilla or almond flavoring, nutmeg and mint herbs and seasonings are a great substitute for sugar. Leave some fruit out where you can see it and snack on that. At first it might not be that satisfying but give your taste a few weeks to adapt and you will soon find fruit as sweetly satisfying as sugary garbage.