Week 4 Team Lean Machine Blog Post

10 Ways to Help Kick the Sugar Habit

1.       Use a Sugar Substitute:

You can use Stevia or Truvia instead of regular sugar when sweeting drinks like, tea or coffee.

2.       Make Your Own Red Sauce:

You can make your own pizza or spaghetti sauce, simply by simmering chopped tomatoes on the stove and adding the spices that you like.  You can add 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar if needed, and this will be way less sugar then the jar sauce you buy in the store.

3.       Move the Jar of Candy.

Either move the jar/bowl of candy on your desk or remove it all together.  This will reduce the urge to eat it.  If you have to get up and seek out the sweet, you are less likely to eat it. 

4.       Eat Whole Fruit:

Instead of reaching for a fruit roll up, fruit juice drinks or that dried up fruit snack.  Have a piece of whole fruit instead, it is a healthier choice and will help to satisfy you sweet cravings.

5.       Make You Own Salad Dressings:

The salad dressing you buy in the grocery stores are high is sugar, so making your own is a much healthier option, not to mention it will save you money.  You can make your own with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Also there is a healthy option that you can purchase in the grocery store of health food store, it’s the Walden Farms brand.

6.       Avoid Flavored Mild & Yogurt:

Low-fat dairy products are good for people with type 2 diabetes, but skip the ones that contain fruit, chocolate or vanilla. The flavored milk contains a lot of extra sugar.  If you still need that extra sweet, try adding your own chopped fresh fruit.

7.       Make Your Own Trail Mix:

You can make your own trail mix with less sugar and a lot cheaper than you can purchase in the store.  Simply use mixed nuts, raisins, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate chips for that little bit of sweet.

8.       Get Ride of the Breakfast Cereal:

Even the boxed cereal that’s say “Healthy” aren’t.  They still contain a lot of sugar.  When looking for breakfast items, read the ingredients and look for the ones that don’t contain refined flours.  One healthy option for breakfast would be a slice of whole grain bread with natural peanut butter and some fruit. 

9.       Choose Whole Grains:

It is an easy switch that can improve your diet, simply choosing whole grains over refined flour ones.  Simply choosing whole grain pasta over regular pasta, or whole grain bread over regular white bread. 

10.   Rethink Size Portions:

Remember, instead of eating that small sugary cookie you could have a fresh piece of fruit of a hand full of nuts. But if you choose to have to cookie, remember to adjust your diet through out the day to account for the sugary intake.

White Bean & Tuna Salad

9 oz canned tuna in water

1 cup white beans, cooked

3/4 cup green pepper

3/4 cup yellow pepper

3 tablespoons green onion

3 tablespoon parsley

Dash white pepper

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons lemon zest

2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Place all ingredients in a glass bowl and mix thoroughly.

2. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

Serving Size 1/2 cup

*Per Serving

710 Calories

12 g Total Fat

(19% calories from fat)

86 g Protein

66 g Carbs

77 mg Cholesterol

888 mg Sodium