Guide to SugarLOW-SUGAR RECIPES 9
1
Read ingredient lists to
eliminate sneaky sugar
sources where you don’t
actually taste—or need—the
sweet. Look for sugar and sugar
aliases like cane juice, sorghum,
or Sucanat. Also keep an eye out
for anything that ends in “-ose”
(maltose, dextrose) or “juice
concentrate.”
2
Because caffeine may
make your taste buds
perceive foods as less
sweet than they truly are, mind
your coffee habit. When people
drank 200mg of caffeine, they
rated sweetened coffee and
sucrose solutions as less sweet
than when they drank a caffeine-
free placebo. Don’t ditch caffeine
entirely—just be mindful.
3
Rein in stress. Eighty
percent of people say they
eat more sweets when
they’re stressed. A recent study
might explain why: When
stressed women drank a
sugar-sweetened beverage, their
body’s stress response was
tempered (the hormone cortisol
dropped) more than in stressed
women who had an artificially
sweetened drink.
We—as consumers—get that less is more when it comes to sweeteners. In fact, the
majority of us are limiting how much sugar we eat. But let’s go beyond just seeking out
products labeled as “low sugar.” Here are three tips for taming your sweet tooth:
BREAK YOUR SUGAR HABIT
GLUTEN-FREE
CHOCOLATE-PUMPKIN
MINI MUFFINS
p. 161 Cut added sugar in
half by stirring
overripe banana
or chopped dates
into batters and
doughs for quick
breads, cookies,
muffins, and
pancakes.2 Balance the flavor of
acidic tomato
sauces by grating
in carrots,
butternut squash,
beets, or sweet
potatoes. Beets,
apples, and
carrots work
wonderfully to
sweeten
smoothies and
baked goods, too.3 Use unsweet-
ened flaked or
shredded
coconut or
coconut milk in
cookies, oatmeal,
and granola.
Keep amounts in
check—coconut
is a source of
saturated fat.4 Take advantage
of fruits that
grow sweeter as
they ripen:
apples, apricots,
avocados,
bananas,
cantaloupes,
mangoes,
nectarines,
papayas,
peaches, pears,
and plums.5 Choose full-fat
yogurts as a
treat. They’re
less tangy and so
need less added
sugar than
reduced-fat
options.6 Draw out the natural
sugars in onions.
Cook them low
and slow to
caramelize, and
add to burgers
in lieu of ketchup
or relish.