(If you didn’t read the post “FED UP”check that out
first!)

I’m a cold turkey kind of girl. I never see the need to ween
myself off of something. If I’m not supposed to have it, then I quit. In
October I quit caffeine. I was drinking an iced tea when I decided to quit, so
I dumped it out and that was that. When it was time for my babies to quit their
binkies, I took them all away- never to be seen again. Years ago when I
realized my stomach was not prone to tolerating dairy, I switched to soy and
gave up cheese.

After watching Fed Up, I was immediately ready for my family to eliminate sugar, but I’m also frugal. The cold turkey approach didn’t work. My advice to anyone wanting to majorly cut back
their sugar intake:

There is no official yucky stuff vs. good stuff list. For
me, I try to base my eating habits off what the good Lord has created for us.
Keep in mind: I STILL EAT SUGAR! This past weekend we had friends over, I
attended a bridal shower, and went to a teen event. Each of these occasions offered
sugary treats, so of course I enjoyed some of them! The key for me is to drastically
eliminate my sugar intake. Here are some of the tricks I use to do this. We’ll
call this Swap and Go!

Instead of drinking sweet tea, soda, juice, or any other
sugary drink, swap it with sparkling water. Add a lemon or lime wedge for an
extra kick! La Croix is also a great swap. My favorite is the coconut flavor
with a lime- a tropical treat! Also, brew your own UNsweet iced tea- it’s super
cheap and super easy. Don’t use sugar substitutes. I can’t say this enough: no
diet soda, no Splenda, no Sweet and Low, etc. It all turns to sugar, and is bad
for the body.

Instead of a granola bars, crackers, cookies, muffins or
whatever your normal go-to snack is, swap with nuts! Cashews, almonds,
pistachio’s, and sunflower seeds make a great mix. Put them in a zip lock bag,
throw them in your purse and they’ll be accessible wherever you go.  Or swap for plain or whole grain rice cakes
with some nut butter.

Instead of the insanely-sugary cereals (which is almost ALL
cereals- check those sugar labels), swap with PLAIN oatmeal, plus raisins or
fresh fruit. It’s really hard to find a sugarless cereal, but plain Cheerios or
Cornflakes do have a much lower amount of sugar. I buy a whole grain “Puff
Cereal” at our local health food store, and it has zero sugar in it. At first
our kids didn’t want to go near these cereals with a 10-foot pole, but now they’re
totally fine with it. It took many weeks for them to adjust, but it’s so worth
it.

Ditch those yogurt squeezies for kids- they are chocked full
of sugar. Swap it with plain yogurt and fresh fruit, or an UNsweet apple sauce squeezie.

Swap out flavored coffee creamer with a small amount of half
and half. Add a little almond extract for a yummy aroma!

Instead of baking with white flour and sugar, swap it with
Spelt flour and UNsweet applesauce. Chuck makes the most divine homemade, spelt
flour and apple sauce fresh bread!

Instead of store-bought, sugary red sauces and salsa’s, swap
by making your own sugar-free versions. I promise it’s very easy to do! I do
not like cooking or baking, and even I can make these swaps.

The last swap, and one of my favorites, is to give up those
nighttime desserts. Instead, use coconut oil and fix some popcorn on the
stove top! It takes care of the munchies and tastes really yummy! I am not a
popcorn person, but I really enjoy this swap.

So there you have it, some basic Swap and Go’s! Please share
any of your own personal Swap and Go’s. I would love to expand my horizons! In the
next post, I’ll share some meals ideas for anyone interested.