Cutting back on sugar doesn’t mean giving up the foods and drinks you enjoy. Small, practical changes make enjoying sweetness easier while being mindful of added sugar. The goal is to find changes that fit naturally into your everyday routine, like small swaps like choosing water more often, switching to sugar alternatives, and checking your food labels.

Splenda® is one option for people who want to keep sweetness in foods and drinks while reducing the use of table sugar. Splenda® offers several sweetener choices for different uses, so you can choose the product that best fits the food or drink you’re preparing from your morning coffee to your favorite dinner recipe.

Use Low- or No-Calorie Sweeteners Strategically

Low- and no-calorie sweeteners are sugar substitutes that provide sweetness with few or no calories, depending on the ingredient and product formulation. People may choose them when they want sweetness and to reduce the added sugar in their foods and drinks.

That’s where Splenda® comes in, with different products made for different uses, so that choosing an alternative to sugar is always within reach. Consider Splenda® sweetener packets for your hot beverages like coffee and tea, Splenda® liquid sweeteners for your iced beverages like iced coffee or iced tea, and the Splenda® sweetener pouches for large batch drinks like a pitcher of lemonade or tea. Each of these formats are available in Original, Stevia, and Monk Fruit to fit individuals personal taste or preference for plant based products.

To reduce sugar in baking but maintain qualities like browning, Splenda® Sugar Blend and Splenda® Brown Sugar Blend contain a mix of sugar and Splenda® sweetener for a reduced sugar experience and all the sweetness you enjoy. On Splenda’s recipe pages, you’ll find recipes like Fudge Brownies and Banana Bread Muffins featuring Splenda® Stevia Sweetener as examples of recipes specifically designed for great taste with less sugar.

Replace Sugary Drinks with Water or Sparkling Water

Beverages are a practical place to begin reducing sugar, especially as drinks can add more sugar to your diet than you might notice if you’re not checking the Nutrition Labels. Guidelines from the World Health Organization cite an “increasing concern” that the overconsumption of sugar-sweetened drinks may lead to unhealthy dietary habits and outcomes. ^[2]

A good place to start is by reviewing drink labels. As you find added sugars in some of the drinks you may typically reach for, consider swapping them for other beverages that may have less or no added sugar.

A simple swap for something like your favorite soda might be sparkling water with lemon or lime. If you enjoy sweet coffee or tea, Splenda® Sweetener Packets or Splenda® Liquid Sweetener can add convenient sweetness without adding sugar to hot or cold drinks.

Sweeten Breakfasts with Whole Fruit Instead of Sugar or Syrups

Breakfast is another place where you can make small changes without making things feel boring. Here again, take note of the Nutrition Facts panel of your typical breakfast foods to review how much added sugar you may not expect to be consuming. For example, the cereal you picked because it’s labeled whole grain may surprise you with the amount of added sugar it contains alongside those whole grains.

Simple Breakfast Swaps

For simple breakfast swaps that can reduce sugar in your morning meals, try topping plain oatmeal or yogurt with fresh fruit instead of brown sugar or maple syrup. Cinnamon, vanilla, or Splenda® Original, Stevia, and Monk Fruit options can add sweetness. Instead of reaching for brown sugar, try Splenda® Brown Sugar Blend for half the sugar and calories.

Breakfast Bakes

When making pancakes, waffles, or muffins, swap the amount of sugar in the recipe for Splenda® sweetener. Find the exchange amount for any Splenda® product on the handy online conversion tool.

For a ready-to-try recipe built around Splenda® Stevia Sweetener Pouch, try these Banana Bread Muffins for a breakfast treat.

Increase Protein, Fiber, and Healthy Fats at Meals

A balanced meal with protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and healthy fats can make sweetened foods feel less central to the dish. One simple approach is to build meals around a protein you enjoy, and then add vegetables, fruits, or whole grains. Try including a source of unsaturated fat, like avocado, olive oil, nuts, or seeds.

The idea is flexibility, not the perfect formula for every meal. You could start with chicken, fish, or tofu based on your preferences, add vegetables you enjoy, and finish with an unsaturated-fat like a tasty olive oil drizzle.

Choose Whole Foods and Cook More Meals at Home

Whole foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds, and whole grains stay close to their original state and are minimally processed. Whole grains contain all the parts of the natural seed and nutrients including vitamins, essential minerals, and dietary fiber. ^[3]

Cooking at home gives you more control over the ingredients you select and how much sugar or sweetener goes into a recipe. This way you can control the sweetness and reduce or remove the added sugar in your recipes by using less sugar or swapping it with a sugar substitute.

A few good tips include keeping flexible ingredients like beans, lentils, whole grains, and canned or frozen vegetables on hand and consider batch-cooking a few basics on the weekend. With Splenda® recipes like No Honey Mustard and Sweet Southern Coleslaw, you can cook homemade favorites with confidence with less-to-no sugar.

Read Labels to Identify and Avoid Hidden Sugars

Checking a food label for total and added sugar is easy if you know what to look for. Start with the serving size and check “Total Sugars” and the separate “Added Sugars” line below it to find out how much sugar was added to that product.

As you look at the ingredients, note that they are generally listed in descending order by weight, meaning the ingredient used in the greatest amount appears first. Sugar can appear under names such as cane sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, agave, molasses, fruit juice concentrate or glucose.

A sugar ingredient near the beginning of the list is a useful quick-screening signal, but it is not a complete nutrition rule because the Nutrition Facts panel on the product will provide additional information about the amount of added sugar per serving.

Common Sugar Name	Example Product Categories Where It May Appear
Cane sugar, brown sugar, or invert sugar	Cereals, baked goods, and snack bars
Corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup	Drinks, sauces, and condiments
Honey, agave, or maple syrup	Granola, yogurt, bars, and dressings
Molasses	Baked goods, cereals, and sauces
Fruit juice concentrate	Drinks, yogurt, bars, and fruit products
Glucose	Packaged snacks, baked goods, and sauces

Swap High-Sugar Products for No- or Low-Sugar-Added Versions

If you’re looking to reduce sugar in your diet, you don’t need to replace everything in your pantry at once. Start by finding one or two products you eat or drink often and compare similar choices by serving size, grams of added sugar, and ingredient list.

Terms like “no added sugar,” “reduced sugar,” “low sugar,” “unsweetened,” and “sugar free” have different meanings and aren’t interchangeable. An unsweetened product may still contain naturally occurring sugar, like sugar naturally found in milk or fruit, which is why the “Total Sugars” and “Added Sugars” lines of the Nutrition Facts panel are both useful.

For swap ideas, try plain yogurt with fruit instead of a flavored variety, plain oats instead of a pre-sweetened oatmeal packet, or an unsweetened plant-based drink instead of the sweetened version. You can also compare sweetened cereals, snacks, sauces, and condiments and choose the option that best fits your preferences. To add sweetness from table sugar without adding sugar, keep Splenda® Sweetener Packets within reach instead.

Pair Starchy Carbohydrates with Protein or Fiber and Control Portions

Carbohydrates are part of a balanced eating pattern. For a practical approach, combine a starchy carbohydrate with other foods you enjoy, like protein, vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, or seeds, while paying attention to portions that feel right for you while creating a flavor profile you enjoy.

Try toast with nut butter and sliced banana, pasta with grilled chicken or beans and roasted vegetables, or rice with beans, vegetables, and avocado. Try pairing oatmeal with plain Greek yogurt and berries, then customize with a Splenda® sweetener instead of adding sugar for sweetness.

Incorporate Small Meal-Time Tactics to Reduce Sugar Spikes

Small changes to your routines can make lower-sugar choices feel more natural, especially when they are easy to repeat. Consider strategies that are easy to incorporate without changing too much around the meal-time rituals you enjoy. These can help keep your energy steady throughout the day instead of a spike and dip from sugar intake. ^[4]

After your meal, a nice ritual might include an unsweetened coffee or tea, or customizing that drink with your favorite Splenda® sweetener to keep your cravings for sweet treats post-meal at bay. A short walk if you’re able can also be a pleasant way to add movement to your day around your meals to keep you feeling active.

Identify and Avoid Obvious and Hidden High-Sugar Items

Some foods are obvious places to check for added sugar, while others may be less expected. While not every food in the categories below will be high in sugar as recipes and formulations vary, getting in the practice of checking Nutrition Labels is the best step to know what is really in the specific foods and drinks you’re considering.

Expected Sources to Check for Added Sugar	Less Expected Sources to Check for Added Sugar
Regular soda	Pasta sauce
Candy	Salad dressing
Cookies and cakes	Flavored yogurt
Ice cream and frozen desserts	Granola and snack bars
Sweetened coffee drinks	Ketchup and other condiments
Sweet tea and lemonade	Bread and sandwich products
Syrups and dessert toppings	Some packaged foods labeled “low fat”

Use these categories as a reminder, not as a list of foods you must completely avoid. When checking the Nutrition Label panel, look at the serving size, review the “Added Sugars” line, compare similar products using the same serving size, and read the ingredient list.

Make Small, Sweet Changes That Fit Your Routine

Reducing sugar doesn’t mean changing everything you eat. Start with the places where sugar shows up most often for you, like sweetened drinks, flavored snacks, sauces, or desserts, and make one simple swap at a time. And remember, a very useful habit will be learning to read Nutrition Labels with confidence and to check them regularly.

When you want sweetness while reducing sugar, Splenda® offers products designed for different tastes and occasions, including for your hot and cold drinks, cooking, and baking. Try a small swap, see how it works for you, and keep building from there.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I gradually reduce sugar without losing flavor?

Start with one food or drink you have often instead of trying to change your whole diet at once. You can use less table sugar in coffee, oatmeal, or cereal and add cinnamon, vanilla, berries, or another fruit for extra flavor, or use Splenda® products to add sweetness while reducing sugar.

Where is hidden sugar most commonly found in everyday foods?

Added sugar can show up in sauces, salad dressings, flavored yogurt, granola bars, condiments, breads, cereals, and some packaged drinks, but formulations vary from product to product. The best way to check is to review the serving size, the “Includes Added Sugars” line, and the ingredient list to know how much added sugar a particular product contains.

What are effective substitutes for sugar in baking and beverages?

For drinks, Splenda® Sweetener Packets and Splenda® Liquid Sweetener provide options for adding sweetness to cold and hot beverages. For bakers who enjoy some aspects of baking with sugar like browning and texture, but want less sugars in their bakes, Splenda® Sugar Blend and Splenda® Brown Sugar Blend are great options with half the amount of sugar and calories For those who want zero-sugar options, try Splenda® Magic Baker and Splenda® Magic Baker Brown.

How do I read nutrition labels to spot added sugars?

Start with the serving size, then look at “Total Sugars” and then the separate “Added Sugars” line underneath. Then review the ingredient list for names like sugar, corn syrup, honey, agave, molasses, juice concentrate, remembering that ingredients are generally listed from greatest to least by weight.

How can I reduce sugar in desserts while maintaining taste?

Using Splenda® sweeteners or Splenda® blends is a great way for home bakers to reduce sugar in desserts while maintaining the desired sweet taste. Visit Splenda® recipes to find tested and delicious reduced- and no-added-sugar dessert recipes to find your newest favorites.

References

[1] U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/added-sugars-nutrition-facts-label

[2] World Health Organization. Guideline: Sugars Intake for Adults and Children. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549028

[3] McRae, M., 2016. Health Benefits of Dietary Whole Grains: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5310957/

[4] Harvard Health. 9 Tips to Boost Your Energy – Naturally. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/9-tips-to-boost-your-energy-naturally