While it’s practically impossible to completely cut sugar from your diet, there are steps you can take to eat it in moderation. Virtua registered dietitian Charlotte Genetta, RD, CDE, tells you how.

Buy whole foods

When buying foods in the grocery store, read the label. A long list of ingredients means that sugar WILL be in there, disguised under a million other names. The shorter the list, the better!

Cook meals at home

While it’s often fun to dine out and let someone else do the cooking, you lose the ability to know exactly what you’re eating. Cook at home to know just how much sugar you’re consuming.

Pick and choose when you eat sweets

Limit yourself to eating sweets to twice a week, for example. And when you do eat sweets, eat them at the end of a meal. “When eaten on an empty stomach, they can actually make you hungrier so you end up eating more,” explains Genetta.

Make low-sugar desserts

1. Use fresh fruit instead of baked goods.
2. Use dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. Better yet, use cocoa powder, which has no added sugar.
3. Cut 1/3 of the sugar from any recipe without affecting the outcome
4. Combine frozen fruit with some ice to make sorbet.