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

I've been trying to cut out sugar for a while now.

One of the best ways I find is allowing myself to have a few blocks of chocolate each evening. Otherwise I tend to binge all day.

I have weened my kids off of sugar... I dont buy it and I buy sugar fee cereals

I am trying to cut out all 'bad' sugar from my diet in order to lose some weight. It's been really difficult as I've got a very sweet tooth, but I know that I can't continue to eat all the junk food that I so love. I've gone cold turkey and cut all chocolate, biscuits, cakes, sweets and pop from my diet. It's not forever, but to try to get me to break the habit.

It is a struggle at times, but when I crave the bad stuff I just have some fruit instead. I know there's a lot of sugar in fruit but at least t's natural and nutritious.

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?

Recently I've cut out sugar in our foods and swopped some foods like pasta sauces for lower sugar versions

I'm concerned at what sugars my family are getting via snack pots, school ect so i'm trying to control what I can at home, we've swopped puddings for natural yogurt and sweets/chocolate/crisps for fruit salads and home made scones

I halve the amount of sugar recipes suggest when baking cakes; we have swapped after school sugar snacks for hummus and cucumber twice a week; the children only have sweets on a Friday; and we avoid sugar cereals, especially anything coated in sugar or chocolate.

We are trying to eat more naturally to cut down on sugar, so eating fruit when we desire a sweet treat. We're also finding that upping our protein intake is making all of us less hungry for snacky bits.

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

Yes, though still eating puddings and things! Just trying to cut back on hidden sugar in cereal, pasta sauce etc. And having marmalade as a treat rather than an inch thick layer on toast every morning.

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

Not sure I buy totally into the current hysteria about it being the root of all obesity evil but it does seem to be linked with a lot of health problems. In the past when I've tried to cut back I've had much better luck just avoiding sweet things than replacing them with artificial sweetener. Since it seems we got into this sugar overload by creating low-fat foods that simply substituted the fat with sugar and refined carbs I don't think another substitition is the answer (sorry Canderel!) For example, in the U.S. you can get flavoured seltzer (fizzy water) in lots of different flavours with no sweetener, sugar or artificial. It takes a bit of getting used to but they are really refreshing.

I have been trying to cut out more sugar for the kids - I have been careful myself with sugar for a long time but think it's extra important for the kids to adopt the same mentality about it. I talk to them about sugar and read labels - I choose things like lower sugar yogurts, lower sugar cakes which might be plainer for a pudding or things like fruit in low sugar jelly. I don't give sugary snacks inbetween meals but keep them as puddings or on special ocassions. We only have sugar free drinks in the house or water - we don't even drink fruit juice anymore because they have plenty of whole fruit and there is no need for fruit juice at all when you're having plenty of whole fruit anyway.

I'm really good at limiting the amount of sugar in my children's food, but when it comes to my own diet I struggle more. I can easily feel like I need sugar as an energy boost (and it makes a big difference to how I feel, in the same way some people rely on caffeine). I do, however, use sweetener as a substitute, and always have diet versions of fizzy drinks.

im type 2 diabectic and find it very hard when my son has lots of nice stuff in house.
Even being told now not too many bananas and grapes ( 6 grapes is a portion????!!!!!!!!!)
So i find avoiding choc and sweets altogether easier than trying to cut back

Have gradually cut out cola and other fizzy drinks. Reduced my consumption of fruit juice which also have lots of added sugar. Instead just have a real piece of fruit in its place and bottled water. No more sugar in my tea and coffee - took some time to train my taste buds but worth it.

My husband has endless cups of tea daily and he used to have 2 spoonfulls of sugar in every cup. He has been using Canderel instead for some time now - finds it the perfect substitute and has cut down greatly on his calorie intake!

I use sweeteners to sweeten my food and eat fruit to get natural sugars

I don't have much sugar so when I do I don't feel guilty

I can't give up sugar at all I think. But I don't have a lot of it. One teaspoon in my coffee, once a day and some occasional chocolates :)

1. Yes
2. Cut out (most) carbs except for low carb vegetables , not just sugar. That way you will break your sugar addiction.

Don't use artificial sweeteners - at least initially - as otherwise you won't retrain your sweet tooth. Maybe not what Canderel wants to hear

Have done this successfully - both to reduce weight and to improve health.

It's quite really hard, harder than I thought to reduce sugar in my diet. There is so much hidden sugar in processed foods but, I've taken more time to read labels and also subsitute my half a sugar in my numerous cups of tea with Canderel tablets.

If I get any sugar cravings I will have a piece of dried mango, it's naturally sweet and so much better for you than a gummy bear of a bit of chocolate.

I have been thinking of eating less - sometimes the amount of sugar in things is in my opinion unnecessary and I wouldn't miss it if it wasn't there!

A tip I would say is to swap something sugary you eat in your diet out for something healthier to slowly get used to not having it :)

I'm not great at this, to be honest, but a visit to the dentist usually convinces me!

We gradually cut down, so, started with less squash drinks, and started to add more and more water till they were just drinking water, they wouldn't touch the water when we gave it to them first of all, so gradually doing this was the answer for us.

I've cut it out from my tea and coffee and have started to avoid picking at the kids sweets, I've fallen off that wagon more than a few times though...

I've made a effort to cut down on sugar. I don't have it in tea or coffee or on cereals. I cut it out in one go rather than dribs & drabs. I do use cinnamon on my porridge as a substitute & I'm happy with it.

I do struggle with cutting down on cakes & doughnuts. That's down to willpower rather than finding a substitute.

I try & reach for fruit or nuts to combat sugar cravings. It's definitely tricky cutting out the cakes & snacks.

We have always used very little sugar in the house, in fact I very rarely buy it. We use sweeteners in hot drinks and sadly sugar added to most foods already so very hard to give up hidden sugars.

I've started looking at sauce labels for hidden sugar. We don't really drink fizzy drinks in our house and sweets are limited but I know there are hidden sugars in processed foods so I try to keep an eye on our intake.

I've been thinking about really trying to cut down on my sugar intake but haven't gotten around to it yet. It's like caffiene with me, in that if I don't have a cup of coffee in the morning I feel absolutely rubbish. I think I need to go cold turkey with both sugar and caffiene for a while to get rid of this. If/when I do cut my sugar intake I doubt I would use a sugar substitute. Instead, I'd make healthier diet choices and l;imit myself to a treat made with natural sugar only every now and again.