Managing your blood glucose (blood sugar) is a big part of living well with diabetes. Cutting back on carbohydrates (carbs), especially sugar, is also a key step to reaching your blood glucose targets. While it may seem hard at first, lowering the amount of sugar in your diet can help you manage your blood glucose levels, may prevent high blood glucose levels, and can help with your overall wellbeing. Small changes can make a big difference in your diabetes management. Below are some tips for reducing sugar in your diet.
1. Read Food Labels Carefully
Reading food labels carefully helps you understand how much both total and added sugar is in the food you are eating. Total grams of sugar include both the natural (found naturally in fruits and dairy) and added sugars. Added sugars include honey, syrups, sugar, and other sweeteners that are added during processing or preparation. Added sugars can be found listed under different names such as dextrose, fructose, lactose, table sugar, beet sugar, honey, agave, and corn syrup to name a few. Being label-savvy is how you can find out the total carbohydrate in a food and the amount of added sugars. You can put your label reading to the test and compare a sugar-sweetened item to a no-sugar-added version and see if you can spot the difference.
2. Choose Water and Unsweetened Beverages
Sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas, sweetened teas, sports drinks, and juice contain high amounts of sugar and limiting them can help you manage your blood glucose levels. Choose zero-calorie beverages like water, diet soda, unsweetened tea, and seltzer waters as healthier options if you’re thirsty and to stay hydrated throughout the day. If you’re feeling creative and/or don’t like the taste of plain water, flavor water by infusing it with fresh herbs and fruit, or try sugar-free flavored seltzer waters!
3. Snack Smart
Choose snacks that won’t cause blood glucose level spikes. You may have heard of creating balanced meals using the Diabetes Plate, you can also balance portions for snacks! Create a balanced snack by pairing protein with carbohydrate food. Check out some pairs below if you’re up to try something new, or make this easy Cinnamon Apple Chips with Yogurt Dip recipe for your snack.
- Hummus and veggies (carrots, celery, cucumbers—or choose your favorite non-starchy vegetable)
- No-sugar-added peanut butter and apples slices (read the ingredients on the peanut butter jar to make sure there is no sugar)
- Whole grain crackers and string cheese
- Trail mix of nuts, seeds, and a small amount of dried fruit
4. Sugar Substitutes
Research has shown that sugar substitutes (also called non-nutritive sweeteners) have little impact on blood glucose levels, making them a way to sweeten foods and beverages without a spike in your blood glucose level. They are generally sweeter than sugar but have a very small amount of calories and carbohydrates. Only a small amount is needed when adding them to your beverages, baked goods, and more.
5. Choose the Sweetener That Works for You
Everyone’s tastes are different. Some prefer to use small amounts of sugar ingredients (maple syrup, brown sugar, dried fruit purées, or even table sugar), while others rely on non-nutritive sweeteners (monk fruit, stevia, sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin). Discover what works best for you as you seek ways to satisfy your sweet tooth while still working towards your blood glucose level targets. Blood glucose target ranges are 80–130mg/dL before a meal and less than 180 mg/dL one to two hours after the start of eating.
You Got This!
Reducing sugar in your diet is one way to help manage your diabetes. By making simple changes such as reading food labels to make food choices, choosing sweeteners that fit with your preferences, and drinking unsweetened beverages, you will be taking steps to reach your health goals. Small changes make a big difference. Focus on progress and find what works best for you!
