The biggest challenge of going sugar-free was not being deprived of the sugar - I don’t necessarily need it to have “energy” - but having to be aware of what items have sugar regardless of quantity. For breakfast, I, like many others, have some Kashi cereal, but had to cut that out. Ate plain Greek yogurt instead. After a workout, I ate some peanut butter (relieved it didn’t have any added sugar) on whole wheat crackers (checked. no sugar). I also ate an egg and some anchovies with a cup of black coffee (never put sugar in it anyway). Not going to lie, the challenge made me want to eat less to avoid the hassle of finding things without sugar, but it also made me think twice about (and thus avoid) eating some red velvet cake.

For dinner, I had homemade salsa from fresh vegetables/herbs as well as homemade enchiladas. The only thing that might have had sugar in it was the corn tortilla that was used, but I couldn’t check because I did not prepare the meal. I brought strawberries as a “dessert” contribution, allowing me to continue the challenge while providing a healthy option for the hosts!

All in all, I walk away from the challenge now knowing how sugar is in so many things/in greater quantity than one would expect, and that this is an area I can certainly cut back on.