10 Ways to Quit Sugar

The average person in the United States consumes 22 teaspoons (tsp) of sugar daily—more than three times the suggested amount. Too much sugar intake can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. However, quitting sugar—cold turkey or not—can be difficult.

Added sugar hides in many foods, including yogurt, condiments, sports drinks, and cereals. Fortunately, reading labels for sugar content, limiting simple carbs, and eating more proteins and healthy fats are just a few ways to help you quit sugar. Here are 10 tips on how to stop eating sugar and what you can do to make your commitment stick.

1. Read the Label Details

Knowing what foods have sugars, hidden or not, can help you cut out sugar. Sugar goes by many different names. Other names for sugar that you may spot on a list of ingredients include:

• Cane sugar
• Corn sweetener
• Fruit juice concentrates
• Fruit nectar
• High fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Maltose
• Molasses
• Raw sugar
• Sucrose
• Syrup
• Turbinado sugar

You can also see how much added sugar a food contains by reading the Nutrition Facts label, which contains "added sugars" and "total sugars." One gram (g) of sugar contains four calories. If a product has 15g of sugar per serving, that’s 60 calories from the sugar alone, not counting the other ingredients.

2. Limit White Sugar

Refined white sugar is the kind you spoon into coffee or that's added to baked goods. The bloodstream absorbs this simple sugar quickly, causing surges in blood glucose levels and insulin that can wreak havoc on the body, Nicole Avena, PhD, research neuroscientist and author of "Why Diets Fail (Because You're Addicted to Sugar)," told Health.

Refined sugar is also added to countless food products during processing. You might find it under names like cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup in products such as ketchup, bread, salad dressing, and dried fruit.

3. Switch Out Sugary Drinks

Soda, fruit juice, sports drinks, iced tea, and other sweetened beverages can contain added sugar. One can of soda, for example, has 9 tsp, already a third more than the 6-tsp daily limit suggested by the American Heart Association.

Avena suggested substituting seltzer for soda, as seltzer has no added sugar and zero calories. As for fruit-flavored beverages and fruit juice, sub in fruit-infused bottled water or water with fresh fruit slices added.

4. Reorganize Foods at Home

If the rest of your household isn't cutting back on sugar with you, sweet treats and products with added sugar may be stored throughout the kitchen. "Instead, make one drawer or shelf in your kitchen the place where everyone else can stash their treats, so you don't have to see the products every time you open the cabinet or fridge," suggested Avena.

5. Make Foods and Drinks from Scratch

Buying certain foods and drinks in the grocery store can be convenient for making meals. However, you can control how much sugar you use—and even eliminate it sometimes—by making foods and drinks yourself. For example, instead of using ready-made pasta sauce or condiments, you can get the base ingredients and choose whether you want to use any sugary additives in moderation.

6. Swap Treats With Simple Carbs

Pastries, cookies, muffins, white bread, and other treats made with refined flour may be dense with added sugar. This added sugar can affect blood sugar levels—setting up a cycle of grabbing a donut or muffin for energy that doesn't last, Brittany Kohn, RD, a New York City nutritionist, told Health.

Instead, try whole-grain varieties of these foods. Whole grains are converted to sugar during digestion. However, because they're complex carbs rather than simple, they're absorbed slower and provide steady energy.

7. Remember Sugars in Restaurant Foods

One study analyzed sugar content in food and drink items from four fast-food restaurants in the United States, Germany, and Australia. The researchers found that the average sugar content across all items and countries was 11g per 100g or milliliter (mL) serving.

Also, many types of takeout or eat-in cuisine use sauces or coatings made with added sugar. Even the crust of takeout pizza is likely to pack hidden sugar, even though you may not taste it, said Avena.

If you're dining out or grabbing food to go, look at the nutritional information about the foods before you order. That way, you can find options that contain less sugar. You may also be able to ask that your dish be prepared without ingredients containing added sugar.

8. Don't Stop Sugar Cold Turkey

Stopping sugar suddenly might lead to withdrawal symptoms like headaches. "It's better to ease yourself off it slowly by taking one step at a time, so your body has time to adjust," added Kohn.

Another reason not to be in a rush is that slower changes tend to last, said Avena, especially when it comes to quitting sugar. If you typically start your day with two spoonfuls of sugar in your tea or coffee, cut back to one spoonful for a week, and then to zero a week later.

9. Pile on Protein and Healthy Fats

Consuming more healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, avocado, dairy) and lean protein (eggs, turkey, and legumes) is a good strategy when you're trying to quit sugar. Both can keep you feeling satiated and energized, preventing the blood sugar rise and fall that comes with sugar.

10. Replace Added Sugars

You can start quitting sugar by removing added sugars from foods and drinks you enjoy most often. For example, you can sweeten tea with a slice of orange or coffee with a little milk. You might also eat pancakes, cereal, or oatmeal with fresh or dried fruits.

Health Benefits of Cutting Down on Sugar

While a higher intake of added sugar can lead to chronic health conditions, cutting down on sugar has the potential to:

• Decrease the likelihood of dental problems, like cavities
• Help with weight management and blood sugar regulation
• Reduce heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes risks

Are Artificial Sweeteners Better?

Swapping out sugar in favor of an artificial sweetener like aspartame or saccharin can sometimes be helpful for lowering added sugar intake. However, they may not always be the best option.

"Artificial sweeteners provide the sweet taste without calories, so when you consume these products, hunger isn't satisfied, leading you to crave more afterward," said Kohn. This effect might have to do with the sweetness intensity in these products: artificial sweeteners are many times sweeter than natural sugar.

Healthy Alternatives

The types of sugar you don't have to give up are found naturally in foods, such as fructose in fruit and lactose in milk products. "Fruit, for instance, contains an amount of sugar that is in better proportion with the amount of fiber and other nutrients in it," said Aveda.

Look through your spice rack to satisfy a sweet tooth without resorting to refined options. Cinnamon or vanilla extract added to coffee, cereal, or baked goods offer a sweet taste without sugar's side effects, and zero calories, too, said Kohn.

Other sweet spices and herbs to add to beverages and meals include chicory, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom. Citrus zest also adds a fruity, refreshing sweetness.

When to Talk to a Healthcare Provider

Talk with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian if you have questions or concerns about your sugar intake or are at risk of developing diabetes. They can offer more individual guidance about limiting sugar and other food or drink alternatives you can try.

A Quick Review

The average person in the United States consumes around three times more sugar than is recommended, an amount that has been linked to health conditions like heart disease. Because sugar is found in many foods, quitting or limiting sugar can be difficult.

Learning how to interpret nutrition labels and using specific strategies can help you reduce your sugar intake and improve your health. If you're concerned about your sugar consumption or are predisposed to conditions such as diabetes, talk to a healthcare provider about what you can do.