A lot of people I know want to reduce the amount of sugar or sugary things they add to their tea, coffee, and yogurt. But, how? I have a surefire way to get rid of it all!
Story: I used to drink iced coffee with extra milk, extra sugar, my hot tea with milk and sugar, and my plain yogurt with lots of honey and mix-ins. Now I drink my iced coffee with a splash of milk and once in a while a splash of sugar free hazelnut syrup, my hot tea completely plain, and my yogurt plain- with fruit perhaps, not sugar/splenda/honey etc.
How I did it: It was a bit of a long process, but totally worth it. All it requires is using a little less of the substance (sugar, milk, honey, whatever) until it is down to zero or almost zero. If you do that realllly slowly you will not even notice the difference, and before you know it an iced coffee with extra milk and extra sugar will taste disgustingly creamy and sweet to you!
Example: Hot Tea (since it was the hardest habit for me to break) When I started drinking tea regularly I drank a cup of it with 2 teaspoons of sugar and whole milk. Below is my progression to tea without anything added in. Start: 2 tsp sugar and whole milk then… -2 tsp sugar and skim milk -1.5 tsp sugar and less skim milk -1 tsp sugar and only a splash of skim milk -.5 tsp sugar and a splash of skim -2 equals and splash of skim -1 equal and splash of skim -1/2 splenda (splenda was new then so I used it) and splash of skim -1/2 splenda -NOTHING.
Now if I have sweetened tea it tastes wayyyyy too sweet. However, I will say that with my occasional yogurt l might add a couple of chocolate chips to make it more decadent.
If I could do it, you can do it too!
Have you given up or changed a bad habit to a good one? Share it below!
**This was originally posted on May 21, 2008. I still do not add anything to my tea.**
RhodeyGirl Tests 
I slowly weened myself off of sugar in my teas. I can now drink it without sugar. Sometimes I add silk or honey to it.
I always use splenda in my coffee. But I drink espresso without milk and sugar. I like my tea without milk and without sugar. I can’t imagine adding sugar to it.
When I bake desserts, I always reduce the sugar to half.
I kicked the splenda habit from my coffee and iced coffee. It was hard at first, but now I don’t add any kind of sweetener to my coffee. I do add in some fat free milk and cinnamon, but that’s it.
I think once you do something long enough, it becomes a habit. When I think of how I used to eat fried foods regularly, it makes my stomach a little quesy since now I can’t have too much fried stuff without getting sick.
What a great idea. I definitely need to cut some of the “add-ins” out of my coffee and tea drinks. 🙂
I did this with sugar in my coffee and I can’t stand sweetened coffee anymore at all! Great post 🙂
I always drank my tea plain but added sweeteners (splenda) to plain yogurt. When I removed splenda from my diet, the idea of adding sugar seemed ridiculous so I started adding sweeter toppings, or honey or agave nectar. After a while just fruit was enough, and now I love it plain. I actually enjoy the tartness (although fruit is still delicious but not because I need it to be sweet… just because I love fruit 😀 )
oh my god i add SO much sugar to my coffee. it’s funny because i used to use splenda and got so used to having it so sweet that now i need twice as much sugar as i ever did to get it how i like it.
must. cut. back.
love your technique!! i’ll try! well, i’ll try to try! 😉
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i always drink my tea plain, but need some sweetness in my coffee. hoping i can get smaller and smaller with the amount i add! 🙂
I think of coffee or tea as a treat so I do add a little something, but I try to keep it low 🙂
Ooh….I’ve just started this slow process! I drink a lot of black tea at work (2-3 cups per day) and put in skim milk and calorie-free sweetener. I’m down to half my sweetener and hair less milk than usual. I think I’d be okay if I keep the milk (since its always skim or soy) as long as I can slowly work my way to ZERO sweetener!
Great job cutting down on the sugar! It’s all what you get used to… I really need to start cutting it out of my coffee.
Photo booth pic is up!
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I used your “surefire” approach when I tried to quit smoking this one time. It didn’t work.
Fratty Paul- I am sure that quitting smoking must be much more difficult than reducing the amount of or eliminating completely sugar or add-ins in coffee, tea, and yogurt. I never intended this approach to be used for smoking, but your doctor should be able to help you in that regard. Good luck!
Fratty Paul,
Sounds like you just don’t have any will power. How about this as a motivation for quitting smoking – YOU WILL DIE FROM IT.
Sarvosh, if you haven’t noticed, this is a blog about food. Thanks RhodeyGirl!
great post! i don’t add sugar to anything either.. i love black tea, coffee and plain greek yogurt 🙂 i am glad that what my tastebuds like is also best for my body!
I did the same thing with coffee/tea! I occasionally love almond in my coffee but I make sure to ask for 1/2pump haha…feel silly sometimes but anything mroe and I can’t drink it because it’s too sweet!
I Thought this post looked familiar!!!
i am in the process of making my taste buds enjoy greek yogurt w/o any sweeteners. thanks for the tips and the hope that it’s possible! 🙂