If you do one thing this month … cut out 2 tablespoons of sugar a day: experts say it can protect your waistline—and your health. Do it with these easy swaps

Shape, Feb, 2007

When it comes to slimming down, sweeping resolutions rarely last. Rather than swear off certain foods altogether, take a smarter approach: Reduce your daily sugar intake by 2 tablespoons and you could shed up to 10 pounds a year. "Plus, eating too many foods with added sugar can raise your risk of diabetes," says James O. Hill, Ph.D., of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado, Denver, "and unlike the natural sugars in fruit, added sugar doesn't contribute any nutrients to your body." Incorporate a few of these alternatives into your diet--you won't feel deprived at all.

 Instead of ...           Try ...          You saved ...

 6 gummy bears       1 small lollipop      1/3 tbs sugar


1/2 cup regular    2/3 cup organic pasta   1/3 tbs sugar
  pasta sauce              sauce

2 tbs Russian or   2 tbs oil-and-vinegar   1/3 tbs sugar
French dressing          dressing

 fruit-on-the-      1/4 cup fresh or        1 tbs sugar
 bottom yogurt     frozen fruit mixed
                    with plain yogurt

 1/2 cup canned     1/2 cup fresh pear     2/3 tbs sugar
 pears in light
     syrup

 2 tbs ketchup         2 tbs mustard       2/3 tbs sugar

 1 cup frosted     1 cup plain shredded    2/3 tbs sugar
 shredded wheat   wheat topped with 1 tsp
                        brown sugar

2 tbs raspberry       2 tbs low-sugar      2/3 tbs sugar
   preserves           raspberry jam

apple-cinnamon-    plain oatmeal with 1    2/3 tbs sugar
flavored instant      tbs unsweetened
    oatmeal          applesauce and a
                   sprinkle of cinnamon