Discussion Board

I'm wondering if I should stop using the 2 tsp of sugar I usually put on my oatmeal. I'm not really concerned about the small amount of calories in the sugar, what concerns me is that the morning sweetness seems to set me up to crave other sweet things later in the day. And I watched a documentary about cane sugar called "The Cost of Sugar" which was about the human cost of sugar production, very sad indeed... So, is it worth it to just dump sugar completely? I don't use any sauces with sugar anymore as they seem to amp up my cravings too. Any opinions?

2 tsp is a lot of sugar. I would at least try to reduce it. I put fresh or frozen fruit in my oatmeal and then all I need is a TINY bit of real maple syrup (better than sugar).

Thanks so much for the replies! I guess that I already knew what I should do in regards to sugar but I was hoping (or maybe my sweet tooth was hoping) that I could get by with my habitual 2 tsp. I tried talkingmountain's idea of oatmeal and cinnamon and unsweetened applesauce for lunch and it was ok. Not the bland mush I thought it would be. I think I can do this no added sugar thing Plus it means I can now eat oatmeal for b-fast and lunch and not worry about overdosing on sugar. That's a good trade-off IMO.

I second the recommendation for using fruit/berries as a source of sweetness. It's also my daily breakfast and I use three types of berries and bananas every morning.
f1jim

I am "thirding" the advice to drop the sugar in favor of fresh or frozen fruit. I never would have believed it, but your taste buds DO change! What was once bland is now luscious. My go-to breakfast is rolled oats, cinnamon, and frozen blueberries, thawed naturally by the heat of the cooked oats. I lured myself into that in the beginning by adding almond extract as well, with the blueberries or with sweet dark cherries, also frozen.

I hear you on the sugar pushing cravings. 2 t. is a lot and that amount can cause me to range about all day, rummaging for "something!" Nothing is more destructive to my good health and weight loss than eating "something", because that can turn into "anything!"

One hint: IMO berries aren't very sweet. I love them, but they are a little more tart. If you add peaches, or even apples, you may find that you miss the sugar less--esp. if you cook the fruit into the oatmeal. I chop up a peach, add it to oats and water, then nuke 4 min. This gets the peach nice and cooked so its juices flow into the oatmeal.

I can eat the above w/out any maple syrup (even tho I like the flavor of it--it's more that than the sweetness) but when I use berries I usually do add a small amount of maple syrup for flavor AND a little sweetness. This works well for me.

I think one of the reasons I added 2 teaspoons of sugar to the oats was because the the frozen blackberries and raspberries I use are definately NOT sweet. Is it OK to use frozen unsweetened peaches? I won't buy groceries again till next Friday but I will check out the frozen fruit section for peaches and dark sweet cherries.

Yes, frozen unsweetened peaches are good, and mmm, the dark sweet cherries! If you can, I highly recommend using a tad of almond extract with both the cherries and the peaches! It really brings out the sweetness of the fruits.

Best of all is peaches AND dark cherries! Yummy!

Me, too. I use banana, blueberries and strawberries on my oatmeal, along with cinnamon and a little almond extract. No sugar.

I eat oatmeal only on the weekends because of my work schedule, but I fantasize about it all week long!

Nettie

I'm fantasizing about it right now--I had to bring my oatmeal and blueberries with me because I was running late to get an oil change, and decided to wait, so now I'm 3 1/2 hours after my usual breakfast time, craving my oatmeal in the tote next to me!

If you are not trying to lose weight, that would not be a bad suggestion as a treat, fro a special occasion.

However, 5 medjool dates is a lot of concentrated sugar and is very calorie-dense. It is 5 servings of fruit, and even on the regular plan, it is recommended to keep fruits to about 3 servings a day, so I would recommend we limit the dates to only one to a bowl of oatmeal, and not daily, especially if you're trying to lose weight.

I agree to dump the sugar. It just keeps you primed for more. Better to break out of the Pleasure Trap once and for all. I use blueberries for sweetness in my oatmeal. They have a low glycemic index (I know, I know, but I find low GI foods agree with my system) and are very high in colorful antioxidants. Using cinnamon gives the illusion of sweetness without the calories.

This morning I had 1/2 cup of oat bran cooked with 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1 TBS ground flaxseed and a sprinkle of cinnamon and cloves - and it was plenty sweet for me. Give your taste buds time to adjust and chew your food well and even plain grains like brown rice will start to taste sweet.

Kate