By Berenice Marin, RDN, LDN, Publix Corporate Dietitian
When it comes to added sugars, less is certainly more. Try these helpful tips and strategies to reduce your added sugar intake on a daily basis.
Wiser Beverages
- Drink beverages without added sugars, such as water or unsweetened tea, in place of sugar-sweetened ones.
- Reduce portions of sugar-sweetened beverages; instead of a 20-oz soda, switch to a 12-oz can or even one of the new 7.5-oz cans.
Adjusted Desserts
- Try mini-sized bakery treats, such as cookie bites and dessert shots, in the Publix Bakery.
- Enjoy fruit with naturally occurring sugars as a dessert for a sweet treat.
- Choose unsweetened or no-sugar-added versions of canned fruit, applesauce, and yogurt.
Use Publix Better Choice tags to quickly identify these items while you shop. Make it easier on yourself by cutting back slowly. For instance, if you normally put two packets of sugar in your coffee, try one for a week, then half, and finally add only a splash of low-fat milk. For your yogurt, mix half a serving of sweetened low-fat Greek yogurt with half a serving of plain, and eventually move on to adding natural sweetness with fresh fruit.
Sources
- 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. December 2015. Accessed August 02, 2016.
- "Changes to the Nutrition Facts Label." U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Accessed August 03, 2016.