27 Top Ways to Cut Sugar and Boost Your Health

Eating more protein may help keep food cravings, including for sweet stuff, to a minimum because it helps the body feel full for longer. A study observing obese men, published in the journal Obesity, ound that those who switched to a low-calorie diet with high levels protein felt fuller and had less desire to eat late at night than those who had a low-calorie diet with normal levels of protein. Research in overweight teenage girls showed that eating more protein at breakfast reduced post-meal cravings for both sweet and savory snacks as well.

It probably won’t come as a shock that one of the many health benefits of leafy greens is fighting off sweet cravings. Green produce, and vegetables in general, are rich in different kinds of vitamins and minerals. They help the body feel satiated, thus keeping our sweet tooth in check. Leafy greens are high in fiber, which slows the absorption of sugar and helps maintain normal blood sugar levels.

No doubt, a sweet tooth is hard to handle. Pies, cakes, and cookies often look delicious. So if you find the temptation too hard, head for the fresh fruit section of the store. Yes, fruits have sugar, but it’s a natural sugar, and fruits have health benefits from all the vitamins and minerals they contain. Some fruits contain more sugar per cup than others, including grapes, mangoes, cherries, pears, and watermelon.

Though fruits have natural sugars, dried fruit often has added sugar. Most dried fruits, which are a more concentrated source of nutrients, are more than 50% sugar. Dried fruits are more energy-dense and contain significantly more sugar — and you’re missing on the water content that makes you feel fuller.

Eating less sugar may be as easy as chewing sugar-free gum. Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Louisiana State University observed 115 adults who chewed gum on a regular basis. On two occasions, researchers fed them lunch, then offered them snacks three hours later. During one trial, they chewed gum once an hour, in the other they did not. When they chewed gum, the participants were much less hungry and had a significantly decreased feeling of craving something sweet.