We all knowsugaris the Devil.
It even turns out it may beworse for us than saturated fat(gasp!).
Sure, it’s in cupcakes and gummies and lollipops.
But it’s also in ketchup, bread, and peanut butter.
Does it really need to be there?
The answer, quite simply, is no.
The short answer: Because I dont hate myself.
I also banned fake sugars.
We now knowthats not necessarily true.
It also felt like it was cheating if I allowed it.
And I wasnt doing this to cheat.
The really grainy, fibrous whole wheat bread I buy because its nutrition info passed my rigorous inspection?
Sugar is listed as ingredient number 3.
Pretzel chips have sugar.
Who the hell knows.
The BJ’s brand hummus I buy has sugar.
Most mass brands that are widely available and affordable have sugar.
And you know what?
It didn’t taste any different than my go-to with the added ingredient.
I watched with envy as my boyfriend ate his with honey nut granola.
This was essential to me not going crazy/being hungry.
Of course I could eatfruits and veggies.
And dairy (though not all dairyIm looking at you, flavored yogurt).
My favorite snack is cottage cheese and Triscuits, and thank goodness they fit the parameters.
Many were sent (gratis), few passed the test.
Here are the snacks I turned to in my times of need:
Notice a pattern?
Most of them are just dried fruit in one form or another.
If not fruit, they’resalty.
It was almost impossible to find varieties other than sea salt that didn’t have added sugars.
I swear this week, there were more free snacks in the office than any others.
Here are all the goodies I had to turn down:
Im almost crying at the memories.
OH WAIT, and these freshly baked chocolate chip cookies one of my co-workers brought in.
My menu for the week was essentially salad, quinoa, chicken, and salmon.
Fortunately, that’s not all that different from what I normally eat.
The biggest challenge was finding salad dressing that didn’t have sugar in it.
The winner: Newman’s Own Organics Caesar.
The ranch and balsamic had sugar, so Caesar it was!
Mexican food is not typically sugary.
It is salty, delicious, carby goodness, and I could eat every single bite of it.
(Or so I assume.
Honestly, do we ever really know what goes into the food at the hot lunch bar?)
That beverage is aniced coffeewith nothing more than half and half added.
I trusted the cafeteria to not use coffee creamer with added sugar.
That may have been a mistake.
But pestering the employees there to let me see the back of the carton felt…intrusive.
It said half and half and Im taking them at their word.
I had ketchup (the horror!).
I met some friends for dinner and thought I was being SO safe eating a meaty, fatty cheeseburger.
(Dont even mention the bun.
After that, I made sure to avoid ketchup completely for the rest of the week.
Honestly, is anything sacred anymore??
Yes, at least one condiment is sacred, and it’s called hot sauce.
My favoritehot saucesdo not have sugar.
And then rushed home that day to confirm that my beloved Frank’s Red Hot was safe, too.
I had snack options lined up.
I had the knowledge that I needed to cook every night andprep lunchto do this right.
But that’s not realistic for me during a normal week.
A few nights, I was prepared and ate leftover chicken, quinoa, and veggies.
But some nights, after work and working out, I didn’t get home until 9.
I ran out of leftovers, and wasn’t going to cook a full meal then.
you could do it, but it takes real commitment and planning.
I got creative and patched together what I could.
But snacking on just fruit and carby chips wasn’t enough…
I had a tough time getting a good mix of carbs and protein.
And thatleft me hungry.
Even with some dried fruits and pea snacks.
That’s not enough calories to keep me energized, especially if I throw a workout into my day.
Until they get with the progam, Im going to cut back as best as I can.
Now where is that taffy?
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