Key Takeaways

• Understanding the physiological and psychological drivers of sugar cravings can help you make informed choices about your diet.
• Simple strategies go a long way—eating balanced meals, staying hydrated, and incorporating natural sweeteners can support reduced sugar intake.
• Lifestyle changes, such as regular physical activity and mindful eating, are crucial in curbing sugar cravings long-term.

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If you've ever felt like you are addicted to sugar, you're not alone. While “sugar addiction” is just a combination of lifestyle factors that make us feel out of control around the sweet stuff, the good news is that there is a lot that you have control over to curb sweet cravings.

Sugar is found in many foods in our modern diet. It's hidden in processed options, beverages, and many conventionally “healthy” snacks. Reducing your sugar intake can be difficult, but we all know that cutting back can help our health.

The American Heart Association recommends that women consume 24 grams of sugar per day or less and men consume 36 grams of sugar per day or less to prevent heart disease and obesity.¹

Let's examine proven strategies for improving sugar cravings and give you dietitian-approved habits to focus on!

Understanding Sugar Cravings

Sugar cravings are a very real phenomenon that is influenced by our internal physiology, psychology, and the environment we find ourselves in. If you've ever been at your grandma's house, where you grew up eating cookies, that is a great example of the environment triggering a sugar craving! On the other hand, if you haven't had anything to eat all day and you can feel your blood sugar dropping with the feeling that something is the only way you'll feel better quickly, that is also a real physiological explanation for intense sugar cravings.

Plus, eating sugar activates our brain’s reward system, releasing feel-good chemicals like dopamine that create a feeling of pleasure and reinforce the desire to eat more sugar to feel good.² Over time, this can lead to ingrained habitual behaviors where sugar becomes the go-to for comfort or a quick energy source.

Plus, extra sugar consumption can create a cycle of blood sugar spikes and crashes. A rapid increase in blood glucose levels from sugary foods is often followed by a sharp drop, leading to fatigue, hunger, and cravings later. 

Recognizing these patterns and identifying your personal triggers around sugar — such as stress, boredom, or lack of sleep — can be the first step in breaking free from excessive sugar intake.

Practical Strategies to Reduce Sugar Intake

Eat a Balanced Diet

Reducing sugar cravings doesn't just have to do with what you're not eating, but also what foods you add to create balanced nutrition habits. Ensuring you eat a balanced protein, fiber, healthy fat, and fruit and vegetables can help produce your sugar cravings alone.

Protein is a powerhouse for stabilizing energy levels as it helps increase feelings of fullness and prevent blood sugar spikes that can bring on sugar cravings. Fiber, rich foods like vegetables, whole grains, beans, and not and seeds also help slow down digestion and stabilize energy levels.³

Instead of starting the day with a high-carb breakfast, choose high-protein and high-fiber options, like eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and peanut butter, and build your balanced meal around those foods first.

Don't Skip Meals

Skipping meals can cause intense hunger and cravings, making it much more likely that you will reach for high-sugar foods as a quick source of energy in a pinch. Plus, when your blood sugar levels drop too low, the body craves a quick carbohydrate, often sugar, to bring it back to a normal range. These fluctuations can cause major sugar cravings and also perpetuate the cycle of not being able to kick sugary foods.

To prevent this, aim for three well-balanced meals throughout the day and establish a consistent eating schedule for your meals and snacks. Typically, having breakfast within an hour of waking up is a good idea. From there, aim for every 3 to 4 hours to include a meal or snack to keep energy levels stable, hunger at bay, and cravings to a minimum.

If you’re short on time, plan ahead by stocking up on easy, protein-rich snacks like Greek yogurt with nuts or hummus with vegetables to avoid going too long without nourishment. Keeping healthy options readily available makes it easier to resist the urge to reach for high-sugar foods when hunger strikes.

Stay Hydrated

Even mild dehydration can cause sensations similar to hunger, leading you to look for quick energy sources, including sweets. Drinking enough water throughout the day helps Top off your hydration levels, may help manage appetite, and can help maintain proper bodily function.

One simple habit is to reach for a Glass of water before you reach for your meal or snack. Making sure that you're hydrated can help you stay full longer or realize that you weren't hungry at all but thirsty.

If drinking water is difficult, remind yourself to drink something once an hour. Or carry a reusable water bottle around so that you have a visual cue to drink. Remember that there are dozens of ways to hydrate; you don't have to reach for water alone to get your fluid in. Herbal teas, infused water, sparkling low-calorie beverages, and even liquid-heavy foods like fruit and vegetables can greatly improve your hydration status.

Chew Gum

Chewing gum is a simple but helpful strategy for reducing your sugar intake. Active chewing provides oral stimulation and a subtle distraction, which sometimes is enough to steer us away from reaching for something sweet.

Chewing also signals the brain that can reduce appetite or increase society. Plus, some gums are naturally sweet, which may be enough to give you that taste without eating something. And if the gum is minty, you may not want to eat something after chewing.

Chewing gum alone is not enough to completely nix your cravings, but keep in mind that in combination with other lifestyle changes like balanced meals and drinking water, it may be another strategy that helps in short-term situations.

Opt for Natural Sweeteners

If you still want to enjoy sweet flavors, sometimes, learning to incorporate natural sweeteners or sugar substitutes can help satisfy your sweet tooth without the added sugar.

Choosing sugar-free sweet treats without added sugar can be a healthy alternative to refined sugars. Natural sweeteners like Stevia, monk fruit, and allulose are wonderful alternative sweeteners for baking, sweetening beverages like coffee, or adding to yogurt or oatmeal for a little extra sweetness.

On the other hand, natural sugar options, like honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, etc., may be healthier than sugar. However, they will still contain carbohydrates and natural sugars in them. If your goal is to reduce the total sugar in your diet, consider reducing sugar from these options, too. Even though they're natural, they still contribute to our total sugar intake in our day, and if consumed in excess, they can still have negative side effects like weight gain and blood sugar spikes.
If you’re not sure what sugar alternatives or artificial sweeteners are right for you, we recommend working with a registered dietitian nutritionist to understand the amount of sugar you’re consuming, address any food cravings in your current eating habits, and learn how to cut back on sweet foods.

No matter where you are and your sugar-craving journey, a good approach is to gradually reduce overall sweetness in the diet and allow your taste buds to adjust to less sugar over time. For example, if you typically sweeten coffee with two teaspoons of sugar, try switching to stevia or reducing the amount gradually until your palate becomes accustomed to a more subtle sweetness. 

Healthy Alternatives to Sweets

Reducing sugar intake takes time, and your taste buds and appetite need time to adjust to less sugar. Instead of going cold turkey, slowly reduce your sugar intake or find healthier alternatives to your favorite sweets.

Instead of reaching for high-sugar foods, consider adding nutrient-dense alternatives into your diet to satisfy sweet cravings while providing additional health benefits. Here are a few examples:

• Fresh or frozen fruit: Naturally sweet and packed with fiber and antioxidants.
• Greek yogurt with cinnamon and berries: A protein-rich option that stabilizes blood sugar.
• Dark chocolate: Choose 70% dark or higher for a lower-sugar option with beneficial antioxidants.
• Homemade energy bites: Made with dates, nuts, and seeds for natural sweetness.

Lifestyle Modifications to Support Reduced Sugar Consumption

We discussed some proven strategies to reduce sugar intake, but living a low-sugar lifestyle is a long-term plan. There are some other lifestyle habits that you should work on creating to keep sugar consumption low and sugar cravings at bay.

Regular Physical Activity

Exercise may help regulate blood sugar levels and reduce stress, a common trigger for sugar cravings. Regular exercise may be a healthy coping mechanism for you to reduce sugar cravings, both from better blood sugar management and also from a stress and anxiety perspective if you rely on sugar as a comfort food.⁴

Find a daily movement practice you love, like walking, strength training, or yoga, to support healthy appetite control.

Adequate Sleep

Getting a poor night's sleep is a huge contributor to sugar cravings and other hunger, regulating hormone changes. When we don't sleep well, our stress levels rise, and our appetite signals get crossed. One poor night's sleep can lead to feeling hungrier the next day and less full after eating.⁵

Prioritizing getting seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night can help reduce snacky feelings and sugar cravings. Try getting to bed at about the same time every night and creating a nighttime routine to help your body wind down.

Mindful Eating Practices

Mindfulness is the practice of self-awareness around food. Developing a healthy relationship with food and sugar Takes time, but you can pay attention to how you feel before and after eating. Consider your mood, how you are, and any emotional triggers for your cravings. These moments of self-reflection can go a long way: slowing down, enjoying your meals, and understanding why you're making certain food choices.⁶

Learn More About How to Improve Blood Sugar Health With Signos’ Expert Advice

Remember that you don't have to cut all sugar from your diet to reduce sugar intake and lower cravings. Understanding why your cravings are happening and implementing small and sustainable changes can help you slowly reduce sugar in your diet.

Focus on balanced meals, regular snacks so that you don't go too long between meals, drinking plenty of water, and other lifestyle factors like getting enough sleep and exercising to manage sugar cravings.

By integrating our expert-backed strategies, you can take control of sugar cravings and create a healthier, more balanced approach to eating. For additional insights on managing your blood sugar levels and making healthy nutrition choices, check out these resources:

• How Signos Can Improve Health
• Learn More About Glucose Levels on Signos’ Blog
• Find Out if Signos is a Good Fit for You by Taking a Quick Quiz