There’s no way to sugarcoat it. “Most of us eat more sugar than we should,” said Judy Matusky of Athens Nutrition in Ardmore. “Where are all those added sugars coming from? And once you can identify where they’re coming from, how can you cut back?”
It’s a popular New Year’s resolution, so here’s how to start.
“If you’re trying to reduce added sugar, reading labels is very important,” explained fellow registered dietitian nutritionist Ashvini Mashru of Wellness Nutrition Concepts in Malvern. “You can actually see how much added sugar is in a product. That’s the first step.”
Next, think whole foods for fiber, vitamins and minerals.
“I would focus more on ways to get natural sweetness from foods that are naturally sweet,” said Matusky, also a culinary nutrition blogger. “Can you pick up enough sweetness from the whole fruit?”
For a snack, try her chocolate, date and walnut bites, aka “little date energy balls” with “all the sweetness coming from the dates.”
And for breakfast, “I would always recommend adding fresh fruit to your Greek yogurt or your oatmeal or your cereal,” Mashru described. Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom help too.
What about honey, maple syrup and molasses?
“People think because it’s natural, they can add as much as they want,” she said. “People don’t realize that these things do add calories.”
So use sparingly in family-friendly desserts like layered orange napoleons or honey-roasted pineapple with Greek yogurt.
One noncaloric alternative: Stevia, extracted from the Stevia plant.
“I always tell my clients to look for Stevia,” advised Mashru, who prefers staying “as close to natural sources as possible.” “It is a natural sweetener, and it’s definitely a better option than honey or molasses” if mixing in tea more than once a day, for example.
Finally, keep in mind that “it takes time to sort of reset that palate a little bit,” Matusky stressed. “There can be a role for all sweeteners across the board, but it’s about how you use them and how much you use them. The poison’s in the dose, right?”
Chocolate, Date and Walnut Bites
Yield: 8 servingsIngredients1 cup walnuts
1 cup dates (use Medjool dates and be sure pits are removed)
1 tablespoon 100-percent cocoa powder
InstructionsPlace all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Using a heaping teaspoon, roll into bite-size pieces. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Makes 16 bites. Serving size is 2.
Nutrition note: With sweetness coming naturally from the dates, there’s no need to add sugar. Walnuts add protein and healthy plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, and cocoa powder gives these little energy bites a delicious boost of heart-protective antioxidants.
RECIPE COURTESY OF JUDYMATUSKY.COM
Grilled Strawberry Kebabs with Lemon-Mint Sauce
Yield: 4 servingsIngredients24 ripe medium strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon vegetable oil4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves, torn
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice8 (10-inch) wooden skewers, soaked in water at least 15 minutes
InstructionsPreheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. While the grill preheats, thread the strawberries onto the skewers, piercing each strawberry with 2 skewers and making a total of 4 kebabs with 6 strawberries on each. In a cup, combine the oil and 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup. Brush the syrup mixture over the strawberries. In a small bowl, combine the mint, lemon zest and juice and remaining 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Grill the strawberries until they are softened and have grill marks, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve the strawberries drizzled with the lemon-mint sauce.
RECIPE COURTESY OF WELLNESS NUTRITION CONCEPTS
Orange NapoleonsYield: 4 servings
Ingredients4 medium navel oranges, zest of 1 orange grated and reserved
2 tablespoons honey1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon orange-flower water1/4 cup shelled raw pistachios
InstructionsCut off about 1 inch from both ends of all 4 oranges; reserve the ends. Stand 1 orange cut-side down on a cutting board. Working from top to bottom, cut away the peel and pith. Cut the orange into 3 rounds, each about 3/4-inch-thick, transferring the rounds to a medium bowl as you work. Repeat with the remaining oranges. Refrigerate the slices until needed. Squeeze the juice from the reserved orange ends into a small saucepan. Add the orange zest, honey and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, swirling the pot occasionally, until syrupy, about 6 minutes. You should have about 1/4 cup of syrup. Let cool to room temperature, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat, add the pistachios and cook, tossing frequently until fragrant and toasted, about 4 minutes. Let cool, then chop. Whisk together the yogurt, half the syrup and the orange-blossom water in a medium bowl. In each of 4 shallow bowls, layer 3 orange slices with 1 tablespoon of the yogurt mixture, beginning with an orange slice and ending with yogurt. Drizzle the remaining orange syrup over the tops, sprinkle with pistachios and serve.
RECIPE COURTESY OF WELLNESS NUTRITION CONCEPTS
Honey-Roasted Pineapple with Greek Yogurt
Yield: 4 servingsIngredientsJuice of 2 oranges (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup honey1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/2 a fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 (7-ounce) container 2-percent Greek yogurt
InstructionsPreheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine 1 cup water, orange juice, honey and vanilla bean pod and seeds in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to loosen the honey. Turn off the heat and leave the saucepan on the stove. Arrange the pineapple slices in a broiler-proof 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour the orange syrup over the pineapple. Roast, basting occasionally, until the pineapple is tender and the juices have reduced, about 20 minutes. Set the oven to broil and continue to cook the pineapple until it is a deep golden yellow and lightly brown around the edges, 5 to 10 minutes more. The roasting juices should be reduced and syrupy, measuring about 1/4 cup. If they are too watery, remove the pineapple slices, return the juices to the saucepan and reduce the juices over medium-high heat until syrupy, about 1/4 cup. Divide the yogurt among 4 small bowls. Top with the pineapple slices, and drizzle with the syrup.
RECIPE COURTESY OF WELLNESS NUTRITION CONCEPTS
