After the Halloween party, talking about sugar is perfect! Who doesn’t love sweets?
The taste of sugar is innate and for many, it is difficult to reduce consumption. However, a high consumption of sugar increases the risk of obesity, chronic diseases and dental caries. My tips for reducing your sugar intake with ease!
WHO recommendations
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends reducing the consumption of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake, even encouraging 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. However, according to a study conducted among 1,100 people by researchers at Laval University, Quebecers consume, on average, nearly 12% of their energy intake in the form of free sugars.
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. On a daily basis, replace these high-sugar drinks with water that you can flavor with herbs and fruits to give it more flavor. Coffee, tea, and herbal teas with no added sugar are also good options.
2. Bake your cakes, cakes, muffins and cookies yourself
Commercial desserts are another major source of sugar in the diet. By cooking your own desserts, you can gradually reduce the amount of sugar you add and gradually accustom your palate to less sweet pastries.
3. Use spices
Adding spices can reduce the amount of sugar used without compromising the flavor of your recipes. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger, which go into the composition of gingerbread, confer pleasant aromatic notes which make it possible to reduce the amount of added sugar.
4. Replace added sugars with fruit
It is also possible to reduce the amount of added sugars (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. Go for the no-sugar-added versions
At the grocery store, select unsweetened versions of many foods such as yogurt, frozen fruit, applesauce, fortified plant-based beverages and oatmeal. Add fresh or dried fruit to add a sweet touch.
6. Choose Your Breakfast Cereals 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. If sugar is the first ingredient on the list, it means that sugar is the ingredient present in the greatest quantity in the product.
8. Plan your snacks
When hunger strikes, the available food supply is not always optimal. To avoid being caught off guard, always have healthy foods available. Fresh or dried fruits, nuts and plain Greek yogurt are great snacks. Do you have a craving for sugar? Opt for one or two small squares 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 good way to reduce your sugar consumption is to use these flavors to give your recipes a different flavor.
10. Avoid sweeteners
To reduce your sugar intake, it is better to accustom your palate to less sweet flavors rather than resorting to sweeteners which maintain the taste for sweetness. Not only do sweeteners maintain the taste of sugar, but they can also compromise the balance of the microbiota.
Nutri-trick: for a healthier dessert recipe, try not to exceed 125 ml of sugar for 250 ml of flour. Texture, color and flavor will not be compromised with these amounts. For muffins, 45 ml (3 tablespoons) of sugar is often sufficient per cup of flour (or rolled oats).
Do you have sugar cravings? Check out my tips: isabellehuot.com/blogs/articles/pour-en-end-avec-ces-rages-de-sucre