How to stop eating too much sugar

Even as a doctor, I used to eat sugar all the time. I would grab sweets during hospital shifts, crave something sweet after meals, and think I was being healthier by swapping to granola bars or juice. The truth was I was still having way too much sugar without realising it.

That’s the tricky thing about sugar. It hides in plain sight. It’s not only the obvious biscuits and fizzy drinks. It’s in cereals, dressings, sauces, smoothies and foods marketed as healthy. By lunchtime, just from a mix of these, you could easily go over the six teaspoons of added sugar recommended for a whole day.

And it’s not just about weight or teeth. Too much sugar drains your energy, messes with your mood, drives cravings and makes it harder to sleep. Over time, it’s linked to fatty liver, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and even dementia.

The good news is you don’t have to give it up completely. Here are the five steps that helped me most.

1. Rethink your breakfast

For years, my mornings were full of sugar. A bowl of cereal, jam on toast or a glass of juice gave me a quick buzz and then a crash, leaving me looking for more.

Now I start my day differently. I build breakfast around protein and fibre. Eggs, beans or even leftovers from dinner work really well. If I want something on the sweeter side, yoghurt with fruit is great, but I make sure to add nuts, seeds or nut butter for extra protein. Spices like cinnamon or clove add flavour and a touch of natural sweetness, so I can use less honey or syrup.

That one change keeps me full for longer and stops me chasing sugar all morning.

2. Watch your drinks

Drinks are one of the easiest ways to overdo sugar. Smoothies, juices, iced coffees and energy drinks can carry more sugar than a dessert, and because they’re liquid, your body doesn’t feel full from them.

These days, I mostly stick to water, sparkling water with lemon, or homemade iced tea. Hibiscus tea is naturally tart with a subtle sweetness, and black coffee or plain tea are good options too. If I want a smoothie, I make it at home with whole fruit and yoghurt.

Diet drinks come up a lot. They can help in the short term if you’re coming off fizzy drinks, but I don’t recommend relying on them long term. Artificial sweeteners may affect your gut microbes and keep your taste for sweetness strong, so I see them as a bridge, not the destination.

3. Take a moment with your cravings

We all know too much sugar isn’t great, but we all crave it. I definitely do, especially when I’m tired or having a stressful week. What’s helped me is taking a short pause before I grab something sweet, just to check what my body might actually need. I like to ask myself 3 things:

• Am I hungry? If yes, I’ll have something with protein first, like yoghurt or nuts.
• Am I thirsty? Sometimes we confuse hunger with dehydration. A big glass of water or a herbal tea often does the trick.
• Am I after comfort? If I notice I’m stressed or low on energy, I try to reach for other quick wins that make me feel better, like a walk, stretching or phoning a friend.

When I do choose something sweet, I go for options that feel more filling and bring some health benefits, too. That might be an apple, a handful of berries, a couple of dates with nut butter or a few squares of good dark chocolate. I find these give me the sweetness I’m looking for but also help me feel satisfied. I try to slow down and enjoy them properly rather than eating on autopilot or while I’m distracted.

4. Shop smart and check labels

Most of the choices we make about sugar happen before we even sit down to eat. What you bring home from the shop shapes the options you’ll naturally reach for during the week.

I’ve found it really helpful to focus on filling my kitchen with whole foods that I enjoy. That means checking labels and getting familiar with where sugar might be hiding. It often appears under names like syrups, concentrates or agave. A good rule of thumb is that less than 5 g of sugar per 100 g is considered low sugar.

You don’t need to change everything at once. Even a couple of swaps each week can shift your overall diet towards more whole foods, while still leaving room for the sweet things you enjoy.

5. Build protein into every meal

This is the step that made the biggest difference for me. If your meals are mostly carbs, sugar cravings will keep showing up. Now I centre all my meals around protein and fibre, which keeps me fuller for longer, steadies my energy and helps reduce sugar cravings.

One simple way to think about it is a protein bowl formula:

• Core protein – beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, fish, chicken or eggs
• Added plant protein – chickpeas, edamame, nuts, seeds or hummus
• Colourful vegetables – roasted peppers, carrots, tomatoes, aubergine, beetroot
• Greens – spinach, kale, rocket, broccoli or green beans
• Optional whole grains – quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat, barley

Mix and match whatever you enjoy. It doesn’t need to be complicated, and once you get used to this structure, it becomes second nature to build meals that keep you full and steady your energy.

Start with just one change

That might be switching your breakfast, swapping a couple of drinks, or adding some extra protein to your lunch. Small shifts like these build up over time and help you cut back on sugar without feeling like you're missing out.