Low-Sugar Shopping List

Americans have a love affair with sugar. The biggest culprit? Soft drinks, which account for one-third of our total sugar intake. Plus, table sugar, honey, candies, jams and jellies, cookies, cakes and sweetened fruit drinks all fuel our sugar habit.

Why worry about sugar intake? Two reasons: calories and lack of vitamins and minerals. Munching on cookies instead of fresh fruit for a morning snack adds lots of unnecessary calories and provides little fiber or vitamin C.

Are sugar-free sweet foods okay? Not in my book. They perpetuate the desire for something sweet, and don't encourage us to learn new, healthier eating habits. Most sugar-free foods are high on calories, and low on healthy vitamins and minerals.

Cut back on sugar with the help of our handy lists:
     • Foods to toss
     • Foods to keep
     • Foods to stock up on

Get the facts on low-sugar eating:
     • Quiz: Are you a sugar addict?
     • Conquer your cravings for sweets
     • The Sweet Tooth's Diet
     • Ask the Healthy Eating Expert message board

 

1. Soda, diet soda and all sweetened beverages such as sweetened ice tea, sweetened fruit drinks and sweetened water.

2. Cookies, candies, jams, jellies and pastries.

3. Breakfast cereal where sugar is one of the first three ingredients. Don't be fooled by sugar's aliases: honey, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, syrup.

4. Ice cream and frozen desserts. Frozen sugar is still sugar!

5. Breath mints and gum. If you constantly have something sweet in your mouth, you're more likely to always crave something sweet.

 

1. Fresh fruit in as many different colors and types as you can find. Although fruit contains natural sugar, it's packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals, and beneficial phytochemicals, which may help fight disease.

2. Fruit canned in its own juice. Canned in its own juice means no added sugar -- and you still get the sublime taste of the real fruit. If you're tired of canned pears and peaches, try mangos, pineapples or guavas.

3. Lean protein sources such as poultry, seafood and lean red meat. Often when we crave sugar we're simply hungry. Including protein at every meal can help keep the sugar blues away.

4. Whole grain bread and cereals. Look for the word "whole" in the first ingredient for the healthiest, most satisfying choices.

5. Fresh, frozen or canned vegetables. They offer lots of variety and endless meal options.

6. Salad dressing, especially those made with olive or canola oil, to add flavor and zest to fresh vegetable salads.

7. Nonfat milk or plain soy milk. You don't need a cookie to enjoy a glass of milk, and your bones will thank you for stocking them up with calcium.

 

1. Water! Enjoy tap water, plain mineral water if you like something fizzy or bottled water if you prefer the taste. Avoid flavored waters that may be calorie-free but still taste sweet.

2. Trail mix. Make your own healthy snack by mixing together a variety of nuts and seeds with a handful of dried fruit. You'll love the crunch and the surprise of something naturally sweet in every handful. Be careful with portion sizes -- a handful really is one serving.

3. Plain yogurt. Mix it with cut up pieces of fresh fruit and a handful of whole grain, low sugar cereal for breakfast or a great snack.

4. Frozen fruit -- without added sugar, of course. Blend frozen fruit with plain yogurt for a delicious smoothie, enjoy frozen fruit right from the freezer or add thawed frozen fruit to hot cereal for breakfast. You can purchase frozen fruit, or make your own. Bananas (peeled and wrapped in plastic wrap) and grapes freeze especially well.

5. Nuts and seeds (portions should be less than a handful), and guacamole or hummus with fresh veggies. These tasty treats contain healthy sources of fat, so they keep hunger -- and sugar cravings -- at bay.

6. Whole grain breakfast foods. If you're used to eating a muffin or doughnut with your morning coffee, substitute the sugary baked good for something you can really sink your teeth into. Try spreading low-fat cream cheese on half of a toasted whole grain bagel, or enjoy a slice of hearty whole grain bread topped with tub margarine.