Without a doubt……..sugar is my weakness.  I don’t know what it is about sugar, but it has such a hold on me like nothing else does.  I think it has to do with all of the years I spent eating processed foods.  Processed foods are loaded with sugar, salt, and fat.  That’s why we like them so much and keep coming back for more……….. even when we know these foods are not good for us.

I really want my kids to grow up with a healthy relationship with sugar.  As a general rule, we use only honey and maple syrup as our sweeteners.  This has really helped us cut back on the processed foods.  Don’t you worry……my kids still get plenty of sugar.  There are always holidays, parties, and treats for everything.  That is why I make such an effort to cut back on sugar at home………..where I have more control over the foods we eat.

Here are 5 tips that have really helped us.  Can you tell I like to make lists?  I’m on a list kick lately!

1.  Remake your recipes.  Honey and maple syrup are kind of expensive.  I don’t want to use too much for budget reasons.  I decided to use 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sweetener when recipes like muffins call for a full cup.  My Pumpkin Spice muffins use just a 1/4 cup of honey.  They still taste great and I have cut the sugar way back.  Good for nutrition and good for the wallet.  That’s a double win!

 

2.  Dump the sugary drinks.  You and your kids just don’t need them!  One 12-oz soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar in it.  Holy cow!  That’s 3 times the amount of sugar that is recommended for children for an entire day.  Now let’s do some math and figure out how out of control that can get real quick.  Don’t we just love our free refills when we go out to eat?  Do we only get thirsty one time per day?  I don’t think so!  We switched our family to drinking mostly milk and water.  Water is our primary beverage.  It may seem strange at first, but can quickly become the norm if you give it a try.

3.  Create your own frozen treats.  We like to freeze smoothies in our favorite Norpro silicone tubes and make popsicles.  We found some really cool popsicles molds at TJMaxx.  This time of year you can find them pretty cheap.  My daughter has been having fun experimenting with making different frozen treats.  You could also make your own ice cream and control the amount of sugar you use.

 

4.  Get rid of the processed foods.  Make your own cookies, granola, energy bites, and treats.  You can really control the amount of sugar you add when you make your own.  When you dump the processed foods, you will also dump all of the hidden sugars.  Have you ever noticed that processed food likes to include sugar, corn syrup, and high fructose corn syrup all in the food?  That’s 3 sugars all in one food!  Who needs that?

 

5.  Don’t get rid of sweets completely.  I really think that if I said that we were never, ever, ever eating sweets again my family would revolt and I would be living alone.  That just seems to ramp up the cravings and the sneaking around behind my back.  With all things moderation is key so a treat once in a while is fine.  What I really love about cutting back sugar is that I have reclaimed the treat.  Now, when I say let’s go get ice cream…………they all look at me as if I am the greatest mom in the world.  It really is a treat rather than an everyday occurrence that they take for granted.  You should see the look I get when I allow a donut.  That’s even rarer.  They look at me like it’s a test……..wondering if I have finally lost my mind for good.  Yep!  It’s fun not to eat sugar all of the time.

Sugar is a tough habit to break, but there are steps you can do to reduce its hold on you and your family.  Give it a try and let me know what works for your family.  What sweeteners do you use?  Why did you choose those sweeteners?

I would love to have you join me on the various social media.  We have a blast there.  We have some really great conversations on Facebook.  I am planning on writing some posts from these conversations.  Just click on the links at the top of this page to become a fan, tweet with us, and pin away with us.  You can also find me on Instagram as juggling_real_food.