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'm trying to eat less sugar because it's so bad for you and makes me gain weight - no nutritional value, just empty calories - but it's hard, I'm so addicted. Eating more fat helps curb the cravings and I've recently discovered fat is not bad for you - it has far more nutritional value than sugar. Full fat yogurt tastes good on its own without needing sugar, more butter on toast helps me avoid jam etc

I go through phases of having too much junk/sugar and then not having any. I wish I could just stick to it, but sugar is my addiction.

I've tried cutting right back on sugar for 2015, and it is very hard to do properly! Top tip is have marmite on your toast in the morning.

Very hard is finding a cereal without sugar in (apart from shredded wheat!)I think using honey as a substitute is basically cheating.

I'm quite sensitive to sugar. Unless I eat, say, a chocolate after a meal, my blood sugar dips later on and I feel dreadful. Consequently, I avoid it. No fizzy drinks, sweet snacks, etc.

As it's not a habit or normal for me, the same applies to my kids. I cook from scratch and make my own bread. We don't eat that much sugar and although I'm nearly 40, I don't have any fillings.

We definitely should cut down on the amount of sugar we eat as a family, although I am the only one who is over weight, the trouble is I love baking!

I do also enjoy sewing so my mantra for his year is More quilting, less baking! I haven't managed it so far.

The sugar swap campaign change for life are currently running has got me thinking more consciously about sugary snacking habits (which I don't think are too bad)

It's mindless eating that I'm trying to stop, the best way to combat this is simply not buy it on the shops so it's not in the cupboards. I do get cravings but I always feel guilty about the sugar consumption and an hour or so later ill get that slump feeling, which is horrid. im trying to simply not eat the sugary snacks rather than replacing them and the main reason is for the benefit of my teeth and my general energy level.

I would like to use less sugar - and it's easy to do in terms of reducing its usage in recipes. I still like a teaspoon in my tea though! And I love baking so it is hard to get away from completely!

you can eat less sugar, if you always eat less sugar.... one slip up and it is back to the cravings.

the children have a healthier diet and I have tried to limit the amount of added sugar, not necessarily going sugar free for squashes but diluting to a very weak concentration.

their main source of sugar is from fruit, which they have as pudding for packed lunch and tea.

I suspect that there is quite a bit of hidden sugar in the foods they eat too, though they eat very little processed food, rarely have yogurt, jam, sweets or cakes. Biscuits after sports activities are the main culprit! must swap to hot cross buns or a banana..

I've noticed my sugar uptake has gone up because we actually have some granulated stuff in at the minute, so I would definitely recommend just not buying it and having either nothing at all or an alternative like Canderel. If it's there, so is the temptation to sprinkle some on my porridge.......same goes for biscuits and sugary snacks. Just don't buy them regularly.
The biggest factor that pushes up my sugar intake is lack of sleep though- I crave sugar to see me through a day at work. So I would also say get plenty of rest (not easy when pregnant and dealing with a teething toddler!).

I need to cut down on sugar the more I eat the more I crave it.

I am planning to sim for really tasty treats to look forward to rather than snacking on rubbish.

I've been thinking about cutting out sugar or at least cutting down. Hope it will help my skin, and help lose some weight. However with 2 under 2 I'm finding it very difficult. Ds2 is in the 4 month sleep regression so I'm in high need of coffee and choc biscuits!

I've been eating less sugar.
When I cook I always use less sugar than the recipe suggests or I might add something like raisins or orange juice if I'm making banana bread or similar.

We eat sugar, but only in home made items, i.e. cakes and biscuits. That way I have control over the amount of sugar used. I also tend to reduce the amount of sugar stated in the recipe by about 30%, and the result has always been fine. I believe that with suga,r the more you eat, the more you want to eat and vice versa, so it's 'just' a matter of retraining your palate (easier said that done, but still do-able).

I've started paying more attention to labels and avoiding processed foods as they contain a lot of hidden sugars and salts.

I always use sweetener instead of sugar in my coffee which I prefer and buy sugar free or no added sugar products whenever available. Unfortunately the cereals and cereal bars that I buy already have a lot of sugar in them

Finally the government have woken up and realised that fat is not the enemy, that the enemy is sugar!!
We don't use refined sugar in anything, and sorry Candarel but I'm not a fan of artificial sweeteners either :( Our preference is for natural sugar alternatives, liquid sweeteners like pure maple syrup, honey, agave and coconut blossom nectar. And my other go to natural sweetener is dates, I use them loads in baking, if only I could grow them in the garden lol

Yes, i am trying to use less sugar.

I have started cooking foods such as tomato based sauces myself and as a family we have stopped buying sugary drinks.

I don't take sugar in hot drinks and me or my children don't sprinkle sugar on cereals. I tend to buy fresh veg or tinned ved without sugar added. Sugarless sponges are easy to make with the kids! We make them all the time!

I am doing well with my aim of eating less sugar. I have stopped it in drinks and do not drink fizzies. I always have plenty of fruit available if I get a craving. However biscuits always seem to be my downfall!

I used to drink a lot of fruit juice as i'm not a big fan of most vegetables. But it wasn't until I started putting on weight that I realised fruit juice is actually full of sugar.

My weight gain has stopped and I feel better for it.

ive been replacing sugary stuff with popcorn plain and eating more low fat yoghurts

I've stopped sweetening tea and coffee, which was a large part of my intake.

I don't consider fruit sugars bad, as they are a natural part of the fruit.

I mainly cook from scratch and buy very little in the way of cakes, biscuits, etc.

Big move for me was cutting down on chocolate from daily fixes to weekly

For a chocolate fix I eat 85% dark which has less sugar. I mad custard with Canerel and use bananas to sweeten cakes and muesli bars. I also buy sweets with Stevia.