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Quit Sugar: Best foods to eat (to avoid going nuts)

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Sugar-Detox food list and meal ideas

Last Updated on May 27, 2022 by Latrice

These are real, whole foods that make it easier to sugar detox, stop eating highly processed foods, cut back on carbs, and start eating a low carb or keto diet for weight loss.

They help because these foods still give enough carbs to handle the sugar withdrawals, but are low enough to still comfortably get you off of sugar and regulated.

After about a week of eating 3 meals of all real foods, my appetite is usually back in check and I can easily cut back on carbs and start intermittent fasting for the health benefits. It’s the easiest way to get back on track with healthy eating.  

Give this food list and list of meal ideas a try at the beginning of your weight loss routine to comfortably detox from sugar, regulate your blood sugar, get your appetite in check, and handle your cravings.

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Healthy carbs for sugar detox + transitioning to low carb

These are carbohydrates that are whole foods and make transitioning from highly processed foods and the Standard American Diet to a low carb, keto, or Carnivore diet much easier. 

By incorporating these into my meal plan during my first week or 14 days of eating clean, I don’t struggle so much (if at all) with sugar cravings and withdrawals.

I don’t get the fake hunger pains, moodiness, and hunger headaches. This makes that first week or two of healthy eating for weight loss easier to get through. 

What carbs to eat for sugar detox and comfortable transition to low carb keto
  • Sweet potatoes 
  • Pumpkin 
  • Butternut squash 
  • Spaghetti squash   
  • Plantain
  • Carrots 
  • Beets
  • Bananas 
  • Oranges 
  • Apples 
  • Grapes 
  • Cabbage 
  • Cauliflower 
  • Raw almonds 
  • Raw cashews 
  • Raw pistachios 
  • Raw walnuts 
  • Raw nut butters 
  • Quality dairy – greek yogurt, quality cheese

The right fats

Eating enough of the right kinds of fats during a sugar detox helps take care of that false hunger feeling one could get when transitioning from the Standard American Diet to low carb, keto, or carnivore.

Even though they’re high in calories, they help with regulating blood sugar, getting appetite in check, and eliminating cravings. 

What fats to eat for sugar detox and comfortable transition to low carb keto
  • Butter
  • Ghee
  • Olive oil 
  • Avocado oil 
  • Beef tallow 
  • Coconut oil 
  • Leaf lard 
  • Duck fat
  • Chicken schmaltz
  • Bacon fat  
  • Avocado

Good proteins 

Nutrient and mineral-dense proteins from healthy animal sources help with sugar cravings by giving your body what it needs to be fed. Being properly fed more often helps improve your metabolism, regulate your blood sugar, improve your insulin sensitivity, get rid of cravings, and control your appetite. 

What proteins to eat for sugar detox and comfortable transition to low carb keto
  • Eggs 
  • Chicken 
  • Beef
  • Salmon 
  • Duck 
  • Pork 
  • Turkey
  • Bacon 
  • Tuna 

Simple Sugar Detox Meal Ideas 

meal ideas for sugar detox when starting keto or low carb diet

Breakfast Ideas

  • Scrambled eggs in butter with fried plantain and bacon 
  • Beef, kale, and cubed sweet potato skillet fried in butter 
  • Greek yogurt topped with raw almonds, grapes, and bananas with a side of breakfast sausage links 

Lunch Ideas 

  • Baked chicken thighs, fried cabbage, and a baked sweet potato 
  • Beef Italian sausage baked with brussels sprouts and butter with an orange for dessert 
  • A fatty kale salad with kale, smashed avocado, avocado oil mayo, grapes, cashews, dark meat chicken, olives, and beets 

Dinner Ideas 

  • Spaghetti squash topped with a meaty sauce of ground beef and sugar-free spaghetti sauce. 
  • Protein bowl of browned ground beef, beef sausage, broccoli, and butter served with steamed carrots 
  • Turkey and kale hash served in a baked sweet potato and topped with butter 

Snack Ideas 

  • Cucumber, carrots, and eggs snack box
  • Salmon salad with avocado mayo lettuce wraps 
  • Pecans, blueberries, strawberries, and eggs 

How to eat to take your weight loss to another level

Once detoxed, you might want to go for a lower carb or keto diet for weight loss. Here are a few posts that can help you do that…

Hi! I'm Latrice

About Latrice

I was sitting at the edge of my bed in tears. My weight had crept up to 235 lbs again and the hunt for something to wear got overwhelming. But it was about more than the outfit. I just didn’t feel good and I was tired of trying to lose weight and live healthier. What did I do to lose 75 lbs after trying “everything”? Find out here.

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Welcome, I'm Latricia!

We’re asking questions and doing things differently while we explore women’s wellness, self-care, and lifestyle topics. Learning to take better care of ourselves, stop self-neglect, and achieve our glow up goals.  

I’m working on my “that girl” goals too. Doing research, gathering resources, experimenting, and reporting back here. Find out more here

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