OK fans of sugar, prepare for battle. Ya, I know I’m supposed to be all supportive and tell you it’s going to be a breeze and rah rah rah with my pom poms but…listen, bros and brosettes. I’m not going to lie to you. If you’re really a sugar addict, this ain’t gonna be fun.
If you’re going to go on a sugar free diet, you need to arm yourself with the proper tools weapons against your usual cravings and emotional excuses like:
- “I did sit for a long time at that stoplight today, so I earned that Twix!”
- “My boss is a good for nothing insert cussword your mother told you not to say here so I’m eating this bag of chips.”
- “My cat just peed on the rug, my kids are driving me bonkers, and my car won’t start so I’m shoving this cupcake in my face and you can’t stop me!”
If you want to be successful with this you’re going to have to get prepared. Shopping will take a little extra time because you’ll be reading e v e r y label. Sigh. Let’s all take a moment to accept how darn right annoying it’s going to be and JUST DO IT!
This sugar free diet shopping list is to help guide you. Depending on which Fed Up Challenge plan you’re going to follow, alter your list accordingly. (i.e. The list below is for Plan A but if you’re following Plan B, you can eat white starches, but still look for breads/pastas with no added sugars). If you’re not sure what plan you want to try, check out my post with official rules on the 10-Day No Added Sugar Challenge for plan options.
And before you go shopping, make sure you look at the list of Other Names for Sugar to make sure you’re not buying anything with those sneaky sugars!
The Sugar Free Diet Shopping List:
[list icon=”icon: check” icon_color=”#000000″]Sprouted grain bread (Ezekiel 4:9 is a good one. It’s usually in the healthy/organic freezer section)brown rice
Meats and seafood (get at least a couple day’s worth of meats)
Deli meat for sandwiches (Boar’s Head All Natural roast beef doesn’t have any sugar – beware: the turkey does)
Bag of baby carrots – great for snacking
Raw almonds
Fruit, fruit, and more fruit (watermelon is great for dessert!)
Veggies – grab several varieties
Cheese
Cottage cheese (Check the label! Many cottage cheeses have added sugar)
Eggs (hard-boiled eggs are easy to eat for breakfast when you’re in a hurry)
100% whole wheat pasta or gluten free pasta (check the label for hidden sugars!)
Peanut butter (all natural no added sugar)[/list] Ezekiel also makes pastas and tortillas. Both are great options when trying to stay away from white flours and added sugars.
Sugar Free Snack Ideas:
[list]Apples dipped in peanut butter
Sugar Free Snack Ideas:Plain yogurt with lots of chopped fruit (check the yogurt ingredients!)
Cottage cheese with fruit mixed in
Toasted Ezekiel bread toasted with some plain butter or peanut butter
Carrots or celery dipped in your own homemade ranch dressing
I hope you’ve gotten some friends or family members to support you so you don’t have to do this no sugar challenge all alone. But if not, remember we’re in this together! If you’d like to follow along, be sure to subscribe in the right hand sidebar of this page!
Need some extra help? Check out these Sugar Free Diet Tips.
Check up on how I did in the 2014 Fed Up Challenge on Day 1, Day 3, Day 5, and Day 8. Also see the 5 Things I Learned While On A Sugar Free Diet and Why You Can’t Have Sugar Substitutes During The Fed Up Challenge.
To check out the sugar free challenge we did in 2014, go here.
To check out the sugar free challenge we did in 2015, go here.
To check out the sugar free challenge we did in 2016, go here and here.
To check out the sugar free challenge we did in 2017, go here.
Omg we’ve done so many! What happened to 2018? Well, I was too busy eating cupcakes to post one. 😉
Do you have any good meal options or snack ideas to add? What’s on your sugar free diet shopping list?
Here are some of my recipes that are sugar free:
Poor Man’s Steak Salad (my newest sugar free, white carb free recipe!)
Spicy Power Turkey Sandwich with Avocado Spread
Spicy Chicken Fried Rice
Impress Your Mother-In-Law Avocado Toast
Herbed Basmati Rice (use brown rice instead of white rice)
Easy Pan-Seared Pork Chops (omit the bread crumbs or use wheat flour or Ezekiel bread)
Fresh Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Bacon
Marinated Vegetable Salad
Chopped Fresh Fruit Salad
Sugar-Free Baked Apple Slices
Impress Your Mother-In-Law Avocado Toast
hi I’ve just watched the documentary ‘fed up’ and am trying to do a fed up challenge. I was curious why fats are allowed in this challenge!? sugar is not allowed because too much of it changes into fat isn’t it??
For this challenge, don’t think about fats. Only focus on not eating sugars of any kind, including artificial. It’s about breaking the addiction to sugar and, once you cut it out of your diet, you won’t crave it as much.
Is it ok to eat corn and corn tortillas? I can’t find any info either way
Hi Diane. Yes, you can eat corn. As far as the tortillas, you should be able to, but read the ingredients just to be sure they didn’t hide any sugars in there. Good luck!
This sugar free diet shopping list is to help guide you and prepare you so you can eat healthy successfully.
I do not have a sweet tooth and do not eat eggs, – I would say about 95% of food has some amount of sugar in it.
Question – How do you get away from sugar in foods – that is almost impossible!!!
Thanks for the article. I’m going to try being sugar free for lent.
I didn’t realize Boar’s Head Turkey had sugar too…it seems everything has sugar in it. I shared your article on my site =)
>sugar free shopping
>recommends buying lots of fruit
LOL WUT
I am confused about the ‘watermelon’. I went on a Keto woe, just about 1 month ago, because i’m diabetic, and i was told that fruit, is out! ..In fact, if you look it up, 1 diced cup of watermelon has 9 grams of sugar, and 11 grams of carbs. So, i don’t believe that watermelon is ‘sugar free’. It may be a ‘natural’ food, but it has natural sugar in it! just sayin!
Hi Kelly. Yes, it does have natural sugar in it and with certain diets, like Keto, you may not be able to. But with the Fed Up Challenge, which is what I made this shopping list for, fruit is ok in moderation. The Fed Up Challenge is more about the “added” sugars in foods, whether they be natural or sugar substitutes.
this article and these comments has been very helpful as i take on this 40-day fasting journey. I’m fasting sugars… and was super interested on how i can keep cheese in my diet lol.. i usually eat vegan cheese but because its vegan manufacturers add sugars to meet the cheese taste expectation.. so i guess i will be going back to normal cheese now. I’ve seen that goat and Swiss cheese have zero or less than 1 gram of sugar so that was great news.
Interesting, Alexis. I didn’t know that about vegan cheese. Good luck on your fast!
If you choose to make your own bread (in bread maker) , would you recommend recipes? I assume making my own bread would be a cheaper way to avoid sugar added in market bread, but what do I use in place of white flour? It’s easy to throw a loaf of bread in before bedtime, and a wonderful smell in the night.
Hi Edythe. If you’d like to make your own bread, I’d recommend making it with whole wheat flour. Now technically, your body will still turn this into sugar. But it’s probably better than white flour.
Thats a good article for sugar patients.
These are some GREAT tips! Ive been sugar free, dairy free, and wheat/gluten/starch free for FOUR WEEKS now and I feel like a million bucks! Everybody thinks I’m crazy but once youve made the commitment, its so easy to look a double chocolate brownie in the face and say eh no. I promise if you truly love being healthy and wholesome you will find that you will enjoy eating a delicious dessert of organic apples and peanut butter a 1000X better than a sugarloaded dessert that will leave you guilty and sluggish. Thats the key- the satisfaction and guiltfree feeling that comes with cutting out sugar is something everyone should experience! I have been for four weeks and i feel like it has changed my life!!!! TRY IT!!
Great ideas guys. Being my 10th day on the challenge I fill discouraged and even start to fear food. I only take meat at least it does not burn me up. Even fruits I fear a lot.
I like my pills, all my joy on them they eat up sugar and make me sugar free for some time. I’m challenged…….
I’d love to know what deli meat doesn’t have added sugar. I went sugar free for over a month and there was not one deli meat at my local stores that didnt have some form of sugar listed in the ingredients. It would say 0 grams in the nutritional facts but it was always in the ingredients.
Hi Samantha. I was told that Boar’s Head All Natural meats don’t have sugar. I’m going to call them tomorrow to confirm and I’ll let you know what I find out.
I called Boar’s Head. They did confirm that the All Natural product line has one meat that is sugar free and that’s the roast beef. The turkey DOES have sugar in it.
My 10 year old daughter Jordan and her class were challenged by their Health and Career teacher to take this challenge. I have to say I am so proud of my girl. She has just finished day 6 and has not had any sugar. We spent the weekend doing Christmas activities around our small town, which of course included Gingerbread house making, cookies and hot chocolate. She did not have a single bite. She has saved everything for when she is done though. While everyone else drank hot chocolate, she drank tea. She mixed frozen fruit with plain greek yogurt and portioned it into containers as our entire family eats yogurt everyday. Fresh fruits and veggies, pioneer and farmers bread from our local Lac La Hache bakery which is all whole grain and no sugar. She reads every label to ensure she doesn’t accidentally ingest sugar. Even her favourite rice topping of soy sauce she has had to give up. She has done so well. I am one very proud Momma!
Li – I’m also very proud of your daughter! Hard for someone of a young age to do something like this during the holidays. Good for her and your family.
Hi! Thank you so much for this. I’m really late on the Fed Up wagon but I made it. A coworker just recommended the movie which is now on Netflix and so happy I watched it. So crazy! Pizza is NOT a vegetable. So my question is if you’re going to have a group challenge soon? I’m stalking your pages and bookmarked on my home screen. But need support. Lol. I kinda started. But religiously starting tomorrow after I do my shopping tonight. Long comment but no one else understands me right now 🙂
Hi – I’m glad you’re finding the site helpful. Unfortunately, I’m not doing a group challenge at this time. We just finished one in April. But you’re welcome to email me (link at center bottom of home page) and I’d be happy to chat with you while you do the challenge, email you and see how it’s going. I know it’s hard to do it alone!
Hey its Nicole again, thank you for your reply it cleared that up for me. Today i start my Fed Up challenge and i ran into a question i cant see to find the answer for anywhere. My question is we are running into a lot of mystery food like milk and ground cinnamon that show sugar in the nutritional facts but not in the ingredients. Would that be considered as added sugar or is it safe?
The grams of sugar in those types of foods are the same as fruit – they have natural sugars. For purposes of the challenge they are fine to eat because it is not “added” sugar. Good luck on the challenge!
I am on day 13 of the Fed Up challenge. It IS hard to find sugar free food but after you do it for a little while you know what you like, what to buy that you like and that you can eat. My go to, for a sweet fix is unsweetened applesauce and homemade cashew or almond butter ( both butters are super easy ( 2 cups of dry roasted nuts of choice and 2 TBS of coconut oil with a pinch of salt , I add cinnamon because it as been linked to raising metabolism, food processor for 8 min. Also hard boiled eggs with humus is easy and packed with protein to keep you full. It’s is inconvenient reading every label but that just shows you how brainwashed we have been. I always think of the quote ” I didn’t say it would be easy, I said it would be worth it ” Now, If I could just find a sugar free wine I would be set…. By the way I feel great !!!
Sounds like you’re doing great, Michelle! Yes, it does get easier going to the grocery store because you know exactly what items are safe to eat. And you have faster shopping trips too, because you know you’ll be skipping most of the aisles. 🙂
Fun article! I’m currently going through classes for clean eating due to my Insulin Resistance and endometriosis. Some key points I’ve learned thus far is -go grass fed organic for meats and dairy.
Also- the following list of fruits and veggies are at the very top of the glycemic index (meaning, when digested It turns straight into sugar)
Bananas, mangos, pineapple, potatoes, wheats/grain,rice and carrots. I know there is more that I didn’t list. However, these were the hardest for me to (not) swallow!
Peace, love and good vibes to you on your journey! ♡
Thanks for the info Leslie. That must be why I’ve been eating more bananas lately. Normally I don’t like them, but they taste so sweet when I’ve not eaten sugar in awhile.
Okay so this comment kinda confused me. so we arent supposed to have those fruits because it turns straight into sugar?
Hi Nicole. Although I don’t claim to be an expert, here is what I know. All carbohydrates turn into sugar in the blood stream. I’ve read that having protein along with a carbohydrate helps. For more info on bananas, for example, go here. However, my personal opinion is (and what I did during the Fed Up Challenge) was, I ate fruit – all kinds of fruit. I think you have to weigh the good vs. the bad as far as what kind of nutrients you’re getting, even though they turn into sugar in your body. For me, eating a banana or other fruit is better for me than what I was doing, which was eating a pastry, or crackers (made with enriched flour), or candy, etc. If I needed a snack, carrots were a great choice even though they are higher on the glycemic index according to this site. Personally, that is fine with me because carrots have Vitamin A, potassium, and fiber. And they’re good for your eyes! It’s up to you on how “hard core” you want to be with this. According to the official “Fed Up Challenge” rules, you can eat fruit, just try to limit your quantities. I hope this helps.
I’m somewhat confused with the allowed daily intake of grams of sugar. Can you explain?
Hi Elena. This challenge is not necessarily about grams. It’s about NO ADDED sugar. By eating real food, and not processed food, you should be fine. Look at your list of ingredients to find out if there is added sugar or hidden sugars (could be high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, honey, sucralose, agave nectar, maltodextrin and many others). When you look at your labels, you may find grams of sugar on the label on something like milk. Although milk has natural sugars (lactose) it doesn’t have added sugar. Basically with this challenge, you won’t be eating any prepared foods or sauces. Does that make sense?
I think on the Fed Up Movie, they mention how many grams of sugar a person should limit themselves to. I don’t remember what it is, but it doesn’t matter because you’re going to meet your daily limit just with natural foods that have natural sugars like fruit, dairy, etc.
Is “natural’ sugar and “added sugar” really any different? If I am eating something like honey, it’s natural, but full of sugar. Many fruits are also high in natural sugar. I understand that it’s best to avoid added sugar, but isn’t it best to just avoid sugar, natural and added?
Hi Nancy. Thanks for your comment. By natural sugars, I’m referring to the sugars that occur naturally in fruit or milk. For the purposes of eating a sugar-free diet, honey would be considered an added sugar. If we look at an apple, the sugars that are in the fruit haven’t been added to it, they were there as the fruit grew. But if you look at a granola bar made with honey, the honey has been added to the product to make it sweeter.
That’s why when I was replying to Elena’s comment I mentioned to avoid processed foods and it won’t be as much of a problem.
I am a little confused about eating cottage cheese, milk, cheese. I thought that these products have sugar in them. Is this considered added sugar or sugar that is already in the dairy? My husband and I watched the movie and are about to start the 10 day challenge. I just want to be clear on everything that we can eat before we start. Thanks!
Hi Margaret! Yes, dairy has lactose in it but this is not considered added sugar. Although be careful of cottage cheese, because some have added sugars (but under chemical names). Check the ingredients and see if this list helps. But keep in mind, even though something like fresh squeezed orange juice may not have “added sugar” it isn’t allowed on the challenge because you’re getting too much sugar without the added benefit of the fiber from the fruit. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck!
When a package says sugar 10g and there is 4 portions does that mean 10g per serving or 10 divided by 4?
Also when a protein bar says sugar 2g but then says sugar alcohol 10g how much sugar am I actually getting?
How many grams of sugar is ok for a normal non diabetic to have and still lose weight?
Hi Peggy. I’ve heard you shouldn’t have more than 6 teaspoons of sugar per day (25 grams) but remember, that includes natural sugars found in fruits, vegetables, dairy products. So when you factor those in, that doesn’t leave room for ANY sugar of the fun sweets and treats we like to eat because then we’d be over 25 grams. 🙁 Bad news, right? As far as package quantities, look closely at the package. They usually will say “per serving” near the top of the written information. And I’m sorry, I don’t know much about “sugar alcohol”.
If you really want to watch your sugar intake, don’t be as concerned with grams of sugar but look at the actual ingredients. If it says sugar, corn syrup, maltodextrin or any of the items on this list don’t eat it. Because the grams could include natural sugars. Also look at rules for the No Sugar Diet.
I’M JUST GETTING INTO THIS BUT I BELIEVE THE FED UP CHALLENGE WEBSITE SAYS 6 TSP OF ADDED SUGAR, NOT TOTAL SUGAR.
AS FOR SUGAR ALCOHOLS, I LOST 140 LBS ON ATKINS WHICH REFERRED TO SUGAR ALCOHOLS OFTEN. ATKINS SAYS THAT YOU CAN TAKE THE TOTAL CARBS, SUBTRACT SUGAR ALCOHOL AND FIBER, AND THAT WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH NET CARBS. BUT THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE CHALLENGE BECAUSE THEY TRIGGER SUGAR ADDICTION, WHICH MAKES SENSE TO ME.
I SHOULD BE CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF HAVING LOST THAT WEIGHT, BUT THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I’VE GAINED 50 LBS BACK, AND AT MY AGE, LOSING THE WEIGHT A THIRD TIME IS REALLY HARD. I’M GOING TO ACCEPT THIS CHALLENGE THOUGH. I JUST HOPE I DO IT RIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR THE EXCELLENT GUIDE TO STARTING!
Hi Annie! Good for you! I had to look up the 6 tsp because I didn’t remember seeing that. The 6 tsps of sugar is a “limit” or guide for regular everyday life, however during the 10-day challenge you shouldn’t have ANY added sugar, not even 6 teaspoons. There is a little note under the recommended teaspoons that states this. I’m happy you’re beginning the challenge and think you’re already doing great. Good luck with the rest of it!
Per serving
My cottage cheese AND plain yogurt have sugar. How am I supposed to find “good” food when there’s sugars in them too?? 🙁
I know. Isn’t it shocking that they put sugar in them? I couldn’t find any yogurt that didn’t have added sugar. I did find some organic cottage cheese at Wegmans (I think their generic brand) that didn’t have any sugar in the ingredient list. Next time I go, I’ll look and let you know.
I know that it’s already over but just a tip… On yogurt it has natural and added sugars not just added sugars so try to find what is what online
Make homemade kefir for yogurt, Heath benefits are amazing. Google it.
Some of my favorite healthy snacks are below:
1/2 an avocado with 1tbsp sunflower seeds
1/2 an avocado with 1/2 cup cottage cheese
cottage cheese with cherry tomato, cucumber, and fresh cracked black pepper
celery sticks with almond or peanut butter
veggies with hummus + 1tsp basil pesto
“Chia Pudding” – 2tbsp chia seeds, 1/2 cup coconut milk or milk of your choice + cinnamon + vanilla extract, chill and let thicken, top with fruit or dried unsweetened flaked coconut
Good luck!! 🙂
These are great ideas, Jen! I’ve never put avocado with cottage cheese but I’m looking forward to trying that.
What kind of cottage cheese do you buy – this is my favorite go to food and today I looked at all the labels and they all had like 4 to 5 grams of sugar??
Hi, Laura. Remember that there will be some natural sugar in cottage cheese because it has lactose in it. You want to read the ingredients and see if any sugar substitutes are in it (which is hard to find). The one I found that doesn’t have any added ingredients was Wegmans brand 2%. For some reason, the fat free had something added in it.
Try fresh pineapple chunks with cottage cheese. ..refreshing & filing. My friend, a nutritionist said milk has hidden sugar…true???? I’m never sure anymore! !
Some have commented that the links near the bottom of this article that says “More from The Kitchen Snob” (the thumbnail pics) are recipes that have sugar in them. This is an algorithm-type generated thing that pulls information from the post and tries to show you other posts that are related. Unfortunately, since I’m talking a lot about sugar in these Fed Up Challenge articles, it’s pulling some recipes that have sugar in them. I don’t claim to never make recipes with sugar in them. I’m just a regular gal attempting to do the Fed Up Challenge. 🙂 Good luck to all who join me!
If you get the need, the need for sugar, go to Trader Joe’s they have 100% natural nothing added carrot juice. It will fix your sweet tooth right up. I might be addicted to carrot juice now, but totally worth it.
Yum I absolutely love Trader Joe’s. I wish they had one in my area. Miss it! I used to shop their frequently when I lived in LA.
Yes but carrots are very high in sugar