Sweet and desserts can definitely be part of a healthy diet, but sometimes it's easy to go overboard with added sugar, especially during the holidays, birthdays and other celebrations. And while sugar in moderation won't derail your whole diet, the reality is that most people eat way more added sugars than needed. According to the CDC, on average, American adults consume 17 teaspoons (68 grams) of added sugar every day, which is far more than the American Heart Association's recommended max of 6 teaspoons for women and 9 for men. You might already be skipping the 12-ounce can of soda with 39 grams of sugar, but did you know a typical 5-ounce blueberry yogurt contains 11 grams of added sugar? That's 2 3/4 teaspoons or almost half of your daily recommended max. Over time, too much sugar can lead to major health issues like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Focusing on foods with protein and fiber can help you feel satisfied while skipping added sugar. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, or you can multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36. To put this into perspective, for a 45-year-old woman with a sedentary lifestyle who weighs 150 pounds, that translates into 54 grams of protein daily. To get more specific, you can use the USDA's online calculator.
This 7-day no-sugar meal plan contains 75 grams of protein per day. And while this isn't a weight-loss plan per se, following this 1,500-calorie meal plan that skips added sugars and focuses on satisfying protein can help most people lose weight. For those with different calorie needs, modifications for 1,200 and 2,000 calories a day are included.
Daily Totals: 1,512 calories, 65g fat, 93g protein, 140g carbohydrate, 34g fiber, 1,538mg sodium
To make it 1,200 calories: omit the morning and afternoon snacks and reduce the pesto from 1 Tbsp to 1 tsp on the sandwich at lunch.
To make it 2,000 calories: add 1/2 cup unsalted, roasted cashews to A.M. snack and increase to 1 1/2 cups edamame at P.M. snack.
Daily Totals: 1,518 calories, 67g fat, 75g protein, 158g carbohydrate, 31g fiber, 1,482mg sodium
To make it 1,200 calories: omit peanut butter at A.M. snack and reduce almonds to 18 at P.M. snack.
To make it 2,000 calories: increase to 2 slices bread and 1 1/2 cups strawberries at breakfast, increase peanut butter to 1/4 cup at A.M. snack and increase almonds to 1/2 cup at P.M. snack.
Daily Totals: 1,511 calories, 70g fat, 90g protein, 136g carbohydrate, 31g fiber, 1,399mg sodium
To make it 1,200 calories: omit bread at breakfast and P.M. snack.
To make it 2,000 calories: increase to 2 slices bread at breakfast, increase edamame to 1 3/4 cups at A.M. snack and increase almonds to 1/2 cup P.M. snack.
Daily Totals: 1,497 calories, 76g fat, 86g protein, 123g carbohydrate, 33g fiber, 1,786mg sodium
To make it 1,200 calories: omit P.M. snack.
To make it 2,000 calories: increase to 2 slices bread at breakfast, increase edamame to 2 cups at A.M. snack, increase walnuts to 20 at P.M. snack and add 1 serving Basic Green Salad with Vinaigrette to dinner.
Daily Totals: 1,511 calories, 79g fat, 99g protein, 103g carbohydrate, 27g fiber, 1,422mg sodium
To make it 1,200 Calories: omit blueberries at A.M. snack and omit P.M. snack.
To make it 2,000 calories: increase blackberries to 1 cup and almonds to 1/3 cup at breakfast, increase edamame to 2 cups at A.M. snack and add 1 serving Basic Green Salad with Vinaigrette to dinner.
Daily Totals: 1,497 calories, 84g fat, 76g protein, 124g carbohydrate, 24g fiber, 1355mg sodium
To make it 1,200 calories: reduce to 1/2 cup yogurt at A.M. snack and omit P.M. snack.
To make it 2,000 calories: increase blueberries to 1 cup at A.M. snack, increase almonds to 1/2 cup at P.M. snack, add 1 large pear to lunch and 1 serving Basic Green Salad with Vinaigrette to dinner.
Daily Totals: 1,495 calories, 62g fat, 86g protein, 152g carbohydrate, 22g fiber, 1,115mg sodium
To make it 1,200 calories: omit almonds at breakfast, peanut butter at A.M. snack, swap to a small pear at P.M. snack and reduce to 1/4 cup rice at dinner.
To cake it 2,000 Calories: increase almonds at breakfast to 1/4 cup, peanut butter to 1/4 cup at A.M. snack and rice to 1 cup at dinner.
