Talk to Canderel about eating less sugar and you could win a £300 John Lewis voucher NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

We've been asked by Canderel to find out about Mumsnetters' experiences and opinions on reducing sugar intake.

Canderel say "At Canderel, We’re all about sugar alternatives that still let you indulge yourself. With the average UK person consuming more than their recommended sugar allowance (10% of their daily calorie intake per day)*, we’d like to know how we can help your family manage your sugar intake. Be SweetSmart, swap to Canderel"

Below are a few points to get you started, but feel free to add any other comments you have:

1. Have you been thinking about giving up or eating less sugar?
   
2. If yes, why? Do you have any tips/tricks you have for helping to beat sugar cravings?
   

Everyone who adds a comment to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive a £300 John Lewis voucher.

Please note, Canderel may use your anonymous comments on social media, so please only comment if you're happy with this.

Thanks & good luck,
MNHQ

PS - Our standard terms & conditions apply.
* Source

[Patilla]

I have been thinking about giving up sugar. I think it's quite addictive.

The difficulty I have been finding is the vast array of products that it's in. It seems that you need to really pare things back to properly limit it, and cut out a fair few processed foods. It's not just a case of not adding it to your daily cuppa!

[Itchylegs]

1. Have you been thinking about giving up or eating less sugar?
   

yes - and I have indeed been eating less sugar.

1. If yes, why? Do you have any tips/tricks you have for helping to beat sugar cravings?
   

The less you eat the less you want. Just got to get into the virtuous cycle. I like xylitol as a substitute - in moderation - as it is apparently toothkind. I often have a warm drink instead of a sweet thing. Some of the ones with maple syrup flavouring or mint hit the spot.

[ouryve]

I do need to cut down on sugar.

I don't like using artificial sweeteners, though. They mostly taste horrid and are distinctly unsatisfying.

When I'm eating well, I make better food choices. When I'm not in a cycle of craving sugar, I find a handful of nuts to be much more of a treat.

[Sparkles23]

We are trying to eat less sugar as it's so bad for you and although we eat healthily generally and don't add sugar to things there is so much hidden sugar in things and I'm such a carb addict!

My husband prefers sweetened coffee so is now using sweetener or agave syrup and gradually weaning himself off sweetened coffee. We have never bought fruit juice or sugary cereals but do add honey to porridge so need to stop that really or use sweetener or agave syrup which is a better sugar at least!

[dinkystinky]

1. Have you been thinking about giving up or eating less sugar?

Yes - and I've tried (and failed) to go sugar free for February. It turns out sugar is in pretty much everything (even some rice cakes in the form of rice syrup). So what I have done is give up refined sugar - I still have some honey to sweeten things and eat fruit/vegetables with sugar in. I am not buying processed food and eating much more healthily/cleanly.

1. If yes, why? Do you have any tips/tricks you have for helping to beat sugar cravings?

I naturally have a very sweet tooth and a propensity to binge on sugar filled foods. I also have a family history of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, glaucoma, hypertension and gout to contend with as a I get older. So cutting back on refined sugar, and trying to eat more healthily, are my focuses for this year to try to adapt to, and adopt, new habits. I have found that eating fruit seems to hit the immediate sugar cravings but eating healthy fats (such as avocado and nuts) seems to keep those sugar cravings at bay for longer.

[MummyBtothree]

We dont really have sugar in tje house to add to food, we always use candarel in our hot drinks and sprinkle it on food instead of sugar. Our theory is if you dont start things with children eg offering sugary cereals and adding sugar to their cereal or hot drinks, they wont miss what they arent used too

[marymanc]

In the last few years I have reduced the amount of sugar I have considerably. I don't add any sugar to coffee, tea or any other drink, I eat less cakes and biscuits and I look with attention at the labels to find products with less sugar for me and my DC. I often eat fruit when I crave sugar.

I have never used alternative sugar as Canderel as I have never felt the need to, but I think it may help some people with the sweet taste to go gradually from adding sugar to have none.

[Notrevealingmyidentity]

or eating less sugar?

In all honesty now. I've always been a savoury person. I've never considered my sugar intake but I guess it is limited to sugar in coffee and fruit juice. And the odd bit of chocolate so I doubt it is very high.

1. If yes, why? Do you have any tips/tricks you have for helping to beat sugar cravings?
   

NA.

[diamondsrock]

Yes, I've made a conscious decision to eat less sugar.

Why - I need to lose weight and look after my teeth! I don't use sugar alternatives, but I've switched to drinks like green tea and herbal tea which taste fine without sweeteners. I bring water with me when going out so I'm not tempted to buy sweet drinks. I bake less and just eat fresh produce like fruit or salad veg for snacks. I find that pure fruit juices are too sweet for me nowadays so I drink them diluted - costs less and means you don't have to carry as much from the supermarket!

[YerTiz]

1. Have you been thinking about giving up or eating less sugar?
   

I've tried to eat a low sugar diet for a few years as I feel (and look!) rubbish otherwise. Also had high blood sugar when pregnant.

1. Do you have any tips/tricks you have for helping to beat sugar cravings?
   

I try to stick to fruit for a natural sugar kick. That said I will have it with a meal so that I'm not having something sugary on its own. And I don't have fruit juices any more.

I've just read that cinnamon is good for regulating blood sugar/if you're cutting back.

I wouldn't use sweeteners or have products with artificial sweeteners in - sorry!

[26Point2Miles]

I actively avoid sugar, I suppose you could say that through low carbing, I gave it up. True sugar is addictive. I broke the cycle and feel better for it. But now I'm finding it's becoming necessary in a way.

I'm a runner and it's just coming into marathon season. I'm training for a half and full marathon and finding that sports fuel ( for refuelling on the run) is all sugar. Fine for a hick energy burst, but a sugar substitute wouldn't have the same affect I don't think!

So it's gels,lucozade sport and good ole jelly babies! Out of necessity, not choice

[sharond101]

I don't think I eat much sugar although maybe I am wrong and it is in more of the foods I eat than I think? I cook mostly from scratch and avoid jars of sauce for the salt and sugar content. I was once told a tip of eating frozen grapes or melon balls to ward off sugar cravings. I am 7 months pregnant and have suffered with nausea throughout. The thing I cannot face is sweet foods so sugar is out the window for now anyway.

[ChutesTooNarrow]

Sugar is the current big bad but I'm really not fussed about my families intake . I'd rather use sugar than an artificial sweetener.

[26Point2Miles]

What about their teeth tho?

[Parker172]

My husband and I have been trying to cut down our sugar for a while now...

But it's really hard because it's in everything! Reading the labels helps, and we do tend to cook most of our food from scratch, which helps.

[chillychicken]

I desperately want to cut down on my sugar intake. I crave it and I know it's bad for me but I don't know how to give up.

I try to not have sugary snacks in the house and instead have veg, vegetable crisps and oatcakes if I'm hungry but I've gotten into the habit of wanting chocolate in the evenings and when Im up feeding my baby in the middle of the night I always grab a sweet snack and I'd really like to stop that as I want to lose the baby weight.

[scousadelic]

1. Have you been thinking about giving up or eating less sugar?

Yes, we now have a lot less sugar than we used to.
Years back we made our diet healthier by cutting down on cakes, sweets and obvious sugary stuff.
In recent years I realised we were still consuming a lot of sugar in fruits and a lot of hidden carbs which break down into sugar in the body in low fat products (e.g. a low fat yoghurt can contain around 15g of carbs per 100g where natural Greek yoghurt contains 3.5g)
We have cut down on sugar by going back to a fairly simple diet that is mostly meat, fish, eggs, dairy and veg with fruit and other sweet stuff eaten less frequently and as treats

1. If yes, why? Do you have any tips/tricks you have for helping to beat sugar cravings?

I do believe that evidence is showing a lower sugar, lower carb way of eating to be healthier and feel better for doing it.
I do try to avoid too much sweetener as eating sweet stuff can make me crave more sweet stuff but am happy to use it when needed and find I can often make home made treats using less sweetener than expected (e.g. I make a home-made ice cream which is lovely with berries as a dessert)
I think my biggest thing to beat a sugar craving is fizzy water. Put it in a nice glass with ice, lemon, lime, cucumber or mint so it looks like a cocktail and somehow it helps distract me.
Iced tea works well too

[GoldfishSpy]

I have tried to eat less sugar (not all that successfully).

The best way to get rid of the cravings is not eat any at all, I have found.

[aftereight]

1. Yes, I've been thinking of cutting back on sugar, but tbh I don't eat that much so am focusing more on cutting the DCs' sugar intake
   
2. Partly bandwagon jumping, I admit, but I am alarmed at some of the research linking sugar to obesity/ageing etc.
   

My tips? Low sugar cereal and making pasta sauces from red pesto/chopped toms/veg rather than tinned

[DoingIt]

1. Not significantly, although I do try to ot eat too much if it

1. By eating fruit or less sweet things, or just nit having the treat that I don't really need. Have a cup of tea instead, without a snack. Definitely don't opt for artificial sweeteners instead though, as I don't think they are any better Tha sugar (bad in other ways) and I hate the taste of them

[clopper]

1. Have you been thinking about giving up or eating less sugar?
   

Yes, I am currently following the slimming world diet which has made me think very carefully about the type and amount of different foods that I'm eating. My problem is I have such a sweet tooth.

1. If yes, why? Do you have any tips/tricks you have for helping to beat sugar cravings?
   

Never shop when you are hungry as it can be too tempting to pick up sugary snacks. Cook from scratch as much as you can.

I have been surprised at how many food items have hidden sugars, especially those which are marketed as low fat, so you need to check labels carefully.

[Roseformeplease]

1. I have completely cut sugar out of my everyday life - on a normal day, I eat none at all and I can go weeks without. However, I do not turn down sugar on social occasions. I eat the odd cake / pudding, maybe once or twice a month on average.
   

1. I use sweetener (powdered) on porridge at the weekends only (have a savoury breakfast all week).

[MaryWestmacott]

I found it took just over a month to get used to not having sugar in my coffee, and now it tastes wrong with it.

I also started baking with more fruit and sweeter veg to still be sweet but without refined sugar added, not sure if it is better for you, but it does help

Darker chocolate has less sugar added, plus I tend to eat less of it.

Making more things from scratch also helps, it's amazing how much has sugar added to it!

I haven't really thought of using sugar replacements, just removing it. That might be the next batch of baking experiments...

[Wonkyparsnip]

Me and DH have both give up sugar as a New Years resolution but gone about in different way.

DH is using sugar replacements like Canderel sweeteners in his hot drinks as he finds it stops his sugar cravings. He's also experimenting with baking with it.

I've gone cold turkey which I found easy for the first month but now I'm starting to struggle and I wonder if DHs method might have been the more sensible one.