The sugar intake level of many adults nowadays is higher than recommended. Therefore,
most adults are paying attention to reduce their sugar intake by switching to various sugar-free meal plans.

However, generally many people are trying to get adjusted to sugar-free diets regardless of their
age. Their intentions could be different from one to another. Sometimes they might want to avoid
risky health conditions or sometimes they might want to lose weight. Whatever the reasons are,
cutting down your excessive sugar intake would definitely be a wise and healthy choice.
For starters, quitting sugar all at once would be a hard task. For some, this might look like
getting rid of drug addiction. Therefore, it should be done step by step.
No sugar diets contain many health benefits. This involves reducing or completely excluding
simple carbs and added sugar from your diet.

Some of those health benefits are,

• Increasing the energy levels
• Improves weight management
• Enhance mood, mental clarity, and focus
• Reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and many other health conditions such as,
  – Diabetes
  – Obesity
  – High blood pressure
  – High cholesterol
  – Type 2 diabetes
  – Metabolic syndrome
  – Chronic inflammation
  – Dental plaque and cavity

Apart from those health benefits, it can help,

• To reduce hunger pangs and craving
• To boost energy levels
• To enhance mental clarity
• To improve the appearance
• To improve dental health
• To increase longevity
• To improve sleep
• To reduce anxiety

If you want to make your no sugar diet to be a success, make sure that you know,

• How to stock a sugar-free pantry
• Some sugar-free recipes
• To purchase low sugar food items
• The results you expect from having a no sugar diet
  

Through this article, 100+ sugar-free foods you can eat on a no sugar diet, we will be discussing many sugar-free foods with some alternatives that you could use on a low sugar diet.

How to start?

First, you have to limit your sugar consumption by being very attentive when you go shopping and when you are consuming.

Here are some foods and drinks you should avoid if you are keen on adjusting to a sugar- free diet

• • • Fruit juice (instead, eat the whole fruit)
    • Sports drinks
    • Chocolate milk
    • Low fat yogurt
    • Cereal bars
    • Protein bars
    • Canned baked beans
    • Canned fruit
    • Spaghetti sauce
    • Barbecue (BBQ) sauce
    • Vitamin water
    • Breakfast cereal (Many contain lots of added sugar. Just make sure the product you buy doesn’t contain added sure)
    • Granola
    • Flavored coffees
    • Pre-made soups (Commercially prepared soups usually contain many unhealthy added ingredients such as sucrose, barley malt, dextrose, maltose, glucose, corn sugar, maple syrup, treacle, blackstrap molasses, fruit juice concentrate, and syrups such as High fructose corn syrup)
    • Premade smoothies
    • Iced tea

 

Here’re some sugar-free foods to start with

Sugar-free nuts and seeds

Nuts and seeds are another healthy options that you could try on a no sugar diet. Nuts and seeds do contain natural sugar but they are not unhealthy. Adding these (unsweetened versions) to your meals lowers the risks of diseases. The nuts and seeds mentioned below usually contain less than 10 grams of natural sugar per 100 grams.

Low-sugar nuts and seeds:

• • Pecans: These are low in carbs and high in fiber and also they contain some important nutrients like thiamine [vitamin B1], magnesium, phosphorus and zinc (1.1g)
  • Brazil nuts: These contain selenium; a mineral that helps body functions like metabolism, DNA production and immune response. (3 g)
  • Almonds: These are rich in vitamin E, magnesium, riboflavin, copper, phosphorus, and manganese (3.43g)
  • Pine nuts: These are rich in nutrients like Vitamin E, magnesium, Vitamin K, zinc, copper and phosphorus. Also, these help to lower the cholesterol levels and buildup plaque in blood vessels. 
  • Macadamia: These are an excellent source of Vitamin B, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese (2.77g)
  • Walnut: These contain nutrients such as B vitamins, iron, magnesium, zinc, polyphenol and fiber (1.57g)
  • Pistachios (5g)
  • Hazelnuts: These are rich in healthy fats, fiber, vitamin E, magnesium and vitamin K. They also contain various antioxidants that help to fight inflammation in the body.
  • Flax seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Pumpkin seeds

Sugar-free vegetables and fruits:

Mentioned below, are some vegetables and fruits that help you to maintain sugar intake without compromising on nutrition and taste.

• Leafy greens like lettuce: These are rich in folate, manganese, iron, and vitamin B, A, C, D, E, and K which boost your gut health.
• Asparagus: These are rich in vitamin K and folate and contain a variety of antioxidants and nutrients including Vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin E and the minerals zinc, manganese and selenium, and amino acid asparagines which help in improving brain health. 
• Broccoli: This is a diabetic-friendly, low sugar vegetable rich in fiber and protein and contains iron, potassium, calcium, selenium, and magnesium as well as vitamins A, C, E, K, and B. Also, this is good for breast and uterus cancer as it contains properties to deplete estrogens that cause cancers. 
• Beetroot: This is rich in antioxidants and nutrients that have proven health benefits for everyone. People with diabetes can consume this since this lowers the risk of diabetes complications, including eye damage and nerve damage.
• Tomatoes: This is a low-carb vegetable that is rich in vitamin C, A, potassium, and other nutrients. Lycopene found in tomatoes has properties to fight cancer while lowering the risk of heart diseases. This also prevents night blindness, helps to gain soft and supple skin, and boosts your bone density.
• Papaya: This is good for the digestive system and has low sodium content that lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels. This contains vitamin A, C folate, potassium, protein, fiber, essential vitamin Bs, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K.
• Cucumber: This has cooling and hydrating properties. These are rich in potassium and vitamin C. 
• Cabbage: Cabbage is rich in fiber, magnesium, vitamin B6, K, and C. This is an anti-oxidant that is good for diabetics.
• Cauliflower: This gives nutrients like fiber, potassium, and folate.
• Spinach: This is rich in fiber and calcium.
• Guava: Since it has a very low Glycemic Index (GI) this doesn’t contain sugar.
• Watermelon: This is rich in vitamin C and contains 6 grams of healthy, natural sugar. This also contains nutrients like vitamin A, L-Citfibrene, fiber, and lycopene. 
• Brussel sprouts: These are extremely rich in antioxidants, fiber, folate, manganese, and vitamins K, C, and A.
• Grapefruit: This contains 92% water and has nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber.

Apart from the fruits and vegetables mentioned above, there are more vegetables and fruits which are lower in sugar level. Some of them are

• • Coconut meat: 1 cup of fresh coconut meat contains 5 grams of sugar
  • Cranberry: 1 cup of fresh cranberries contains 50 calories and 4 grams of sugar. Ensure they are not dried and sweetened since dried and sweetened cranberries have higher sugar content.
  • Peaches: 1 small raw peach is 11 grams of sugar
  • Raspberries: ½ cup contains 2/5 grams of sugar
  • Olives: 2 tbsp serving contains 20 calories, 2 grams of fat, 2 grams of carbs and no sugar
  • Strawberries
  • Blackberries
  • Lemons and limes: 1 medium lime contains 20 calories, 1 gram of sugar and no fat
  • Honeydew melon: Every 100 grams contain 9.09 grams of carbs and 0.8 grams of fiber
  • Oranges
  • Cantaloupe: contains 8.16 grams of carbs and 0.9 grams of fiber per 100 grams of fruit
  • Avocados: 1/3 of the fruit contains 80 calories, 7 grams of fat 4 grams of carbs and 0.3 grams of sugar
  • Celery: 100 grams contain 2.97 grams of carbs
  • White mushroom: 100 grams contain 3.26 grams of carbs
  • Swiss chard: 100 grams contain 3.74 grams of carbs
  • Bell pepper: 100 grams contain 5.88 grams of carbs
  • Zucchini: 100 grams contain 3.11 grams of carbs
  • Alfalfa sprouts: 100 grams contain 2.1 grams of carbs
  • Arugula: A versatile leafy green that has 3.65 grams of carbs per 100 grams.
  • Radicchio.100 grams contain 4.48 grams of carbs

 

 

Low sugar beans and legumes

Legumes are usually higher in protein, fiber, B-vitamins, iron, folate, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and zinc. It has some natural sugar but they are healthy as they have no gluten or flour to worry about. They help to decrease the risks of cardiovascular diseases. Even though they are similar to meat in nutrients, they are lower in iron levels and have no saturated fats.

Beans are seeds from the Fabaceae family which are classified as legumes. Beans are also rich in protein, fiber, iron and vitamins that offer many health benefits. Unlike many food items, beans could be easily eaten daily without getting bored. Also, they are incredibly cheap and easy to store.

List of legumes and beans low in sugar

	Net carbs per cup	Net carbs per 100g	Net carbs per 200 calories
Lentils	24.2g	12.2g	21.1g
Black beans	25.8g	15g	22.7g
Lima (Butter) beans	26.1g	13.9g	24.1g
Navy (Haricot) beans	28.3g	15.6g	22.2g
Great northern beans	24.9g	14.1g	23.9g
Boiled soybeans (Edamame)	4.1g	2.4g	2.7g
Black-eyed beans (Cowpeas)	24.4g	14.3g	24.6g
Mung beans	23.3g	11.6g	22g
Broad beans (Fava)	24.2g	14.3g	25.9g
Firm tofu	1.2g	0.5g	0.7g

Read more: Beans and Legumes Low in Net Carbs

Apart from the above mentioned, there are more beans and legume types you can eat on a no sugar diet like chickpeas, pinto beans, kidney beans, peanuts and many other peas.

Sugar- free beverages

Mentioned below are some of the beverages which are free of sugar

• Iced or hot tea
• Water 
• Water with lemon or lime
• Sparkling water: flavored or unflavored
• Coffee
• Fruit and herb intrusion
• Green tea
• Fresh- squeezed mint lemonade
• Coconut water
• Kombucha, a fermented tea
• Maple water
• Unflavored rum
• Unflavored whiskey
• Gin 
• Tequila
• Scotch
• Diet soda
• Club soda

Now let’s look into some amazing no-sugar snacks you can try out.

These alternatives here need a little more effort but the ultimate result would amaze you. You can store them anywhere you like. 

1. Crunchy roasted chickpeas: You can use these instead of popcorn. You can prepare it to your taste with just chickpeas and you can keep it for up to 4 days stored at room temperature.
2. 3 ingredient healthy chocolate cookies: You can prepare these with just three ingredients:  ripe large bananas, cocoa powder and quick oats
3. Turmeric roasted cashews with chia: For this, you will only need cashew nuts, chia seeds, ground turmeric, chili flakes, dried rosemary and extra virgin olive oil
4. Soft and chewy baked granola bars: You can prepare these with gluten-free rolled oats, pitted Medjool dates, chia, sunflower, pumpkin seeds and cranberries
5. Roasted carrot dip: For this, you need carrots and some other ingredients only.
6. 5 Ingredient pecan date energy bites: You just need pecans, unsweetened coconut butter, almond butter, dates and raw cacao nibs to try this out
7. Thin mint raw bites: You can easily prepare this with almonds, dates, cacao powder, fresh mint leaves and peppermint oil
8. Cheddar cauliflower bacon bites: You can try this out as your breakfast or lunch with sharp cheddar, roasted cauliflower and natural bacon.
9. Granola yogurt popsicles
10. Sweet potato, kale + feta muffins: You can serve this as an appetizer also.
11. Mango fruit roll-ups: Try this out with just mango

Through this article ‘100+ sugar-free foods you can eat on a no sugar diet’, we discussed many no-sugar foods that you can try out and many alternatives if you are on a no-sugar diet. 

However, do not forget that the human body would cease to function properly and you would have to face unpleasant symptoms without sugar. Avoiding sugar 100% is not a healthy and good idea at all. Therefore you have to take at least naturally occurring sugar for it to function properly.