Easy swaps to cut your sugar by half

We love any initiative that helps Australia (and the world!) cut down on the sweet stuff.

That’s why Sarah and the team are supporting SugarByHalf, a new non-profit organisation helping Aussies find easy ways to reduce their sugar intake by half.

SugarByHalf is gunning to bring down the average daily sugar consumption from 16 teaspoons to eight teaspoons or less, in line with our and the World Health Organization’s recommendations. Go team!

Looking to reduce your sugar intake? SugarByHalf has some super simple swaps you can try today (with a few little additions from us!). Plus, they’ve got a nifty sugar calculator on their site so you can check if you’ve reached today’s quota.

***

Easy swaps for breakfast.

• Swap sugary cereals for Weet-Bix or Vita Brits and sweeten with [a little] fresh fruit.
• Swap flavoured yoghurts for [full-fat] greek yoghurt and [a little] fresh fruit.
• Cook up a frittata or some mini frittatas for breakfast to grab and go. [You might like our Fridgalicious Frittata.]
• Have some hard boiled eggs on hand in the fridge – mash with mayonnaise and spread on toast [go for sourdough if you can].
• Swap jam and nutella for cream cheese, vegemite, [low-sugar] nut butters, avocado or [half a] mashed banana.
• Fry leftover veggies and serve with a fried or scrambled eggs.
• Try vegemite with cream cheese or vegemite with avocado on [sourdough] toast.
• Cooked breakfasts don’t need to take long – scrambled eggs can be made in the time it takes your bread to toast and will keep you feeling full.

Easy swaps for lunch.

• Swap jam and nutella sandwich fillings with vegemite.
• Use protein for sandwich fillings like ham, chicken, cheese, tuna or [low-sugar] peanut butter to keep you feeling fuller for longer. [Check out our Ultimate Beef Sandwich for some inspo.]
• Pack hard boiled eggs for a filling side dish or add it to a salad.
• Try cheese sticks, carrot sticks and nuts as quick and easy sides.
• Fill a small bottle with water and freeze to serve the dual purpose of keeping lunch cool and providing the ideal drink.
• Try sliced cheese and apple sandwiches for a healthy option with some natural sweetness.
• Swap store bought salad dressings with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
• Swap a juice box with a piece of fruit and water.

[We’d go for a few slices of cheddar over cheese spread triangles and lower-fructose fruits, like kiwifruit, berries or pear, or veggie sticks]

Easy swaps for dinner.

• Cut back on tomato sauce portions or if your kids can’t help themselves, swap it with a naturally-sweetened tomato sauce which has less added sugar. [You could try this one].
• Beware of barbecue sauces – they’re packed with sugar. [Except this one, of course!]
• Try expanding your condiments to include non-sugary options like mustard.
• Swap sugary salad dressings for olive oil with lemon, mustard and/or vinegar.
• Sugary stir fry sauces include lemon chicken, teriyaki, BBQ, sweet and sour, and honey soy. Try homemade stir fry sauces using soy, garlic and ginger which is naturally sweet.
• Check tinned vegetables for added sugar.
• Learn how to read labels and check anything that comes in a package – we’ve spotted added sugar in tinned fish, bread, baked beans, olives, tinned vegetables and “healthy” frozen meals.

These tips were originally published on Sugarbyhalf.com.

SHARE

About Unknown