I Want To Give Up Sugar - What Can I Eat?
One of the first questions I’m always asked by someone who wants to stop eating sugar is “Can I eat fruit?”, and the second question almost always is “and what about honey?”
What you ‘can’ and ‘can’t’ eat differs greatly according to which ‘sugar free diet’ you read up on.
The reason I use the inverted commas is because giving up sugar is incredibly broad and what one person says is a sugar free diet isn’t to someone else.
I live my life without eating sweet foods so the only advice I can give is to try out avoiding the sweet foods that I avoid on a daily basis.
I once read an article about a woman who ‘went sugar free’ eliminating pretty much everything including apples and even peas. She was miserable throughout, and I would be too.
Yes, apples have sugar in them, but they’re not a bag of pick and mix or a slice of cake!
Before I get into the listing of foods I avoid it’s important for me to note right away: I have eliminated the below foods from my diet because sugar makes me feel unwell.
It is not necessary to COMPLETELY eradicate sugar from your life, but if you can reduce the amount you eat/drink by one or even two teaspoons a day to start with, just imagine how much sugar that is in one year.
Try to visualise over 700 sugar cubes!
I think we can all agree that a year with 700 less spoons of sugar in our lives will be a healthier year all round.
Or imagine this: if you drink fizzy drinks daily.
Let’s say you reduce your intake by just one can a day.
That can probably has at least 6 spoons of sugar in it. Over one year that’s 2190 spoons of sugar. 2190!!
Here’s a list of the foods that I initially started out avoiding, but have now eliminated from my diet:
Sweets
Chocolate
Biscuits
Cake
Ice cream
Fruit juice
Fizzy drinks/sodas
Squash
Sugar in hot drinks
Honey
Syrup
Dried fruits
Sweetened cereal
Sweeteners (natural and artificial)
I’ve also stopped eating ultra processed foods, and all grains too – but that’s another story for another day.
What I do eat is… everything else!!
Fruit
Vegetables
Dairy – cheese, yogurt, kefir
Meat
Fish
Eggs
Nuts, nut butters and seeds
Some lentils, beans and pulses though I can’t digest many of these
Complex carbohydrates like sweet potato, squash, swede and beetroot. I avoid rice and potato.
Fats – butter, olive oil, coconut oil
Oily food – avocado, fish, nuts etc
I’m sure I have forgotten some foods from this list but essentially if it’s a natural, unprocessed ingredient then I cook/prepare it and eat it.
I rarely have any problem ordering something delicious in a restaurant. I’ll often go for a skinny burger, no fries, with extra coleslaw/cheese/fried egg/guacamole/bacon or all of the above!
Or a curry with a little bit of rice (not a whole massive plate full), or a steak with lots of veg, garlic butter and coleslaw.
I often choose a full English breakfast but hold the toast, beans and fried bread.
If I want a quick snack I’ll have fruit/veg, or cheese, or nuts.
If I have a bit more time I’ll hard boil an egg. It’s filled with nutrients and good fats, and is delicious too.
There are so many delicious snacks to choose from, it’s just about thinking differently.
Here’s an idea: maybe don’t give up sugar.
Maybe just reduce your sugar intake and if that works for you then reduce it even more.
It worked for me!
Are you looking for healthy, inspiring and delicious low sugar recipes for you and your family? Grab a copy of my Low Sugar Meals Recipe Book here.
Do you want to get fitter, stronger and healthier? Find out more about my fitness classes in Whetstone here and if you want to keep fit in your own home then check out my virtual classes here!
This blog was written by Tina in 2018 and updated in 2023