5 Ways to Cut Back on Added Sugar

(Dinogo) — Halloween is just around the corner, bringing with it visions of costumes, pumpkins, spooky decorations, and of course, an endless supply of candy.

Who doesn’t enjoy a good excuse to indulge in fun-size chocolate bars, candy corn, lollipops, and other sugary treats all day? But let's be real: it’s not healthy to make this a regular habit, especially since most of these snacks are packed with added sugar.

Unfortunately, for many Americans, overindulging in sugar isn't just reserved for one candy-filled holiday. Added sugar has quietly worked its way into almost every meal, becoming an everyday part of life.

On average, Americans aged 2 and older consume a staggering 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day, based on the latest government data. That’s nearly three times the recommended daily limit for women (6 teaspoons) and almost double the limit for men (9 teaspoons), according to experts like the American Heart Association. Other organizations, like the US Department of Agriculture and the World Health Organization, have slightly varying recommendations.

Ongoing research confirms that consuming too much added sugar can contribute to a range of health issues, including weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, cancer, and even depression.

Our overwhelming craving for sugar isn’t entirely our fault; the system is designed to make it hard to resist, according to one expert.

"If you're someone who struggles with sugar cravings and compulsions, you're trapped in an environment that constantly encourages you to eat sugar," Dr. Laura Schmidt explained in a recent interview on the Chasing Life podcast with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dinogo's Chief Medical Correspondent.

You can listen to the full episode of the podcast here.

Schmidt is a sociologist, a health policy professor at the University of California, San Francisco, and the lead investigator at SugarScience, a research initiative under UC San Francisco that gathers scientific evidence on sugar's impact on health.

Schmidt believes that sugar shouldn’t be demonized, but we do need to cut back on our consumption.

"The problem with how we discuss food and nutrition is that we tend to focus on individual ingredients or nutrients," she explained. "From a health perspective, that’s not the most important thing. What matters is the overall diet and maintaining a good balance of all the macronutrients."

However, Schmidt emphasized that Americans are "well beyond the recommended limit" when it comes to sugar intake. "We really need to find ways to reduce this particular ingredient," she said.

But as many people are aware, cutting back on sugar can be tricky since it’s hidden in so many foods—ranging from the obvious (sodas, cakes, and candy) to the less obvious (breakfast cereals, bread, yogurt, and even tomato sauce). In fact, some estimates suggest that added sweeteners are found in 74% of packaged foods sold in grocery stores.

The reason for the widespread presence of added sugar in so many food products is simple, according to Schmidt.

"Food companies have three main ingredients they rely on to make products more appealing — some even call it 'hyper-palatable' — and those ingredients are sugar, fat, and salt," Schmidt explained. "These ingredients are mixed in various combinations in most of our ultraprocessed foods, often because the industrial production process makes the products taste bland without them."

Breaking free from sugar can be a real challenge, but Schmidt offers five tips to help curb your intake.

Cut out sugary drinks

Schmidt advises avoiding liquid sugar sources.

"Try to limit or eliminate sugary drinks like sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, and sugary juice pouches," Schmidt said in an email. "These beverages are the biggest contributors to added sugars in the American diet, especially among children, and they offer no nutritional benefits."

Schmidt pointed out that sugary drinks can easily become a habit, causing you to consume large amounts without even realizing it.

Eliminate temptation at work

Reduce the presence of sugar triggers in your workplace.

"Encourage your employer or workplace to follow the example of others who have removed sugary drinks from vending machines and cafeterias," Schmidt suggested, noting that these can be replaced with "many tasty sugar-free options."

"Clinical trials show that when companies stop selling sugary drinks, employees who regularly drank soda tend to lose, on average, half an inch from their waist within 10 months," Schmidt explained. She also mentioned that SugarScience offers free resources to help workplaces reduce the availability of sugary beverages.

And while you're at it, take the scenic route around the candy bowl in the break room so you don’t hear it tempting you.

Make it a habit to keep sweets out of sight at home.

Don't forget to clean up your home food environment too.

"As a household, agree to keep sugary snacks and drinks out of the house—save them for when you go out, but not as everyday items at home," Schmidt suggested. "Research shows that reducing sugar is more effective when done in groups, not alone. So, come up with a sensible plan together for what should and shouldn't be in the kitchen."

Even if removing sugary junk food and soda from your home doesn’t completely stop you from craving them, it gives you the space you need to resist the urge to indulge.

Soothe your cravings

Create a strategy for managing the mental stress that comes with sugar withdrawal.

"Sugar cravings are very real, but there are simple, evidence-backed techniques to manage them," Schmidt explained. "These techniques focus on learning to experience the craving calmly without giving in to it — a practice known as 'surfing the urge.'"  

You can find free "surfing the urge" guided meditations online. Schmidt also highlights self-guided audio resources used by SugarScience to assist soda drinkers in quitting as part of a 16-site, National Institutes of Health-funded clinical trial.

Put sugary foods in their proper context.

Reserve sugary treats for special occasions; don’t let them sneak into every meal.

"Adult women should limit their added sugar intake to no more than 6 teaspoons per day, 9 teaspoons for men, 4 teaspoons for children, and no added sugar for children under 2," Schmidt advised in an email.

One way to manage sugar consumption, Schmidt suggests, is by making your own desserts and treats. "This way, you can enjoy the sugar you do eat by baking and sharing it together, turning the sugar into part of a celebration," she explained.

To stick as closely as possible to these limits, it’s important to read food labels carefully. Check for the 'added sugar' section to calculate how much excess sugar you’re consuming each day.

We hope these five tips help you reduce your sugar intake. Listen to the full episode of the podcast here. Join us next week on Chasing Life as we explore the art of compromise.