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Keeping tabs on how much sugar you’re consuming is an important part of a heart-healthy lifestyle, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes. The empty calories from added sugars in desserts, sweetened beverages and candy can lead to weight gain and spikes in blood glucose levels.

The good news is that cutting down on sugar may be easier than you think. 

Tips to cut back on added sugar:

• Toss the table sugar. Cut back on the amount of sugar you add regularly to beverages and foods including cereal, pancakes, coffee or tea. Try cutting the usual amount of sugar you add by half. Continue to decrease the sugar until your taste buds adjust.
  
  
• Swap out the sugary sips. Water is best, but if you want something sweet to drink or are trying to lose weight, diet drinks, unsweetened iced tea, and other unsweetened beverages with flavors can be a better choice than sugary drinks.
  
  
• Shop wisely. Compare Nutrition Food labels and choose products with the lowest amounts of added sugars. Dairy and fruit products will contain some natural sugars. Added sugars can be identified in the ingredients list.
  
  
• Go from added to natural. Instead of adding sugar to cereal or oatmeal, enjoy the sweetness from the natural sugars found in fruits. Try all the varieties: fresh, frozen, dried or canned fruits. Many dried fruits can be sweetened so read labels carefully and choose the unsweetened options. Buy fruit canned in water or natural juice without added sugar. Avoid fruit canned in syrup, especially heavy syrup. 
  
  
• Half it. When baking cookies, brownies or cakes, cut the sugar called for in your recipe by one-third to one-half. Often you won’t notice the difference.
  
  
• Use flavor extracts. Reduce some of the added sugar in recipes by using extracts, such as almond, vanilla, orange or lemon, to add some sweet scent without adding sugar.
  
  
• Spice it up. Enhance foods with warm spices instead of all the added sugar. Try ginger, allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg.
  
  
• Get saucy. Switch out the added sugar in a recipe with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce.
  
  
• Use low-calorie sweeteners when necessary. Low- and no-calorie sugar substitutes mimic the sweetness of sugar, making them a good bridge if you’re trying to cut down on added sugars. These sugar substitutes can work as a short-term solution as you gradually train your palate to enjoy foods and drinks that are less sweet.