If you've cut down on chocolate and other treats – that's amazing! In addition to being a healthy behaviour, cutting down on sugary treats will also help you stay within your Points® Budget and work towards your weight loss goals.
(Love chocolate? Don't worry - your favourite treats can still slot into your daily allowance.)
Cutting back on sweet treats is a great way to limit the amount of sugar in your diet. And since foods that are higher in added sugar are assigned higher Points, as a WW member you'll naturally be guided towards healthier food choices. Discover how Points work.
But could you do more to avoid the sweet stuff? Here are some simple ways to cut down on sugar.
1. Do it gradually
Help your taste buds adjust to your new lower-sugar regime. Start by cutting down the amount in your tea or coffee and diluting fruit juice with sparkling water.
2. Learn your label
Let packaging help you make healthier choices – check the ‘traffic lights’ on the front of the pack and try to select foods with sugar rated as green, rather than red or amber.
3. Eat more veg!
Add sweet vegetables to your baking and sauces to help cut down on the sugar. Squash, parsnips, carrots, beetroot and sweet potatoes all work well.
4. Make like Sherlock
Turn detective to find sugar hiding on labels under a pseudonym. It could be listed as glucose, fructose, corn syrup, maltose, dextrose or fruit syrup. Find out more about hidden sugar.
5. Beware alcoholic drinks
Your favourite tipple could be packing in the sugar, so choose wisely. A pint of sweet cider has 12 Points! A pint of lager, meanwhile, has 6 Points. A vodka and cranberry juice has 7 Points, compared with 2 Points for vodka with a diet mixer.
6. Get smart with flavour
Shake cinnamon over puddings, porridge and lattes to add a naturally sweet flavour without any sugar.