Recommended Free Tools
You can reduce added sugar without giving up every sweet food: start with one routine source, make a swap you actually like, and adjust sweetness gradually. Added sugar is the sugar or syrup put into foods during processing, cooking, or at the table; it is different from the sugars naturally present in whole fruit and milk.
Start with one source of added sugar
Pick something you have regularly—a sweetened drink, breakfast cereal, flavored yogurt, or a bottled sauce—and check its label. On packaged foods, compare both the serving size and the Nutrition Facts panel’s “Added Sugars” line. A product’s front label may not tell you how much added sugar is in the portion you actually eat.
Check the ingredient list, too. Sugar can appear as honey, molasses, syrups, or ingredients ending in “ose.” It may be listed under more than one name. The American Heart Association’s added-sugars guide and its Sugar 101 page explain how to identify it.
The AHA recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6% of calories, which it translates to about 6 teaspoons a day for most women and 9 for men. That is the AHA’s general guidance, not an individualized prescription. For perspective, the AHA says a 12-ounce regular soda contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar; its pages give different calorie figures for that serving, so the teaspoon figure is the clearer comparison.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors#1 Best Overall
Make breakfast flavorful, not just less sweet
Instead of simply removing sweetness, add other flavors and textures. Try plain oatmeal or unsweetened cereal with fruit, nuts, or cinnamon, or plain yogurt with fruit. These are options, not a guarantee that one combination will suit everyone. The 2021 Dietary Guidelines fact sheet recommends plain oatmeal or yogurt with fruit as alternatives to sugary cereal.
For oatmeal, sliced banana, berries, or chopped apple can bring natural sweetness. Cinnamon or another warm spice adds aroma without adding sugar. If you are used to sweetened cereal or yogurt, try the change in stages: use less sweetener first, then see whether fruit or spice gives the bowl enough flavor for you.
Rank #2
Reduce sweetness in drinks a little at a time
If you add sugar to coffee or tea, use a little less than usual and let your taste adjust before reducing it again. For a sweetened bottled or fountain drink, mix it with an unsweetened version in changing proportions, or try water, sparkling water, or unsweetened tea instead. Fruit, citrus, cucumber, or herbs can add flavor to water.
Low- or no-calorie drinks can be another transition option, but “sugar-free” does not automatically mean nutritious. Choose what works for your preferences and overall eating pattern. The AHA’s drink-reduction guidance recommends making the change gradually.
Adjust baking recipes with the recipe in mind
Sugar affects more than sweetness, so reducing it can change texture, browning, and moisture. The AHA suggests trying one-third to one-half less sugar in some baking recipes, but results depend on what you are making. Start with a modest reduction in a familiar recipe and assess the result before changing it further.
Depending on the recipe, you could also experiment with unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, sweet potato, or carrot, or add vanilla or citrus extract and warm spices for flavor. These ingredients are not interchangeable in every bake, and a substitution may require other adjustments. The AHA’s tips for cutting down on sugar and sugar-swaps infographic offer examples to try.
Rank #4
- Every recipe comes with complete nutrition information including WEIGHT WATCHER POINT COMPARISONS, DIABETIC EXCHANGES AND CARB CHOICES making Eat More of What You Love the perfect companion for weight loss and diabetes diets.
Check sauces and snacks, too
Added sugar can be easy to overlook in savory foods. Compare serving sizes and added-sugar amounts on dressings, ketchup, barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, and similar products. If you make a sauce at home, you can control how much sugar—and sodium—you add.
For a snack with more than one flavor and texture, combine ingredients such as nuts, seeds, popcorn, unsweetened dried fruit, oats, and unsweetened whole-grain cereal. If you want a broader swap, the AHA suggests options such as fruit instead of candy, nuts instead of chips, or plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Treat these as possibilities, not rules; a useful change is one that fits the meal and that you want to keep eating.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Best Value
Keep changes small enough to maintain
There is no need to change every meal at once. Choose one product or habit, test a practical alternative, and adjust it until the flavor works for you. For more ideas on balancing meals, see the AHA’s guides to nutrient-dense food swaps and adding fruit and vegetables.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
