Compare brands of similar products for added sugar amounts.
Certain products will always have some amount of added sugar - do the best you can.
“No added sugar” is not the same as “No added sweeteners.”
b
Plain instant oats (add your own flavor)
Plain yogurt (add your own flavor)
Unsweetened cereals (add fruit)
Unflavored protein powders
Make your own baked goods
Make your own salad dressing
A few more thoughts:
Consume added sugar in ways you’ll enjoy it most (you’d probably rather have it in a piece of chocolate than spaghetti sauce).
Value quality over quantity (sure, you can eat a whole pint of Halo Top, but maybe you would enjoy a small bowl of real ice cream more).
Give yourself permission to enjoy some added sugar - being too restrictive can backfire and cause overconsumption.
Be patient - your taste buds will adjust to less sweetness over time!
Sugar Substitutes
Types of sugar substitutes
Non-nutritive sweeteners: Created synthetically and contain no calories or sugar. The following are FDA-approved:
Aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet)*
Sucralose (Splenda)*
Saccharin (Sweet N’ Low)*
Acesulfame Potassium (Sweet One, Sunett)
Neotame (Newtame)
Advantame (Advantame)
Sugar alcohols: Created synthetically and generally have about half as many calories as sugar. May cause gastrointestinal distress. The FDA designates them as GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe).
Erythritol
Isomalt
Lactitol
Maltitol
Sorbitol
Xylitol
Novel Sweeteners: Derived from natural sources and are not significant sources of calories or sugar. The FDA designates them as GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe).
Allulose
Monk fruit
Steviol glycosides (Truvia, PureVia)
Tagatose
Safety Considerations
Children should avoid long-term use of sugar substitutes due to unknown effects.
For various reasons, some sugar substitutes do not have an “acceptable daily intake” established. These include sugar alcohols, allulose, monk fruit and tagatose.
Safety information about these sweeteners continues to evolve as more long-term research is conducted.
Efficacy Considerations
In 2018, a systematic review of 56 studies concluded that:
there were no clear differences in health outcomes between those who used sugar substitutes and those who did not.
there were no clear health benefits to consuming sugar substitutes, but potential harms could not be excluded.
the quality of research on this topic is low.
In 2023, the World Health Organization advised against using sugar substitutes to reduce body weight and lower the risk of diet-related diseases.
The current trend of research on sugar substitutes includes examining the metabolic impact of these sweeteners, as well their effect on the gut microbiome.
The Bottom Line
Focus on lowering intake of both added sugars and sugar substitutes, so that you minimize your overall cravings for sweetness.
A product that contains sugar substitutes is not automatically “healthy.” Consider the overall nutrient-density of that food or beverage before consuming.
Stay mindful of how sugar substitutes may impact your mindset and behaviors (i.e. “I had a Diet coke with dinner so now I can have dessert!”)
