First things first, YES sugar is an essential part of a healthy diet. But we can get that from whole fruits and vegetables. It’s the unnecessary sugar in sweet treats, sauces, yogurts, drinks and so on that we really need to work on.

But when sugar is found is so many different foods, where do you begin?

Firstly, you have to realize that it will take some time to retrain your taste buds. You might be used to your pasta sauce being sweet, for example, but over time you’ll realize that when you make it from scratch, you really don’t need the extra sugar. This will take time, though, and it won’t be easy!

Secondly, you will have cravings, but they CAN be overcome. Help yourself get through them by eating fresh fruit, for example, instead of a sweet juice or a candy bar. No, it’s not the same, but you’ll eventually get used to the healthy substitutions!

You’ll also need to start checking food labels. Once you get used to doing this, you’ll realize that so many more foods contain sugar than you ever realized! Start cutting them out and cooking more from scratch.

Of course, this is just the start when it comes to cutting down on the amount of sugar you eat. But hopefully it’s given you a good base of knowledge to move forward, keep learning, and keep taking steps towards a healthier diet.