When thinking of where you can find added sugars, food is often what comes to mind first. But sugar sweetened beverages actually remain the number one source of added sugar in the average American diet. That's the packet of sugar in your coffee or tea, soda, juice, coconut water, the caramel syrup in your coffee order, and honey or agave in a morning smoothie. And it's inevitable that it'll make it's way in here & there but here are a few doable ways our Head of Nutrition & Community recommends to cut back:
Skip the sweeteners in your morning beverage. Or at least cut back on what you're doing now. Let's say right now you get a coffee out with 3 pumps of caramel syrup - cut back to one, and then slowly progress to none. It takes time. Buying pre-packaged cold brew or iced tea to have at home? Check your labels on these options too. You may be surprised! Aim to buy ones without added sugar.
Let's say you are still having a little sweetness in your AM coffee. Pair it with a protein-rich breakfast 🍳 to curb sugary cravings all day. Research shows that having protein & fiber with that sugary food helps keep blood sugar more stable afterwards & lowers the sugary cravings during the rest of the day.
Swap sugary energy drinks for low sugar electrolytes. Energy drinks can have as much as 3 TBSP of sugar! Try 1/2 packet of LMNT instead or if that isn't super appealing to you - at first, water down the energy drink (ie 1/2 drink, 1/2 water) to get your taste acquainted to a lower sugar option.
Replace your morning juice with a protein & fiber-rich smoothie instead. Juices remove fiber which is a lot of what makes you feel satiated from those fruits & veggies. Smoothies keep that fiber and when you add a protein (ie a quality powder) and/or fat 🥑, you reap the benefit of feeling satisfied for longer and it's amazing for promoting more stable mood & energy. I'm currently loving this one recommended by the smoothie queen herself, Kelly LeVeque.
Swap sugary bubbles for unsweetened, flavorful options instead 😊 There are lots of great unsweetened or low sugar sparkling water options these days. Instead of Sprite, grab our Lemon. Instead of an afternoon soda for some caffeine, grab our Tangerine or Blood Orange (🍊is my personal go to!).
Choose a low sugar cocktail at night! Whether it's a total zero proof swap or just making a lower sugar alcoholic drink, there are easy ways to get your sugar intake down at night which can make such a positive impact on sleep that night & energy the next day. Throw a chilled sparkling beverage in a wine glass to make it fancy, or if you're going the cocktail route, use a fruitier-flavor sparkling drink in place of sugary soda. Just that one simple swap can cut sugar in your drink by ~12gm or a TBSP!
More of a visual person?! Head to our IG for our reel on the topic!
