10 Swaps That Slash Your Sugar Intake
It's possible to cut back without feeling like you're being punished.
By Emma Haak
At Lunch
If you're already doing the smart thing by brown-bagging it, these swaps can make a big difference.
Toss: Bottled salad dressing. Here's how much sugar you'll find in 2 tablespoons of some popular varieties (and we know you're probably using more than 2 tablespoons): French, 5.1 grams; Italian, 3.16 grams; Russian, 7 grams; Balsamic Vinaigrette, 4 grams; Honey Mustard; 7 grams; Raspberry Vinaigrette; 5 grams.
Have This Instead: Make your own. Salad dressings are easy to whip up, and often cheaper than store-bought ones. We've got 5 delicious yet simple recipes.
Sugar Saved: Depending on the DIY recipe you use, you could make a salad dressing with no sugar. If you used to use 2 tablespoons of Russian dressing on your lunch salad Monday through Friday, that's 35 grams of sugar per workweek, gone. (Equivalent to 4 fun-size chocolate candies.)
Toss: The reduced-fat peanut butter on your sandwich, which can pack 4 grams of sugar in 2 tablespoons. (Reduced-fat anything normally has higher sugar amounts, says Hill, because companies replace the fat with sugar to keep the product from tasting bland.)
Have This Instead: Go for full-fat varieties, which often have around 1 gram of sugar per 2 tablespoons. You can take it one step further and find no-sugar-added options, which, you guessed it, have no sugar.
Sugar Saved: If you're dining on PB&J three times a week, that's 12 grams of sugar you're no longer eating, about the amount in 2 soft store-bought chocolate-chip cookies.
Published 09/02/2016