How Do I Cut Back on Sugar and Improve My Diet Quickly?

The quickest way to cut back on sugar is to remove the largest sources first, not to eliminate sweet food altogether. For most people, a few changes to drinks, snacks and breakfast make a bigger difference than a strict rule. The World Health Organization recommends keeping free sugars, which include sugars added to foods and drinks as well as sugars in honey, syrups and fruit juice, below 10 percent of your total energy intake, and notes a further benefit below 5 percent.

Start with drinks

Sweetened drinks are often one of the largest sources of added sugar in a day, and they are easy to cut without feeling hungry, because liquid sugar does little to fill you up. Swap soft drinks, sweetened iced teas and sugary coffee drinks for water, sparkling water, unsweetened tea, or coffee with a small amount of milk. Fruit juice counts toward free sugars too, even though it contains some nutrients.

If you currently have several sweetened drinks a day, reduce them one at a time over a week or two. Many people find that their taste adjusts within a few weeks, and sweet drinks start to taste more intense than they used to.

Read labels and spot hidden sugars

Added sugar hides in sauces, breads, cereals, flavored yogurts, granola and ready meals. Check the ingredients list, where sugar can appear under names such as syrup, dextrose, sucrose, honey or fruit concentrate. Compare similar products and choose the one with less added sugar. Whole fruit is different from added sugar, because it comes with fiber and water, and it does not need to be avoided.

Make changes you can keep

Quick changes work best when they are specific. A 2006 meta-analysis by Gollwitzer and Sheeran found that planning when and where you will do something, sometimes called an implementation intention, has a medium-to-large effect on reaching goals. A practical version is deciding that you will have yogurt with fruit instead of a sweet pastry on weekday mornings, and keeping those foods at home.

Habits usually take longer to settle than people expect. A 2010 study by Lally and colleagues found a median of about 66 days for a new daily behavior to feel automatic, with a wide range between individuals. Missing a day does not undo your progress, so aim to get back on track at the next meal rather than starting over or compensating with severe restriction.

Takeaway

Cut sweet drinks first, check labels for hidden sugar, and plan specific swaps rather than relying on willpower. Keeping free sugars under 10 percent of energy intake is a useful target. If you have diabetes or another condition that affects blood sugar, work with your doctor or a registered dietitian on your plan.