After the Halloween party, it’s perfect to talk about sugar! Who doesn’t love sweets?
The taste of sugar is innate and many find it difficult to reduce consumption. However, high sugar consumption increases the risk of obesity, chronic diseases and tooth decay. My tips to reduce your sugar consumption with ease!
WHO recommendations
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends reducing free sugar consumption to less than 10% of total energy intake and even encourages people to reach 5% of total energy intake. Free sugars include sugars added to foods and beverages, as well as naturally occurring sugars in syrups, honey, and fruit juices. According to a study conducted by Laval University researchers among 1,100 people, Quebecers, on average, get almost 12% of their energy intake from free sugar.
1. Limit your consumption of sugary drinks
Sugary drinks are one of the main sources of sugar in the diet. By limiting or avoiding their consumption, it is possible to greatly reduce the amount of sugar in your diet. Replace those high-sugar drinks with water daily, which you can flavor with herbs and fruits to add flavor. Coffee, tea, and herbal teas with no added sugar are also good options.
2. Bake your own cakes, tarts, muffins and cookies
Commercial desserts are another important source of sugar in the diet. By making your own desserts, you can gradually reduce the amount of sugar and gradually accustom your palate to less sweet pastries.
3. Use spices
Adding spices can reduce the amount of sugar used without affecting the flavor of your recipes. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger, which go into the composition of gingerbread, give pleasant aromatic notes that allow you to reduce the amount of added sugar.
4. Replace added sugar with fruit
It is also possible to reduce the amount of added sugar (e.g. white sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, etc.) in recipes by replacing them with fruit, especially date puree or well-cooked bananas, blackberries.
5. Opt for the no-sugar versions
At the grocery store, choose unsweetened versions of many foods, such as yogurt, frozen fruit, applesauce, fortified vegetable drinks, and oatmeal. Add fresh or dried fruit to add a sweet touch.
6. Choose your breakfast cereal carefully
To choose healthy breakfast cereals, opt for those with a sugar content of less than 5g (less than 10g for cereals with fruit) per 30g serving.
7. Check the ingredient lists
At the grocery store, take a look at the ingredient lists of the products you buy. When sugar is the first ingredient on the list, it means that sugar is the ingredient present in the greatest amount in the product.
8. Plan your snacking
When hunger strikes, the available food supply is not always optimal. In order not to be surprised, you should always have healthy food available. Fresh or dried fruits, nuts, and plain Greek yogurt make great snacks. Do you have a craving for sugar? Opt for a small square or two of dark chocolate or two dried dates!
9. Discover other flavors
Besides sweet, there are four other flavors: sour, salty, bitter, and umami (meaning savory in Japanese). A great way to reduce your sugar consumption is to use these flavors to add a different flavor to your recipes.
10. Avoid sweeteners
In order to reduce your sugar consumption, it is better to accustom your palate to less sweet tastes than to resort to sweeteners that preserve the taste for sweetness. In addition to preserving the taste of sugar, sweeteners can affect the balance of the microbiota.
Nutri-Trick: For a healthier dessert recipe, try not to exceed 125ml sugar for 250ml flour. Texture, color and flavor are unaffected by these amounts. For muffins, 45 ml (3 tablespoons) of sugar per cup of flour (or oatmeal) is often sufficient.
Do you have sugar cravings? Check out my tips: isabellehuot.com/blogs/articles/pour-en-end-avec-ces-rages-de-sucre