How to Kick the Sugar Habit

One of the most common complaints I hear from clients is that they just can’t control their sweet tooth. Though many of us want to lower our sugar intake, it’s hard to conquer those sugary cravings.

From dealing with my own sweet cravings, as well as those of my clients, I’ve devised a strategy for reducing the urge to eat sweets and gradually eliminate excess sugar from meals and snacks. Warning: this is not easy! But if you stick to the plan, you’ll find that you’ll be able to jettison many empty calories from your diet.

Here’s your step-by-step guide:

1.   Say goodbye to sugary beverages.

Sodas and other sweetened beverages provide about half of all the added sugar in the typical American diet. So if your day is filled with soda, sugary tea, coffee or energy drinks, this is the first place to cut back. Quitting your favorite soda can be hard, but many people find that keeping the ‘fizz’ without the sweetness can help.  Swap sweetened (including artificially sweetened) beverages for no-calorie sparkling or seltzer water. For flavor add a twist of lemon, orange or lime. If you’re a sweet coffee or tea fanatic, cut the amount of sugar you use by half each week, until you are down to 1 teaspoon or less per beverage.

2.  Nix sugar substitutes.

Perhaps you’re tempted to slash calories by switching to an artificial sweetener. Not so fast! Research indicates that sugar substitutes may not help with weight loss. What’s more, studies show that artificial sweeteners, precisely because they are sweet (even sweeter than regular sugar!), may encourage sugar cravings and sugar dependence. Reset your palate by eliminating sugar substitutes.

3.   Eat mindfully.

When the urge to grab that doughnut or chocolate bar hits, take a moment to “check in” with your feelings. Are you really hungry? Stressed? By staying in tune with what’s really behind your cravings, you can gradually take control. Sometimes a break from work, a short walk, or a chat with a friend can soothe the need for sweets.  When you do eat, do so without distraction. By turning our attention inward when we eat (that is, not toward the television, computer, or phone), we can experience the true intensity and pleasure of food.

4.   Know sugar when you see it.

Always read the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient list for packaged foods and beverages. If “sugars” on the label are more than 8 grams, go directly to the ingredient list and if you see a form of added sugars there, put the product back on the shelf. If there is no sugar in the ingredient list, it means that the food or beverage contains natural sugars; we don’t worry about them because your body processes them differently than added sugars. (See #5 below)

Common cues that equal added sugar in ingredient lists include sucrose, dextrose, sorbitol, mannitol, honey, agave, dextrin, maltodextrin, high fructose corn syrup and any other syrup.  For the most part, if there is an “-ose,” or “-ols” it means it’s a sugar. Sucralose is a sugar substitute.

5.   Go “natural”.

If you’re fretting that a life without added sugar will lose its luster, you needn’t worry. Naturally occurring sugars found in fresh and dried fruit, plain yogurt, whole grains and even roasted veggies are still on the menu. That’s because these foods (unlike candy and other goodies) provide important nutrients like protein, vitamin D, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber – you’ll be hard-pressed to find any of these nutrients in candy, cookies and soft drinks. Plus, fiber and protein take longer to digest, causing a less dramatic spike in blood sugar. They also make you feel fuller for longer. As you give added sugar the boot, make sure you’re incorporating servings of fruit, veggies and plain yogurt into your diet.

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Further reading:
The Truth About Sugar Addiction
Sugars and Sweeteners Quiz: Test Your Sugar Smarts
Video: Natural vs Added Sugars

By Katherine Brooking, MS, RD

Feed Your Head: Cravings Quenchers

Fruit smoothies, nachos, frozen yogurt, and other snacks make great healthy - and tasty - treats.

Junk food has given snacking a bad name.

"Snacking in itself isn't a bad thing," says Elaine Magee, PhD, RD, author of numerous nutrition books, including 'Someone's in the Kitchen With Mommy' and 'The Good News Eating Plan for Type II Diabetes'.

Magee firmly believes in eating several small meals during the day -- "and that includes quality, healthy snacks," she tells WebMD.

Her philosophy: Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're comfortable. "There's a difference between stuffed and comfortable," she says. "If you truly follow that concept, you should be hungry every two or three hours."

Here's Magee's list of favorite healthy snacks -- plus the "bad guys" -- taken from another of her books, 'Fight Fat and Win: Light Meals and Snacks':



Popcorn. The fat in those microwave brands is the only negative here. Look for the healthier versions -- 98% fat-free. If you opt for plain popcorn, it's OK to drizzle a little margarine (one with no trans-fats) or butter. "It's better than full-fat brands, where you can't control the fat they add," says Magee.  

Fruit and fruit smoothies. "Awesome, awesome healthy snack choice," she says. "For a complete, sustainable snack, make a fruit smoothie -- the dairy will sustain you."

Ice cream. Get real. You know ice cream isn't an everyday snack. "But there are good choices in ice-creamland," says Magee. Breyer's Light Vanilla is one of the best-tasting vanillas. Also, Smart Ones fudge bars are "really delicious -- they hit your chocolate and ice cream craving, plus they have four grams soluble fiber, 80 calories, hardly any fat, and very good flavor."


Cookies. Hmmm..."that's a toughie, because there's no way to get around it -- if they're fat-free, the cookies aren't so great, and you end up eating more," she tells WebMD. "Cookies are something you should enjoy, but not as a regular snack."

Cheese and crackers. Only if you pick a reduced-fat cheese that tastes good, like Kraft 2% and Jarlsberg Light, she advises. Lower fat means more protein, she adds. Crackers should be whole grain, low-fat, for this to be a healthy snack. The more fat in the cracker, the more trans-fat it will contain.


Cereals. Choose high-fiber, low-sugar cereals like oatmeal.  


Yogurt/frozen yogurt. "We don't drink milk at my house, so yogurt is one of our calcium sources," she says. Yogurt doesn't need sugar to taste good. Buy plain yogurt and add something to it, like low-fat granola and fruit, for a truly healthy snack.

Candy bars. If you opt for mini-sized -- not supersized -- candy is OK. "Almost every day, I have a little bit of chocolate," says Magee. "If you deprive yourself, you'll end up compulsively overeating."

Popsicles/frozen fruit bars. Fine snack. "There are some excellent, 100% fruit-juice choices out there."


Vegetables. "Awesome, awesome, awesome snack," says Magee. "I have lot of success with my kids eating vegetables. I usually have a dip, like light ranch dip, and assorted vegetables on a platter."

Cake. Duh. Much as we love it, cake is not a great everyday snack. "When I'm talking about snack, I mean a nourishing snack, a healthy snack, a mini-meal," says Magee.

Peanut Butter. It's OK, but only if you just eat a tablespoon, and just with wholegrain crackers or toast.

Granola bars. The chewier they are, the more sugar and fat they have, Magee tells WebMD. "The healthy ones are crunchy, and not coated in chocolate. You can make your own; there are good recipes out there, then you can choose the oil, fruits, grains that go into them."

Chips/nachos. Low-fat chips, canola oil chips are OK -- "but you're better off eating a real potato," says Magee.
Better yet, make a family-sized nacho platter with reduced-fat tortilla chips, refried beans, chopped tomatoes, peppers, sour cream, shredded chicken, low-fat shredded cheese. "You can make it a meal if you add something nourishing to the chips," she says. Now that's a healthy snack.

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