Eating sweets and sugary treats may trigger feel-good hormones in our brain, but excessive consumption actually creates a harmful effect on the body. Similarly, although it is a source of energy, sugary food can be equated to nutrition-less and calorie-filled foods that increase our weight and can lead to multiple health issues, especially when paired with a sedentary lifestyle.

As such, it’s always important to limit how much sugar we eat. No matter where it comes from, be it honey, jam, jellies, plain sugar or drinks, you always have to limit it and cut down if you’re taking too much of it. To do so, let’s discuss some ways you can cut down on sugar, broken down by meals of the day.

Breakfast

According to health experts, breakfast should be the healthiest meal of the day, with a balance of nutrients like proteins, vitamins and minerals. Additionally, excessive sugar intake in breakfast can disturb blood-sugar levels, and increase the risk of heart diseases and diabetes. Some simple ways of cutting down sugar from breakfast are:

1. Opt for plain rather than the sugar-filled cereals
2. Instead of using sugar in cereals or yogurt, add some chopped fresh fruits that contain healthier sugars
3. Alternatively, use a little bit of honey instead of sugar to make a dish sweet
4. Eat plain or salty porridge instead of sweet
5. Eat bread with high fiber contents instead of normal white bread that has more sugar
6. Switch out canned fruits that are filled with sugar with fresh fruits or cold-pressed juice that only has natural sugars present in the fruit

Main Course

The main course of the day is usually the heaviest and more complex meal you’ll have and is preceded by an appetizer and followed by a desert. It’s usually comprised of dishes made with vegetables, meat, dairy and bread. Like before, some simple ways of cutting down on sugar from the main course are:

1. Choose homemade soups and stews instead of readymade ones to avoid added sugars
2. Add more vegetables in dishes to make them more flavorful and healthy
3. Use yogurt dressing instead of packed, preserved dressings
4. Replace white rice, bread, and flour with brown rice, wheat bread and whole-wheat flour —> whole fiber also breaks down much slower, providing better absorption of nutrients
5. Most people drink soda or other sugary drinks with their main course, which adds no nutrition, only empty calories. Instead, replace them with healthy alternatives like fresh cold-pressed juice, flavored teas or water
6. Replace sugar-filled desserts with healthy alternatives like fresh fruits and dates

Healthy Snacking

Snacking has the power to make or break your day. On one hand, unhealthy snacking can be the biggest source of empty nutrition and extra calories. On the other, healthy snacking can be a good source of extra nutrition to your diet. For example, snacking comes with multiple benefits like helping maintain blood-sugar levels and preventing overeating later on. As such, it’s very important to choose healthy snack items that can help you. For example:

1. Healthy nuts and seeds
2. Fresh fruits and cold-pressed juices
3. Whole wheat biscuits and granola bars
4. Plain Greek yogurt with added fresh fruits or honey for sweetness
5. Homemade salted popcorn

As you snack, try to avoid packed or preserved snacks that carry calories with less or no nutrition, and choose homemade ones that you know are healthy because you made them yourself.

Final Thoughts

Too much sugar can create a mess of your life in a variety of ways. If you prize your appearance, it can make you gain weight and look dull. If you prize your health—which you should—it leads to multiple health issues. Don’t let that happen. Protect your body by doing everything we covered today, which will lead to the following benefits of a low-sugar diet:

• Younger looking skin
• More energetic lifestyle
• Reduced belly fat and fear of diabetes or obesity
• Reduced fear of heart diseases