We all know sugar is the enemy when it comes to banishing the bulge, but how do we avoid it? Here are some easy ways to help you eliminate the sweet stuff from your diet...
Sugar is no longer in fashion, it's official. WIth every single health bible now advising us to steer well clear of the sweet stuff, it's time to find new ways of getting our fix without damaging our waistlines... Here's how to get your sugar hit without touching the bad stuff.
1. Frozen grapes
Craving your daily post-dinner Skittles fix? Try a handful of frozen grapes instead – even Victoria Beckham is a fan. 'Freeze single, red grapes, put in small zip lock bags and eat fresh from the freezer,' she advises. Grapes are still high in fructose though, so limit yourself to 8 - 10 at a time rather than polishing off the whole punnet.
2. Greek yogurt
Combine low-fat natural Greek yogurt with a high-fibre fruit like raspberries or blueberries and sprinkle with cinnamon for a sweet and spicy hit. Add a handful of pecan nuts or flaxseed for extra crunch and swap honey for a squirt of agave syrup (if you must) for a tasty low-sugar treat.
3. Sugar-free salted caramel
If that heady mix of sweet and salty is your vice, trade in those chocolate pretzels for natural peanut butter (no added sugar) scooped onto a few apple slices. This old-fashioned snack packs a tonne of nutrients and is the less naughty equivalent of those dangerously tempting salted caramel truffles. Your skinny jeans will thank you later.
4. Coconut oil
No, it's not just for your hair... Welcome to your new secret weapon in the fight against sugar. Sounds weird? Just trust us. Mix a tablespoon with a little raw cacao powder for the simplest chocolate-y snack on the planet. It'll sort out that mid-afternoon energy slump and stop sweet cravings in their tracks, plus coconut mimics the properties of antioxidants and boosts vitamin E – meaning healthy, glowing skin.
5. Matcha lattes
If you can't go a day without your creamy Starbucks fix, this is a great alternative to that sugar-laden hot chocolate or deceptively calorie-packed chai latte. Made from almond milk and matcha green tea powder, it's a little hit of indulgence with none of the guilt factor. Winner.
6. Protein balls
Protein balls are having a moment, but for the healthiest option it's best to make them yourself. Madeleine Shaw's Coconut and Apricot Bliss Balls are pretty divine and oh-so-easy to master. Combine 50g dried apricots, 100g almond meal, 150g shredded coconut and 50g raw coconut oil, roll into balls, freeze for half an hour and get munching. Bye bye 4pm energy slump.
7. Raw chocolate pudding
You don’t have to remove chocolate puddings from your life completely, because CO YO has come up with a delicious raw chocolate yogurt made purely from coconut flesh and cacao. Hoorah! It's sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, helps boost your metabolism and packs the body full with GOOD fats, building immunity to help fight colds and illness. What's not to love?
8. No-sugar ice-cream
Frozen yogurt may sound healthy, but it's full of hidden sugars. Instead, whack one large tub of fat-free natural yoghurt (500g), three teaspoons of sugar-free strawberry Hartley's jelly and three tablespoons of boiling water into an ice-cream maker and voilà! A tasty frozen indulgence that'll leave your sweet tooth satisfied and your shrinking waistline smiling.
9. Dark chocolate
If after all of that, you REALLY can't shake the chocolate urge, go for a few squares of Green & Blacks 70%. Dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants and contains far less sugar than a bar of Dairy Milk, so you can enjoy your treat with a little less guilt.
This is why you should ditch the sweet stuff and consider a sugar-free diet...
