Too Much Sugar

Ready to be shocked? Here ya go… it’s estimated that Americans eat an average of 3 lbs of sugar/week, 130 lbs of sugar/year or 3,550 lbs of sugar/lifetime.  Now THAT’s a LOT of sugar!  Really, think about it. Envision a 5lb bag of sugar that you’d buy in the grocery store. Now imagine eating more than half of that in just one week. And this is an average, which means that some people are eating far less each week while others are actually eating far more! Unbelievable, right?

So where’s all this sugar coming from? Believe it or not, it’s hidden where you least expect it – salad dressings, soups, bread, pasta sauce, “healthy” granola bars, energy bars, yogurt, cereals (I recently read the ingredient list on an all natural, organic cereal and there were FIVE different sources of sugar… FIVE!), and many other foods that come prepackaged. And of course, we’re also getting sugar from more obvious sources such as sodas and other sweetened beverages, cookies, cakes, candy, muffins, scones, etc.

The best way to cut back on our sugar consumption is to prepare foods at home. When you have the time, prepare large batches of food that can be enjoyed immediately, but also stored away for a day when you don’t have the time. Some foods that can be easily frozen include soups, marinara sauce, muffins, breads, granola and a few others. It’s also easy to make large batches of oatmeal or other breakfast porridges that can be eaten throughout the week, which is just as quick as pouring a bowl of cereal.

For that occasional sweet tooth, I’ve put together a list of foods that seem to satisfy the craving (for me, anyways). Some include a bit of added natural sweetener, but when you’re preparing these foods at home, you’re in control, you decide how sweet to make them and you can be assured that you’re using real, quality ingredients (none of that enriched white flour or high fructose corn syrup crap).

 

1. Frozen Mangos with Frozen Almonds – for some reason, the sweetness of the fruit combined with the crunch from the frozen almonds is amazing! And you can only eat frozen fruit so fast, so it’s a nice snack to slowly munch on.  You can do that same thing with frozen blueberries or other fruit of choice.
2. Banana “Ice Cream” – peel and slice bananas, freeze on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (to prevent sticking), throw the frozen bananas in a blender or food processor with a bit of almond milk and you won’t believe the creamy consistency! You can always add in additional fruit (i.e. banana-strawberry ice cream), nut butters or a scoop of cacao powder for a twist.
3. Medjool Dates – These shriveled little morsels are so sweet and chewy that they remind me of caramel. However, don’t kid yourself, dried fruit is packed full of sugar, but at least it’s natural and you’re getting some fiber in there too, which helps to slow its delivery to your blood stream. So don’t get carried away, eat just a few.
4. Vegan Vanilla Milkshakes – this is not a low calorie substitute by any means and as I already mentioned, dates are loaded with natural sugar, but it’s still a step up from a typical milkshake. For one milkshake: 1/4 cup almonds, 3 medjool dates, 1 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 10 ice cubes and about 1/2 c. water. Combine in a high powered blender for a DELICIOUS vegan treat on a hot summer day!
5. Banana-Sweetened Breads and Muffins – instead of adding sugar to baked goods, try blending a banana or two into the liquid portion of the recipe before mixing with your flour. This adds a mild sweetness, but sometimes that’s all you need. My recent favorite has been an apple, banana, buckwheat bread – gluten-free and sugar-free goodness!
6. Frozen Fruit Sorbets – you can blend or process just about any frozen fruit and it’ll make an excellent treat. I also like to add half of an avocado for a creamier consistency. I’ll sometimes add a dab of maple syrup if the fruit isn’t sweet enough. Try frozen peaches, almond milk, avocado and maple syrup topped with chopped almonds!