Cut back on sugar with these family-friendly recipes

It's never a bad time to reduce your sugar consumption, but the New Year is the perfect time to start. Sugar in our diet can really add up, and Jennifer Tyler Lee, author of Half the Sugar, All the Love, shows us her hacks on avoiding the sweet stuff, along with five delicious recipes.Check them out below by clicking on the images, and watch the video above for our whole chat with Jennifer.

Honey peach breakfast pops

Frozen yogurt honey peach pops for breakfast are great in the morning. The natural sugars in the peach and the touch of honey enhance its flavors, while the Greek yogurt and a dash of vanilla create an overall creamy popsicle. This breakfast delight contains a fraction of the sugar in regular popsicles and can include chia seeds to add extra protein.

Fall harvest mason jar salad with creamy poppyseed dressing

The colour and texture here is created by a unique combination of farro, pumpkin seeds and Parmesan cheese that provide protein without the use of meat. The crunch of the poppy seeds ties the fresh flavors together and with half the sugar, since regular dressing contains the same amount of sugar as three donut holes.

Creamy tomato soup

Tomato soup is often acidic without ripe tomatoes, that’s why its tamed with large amounts of added sugar - but in this recipe, the boost of sweetness comes from carrots. The carrots thicken the soup while adding texture to it. The soup can be paired with grilled cheddar cheese sandwiches that are cut into rectangular slices for dipping.

No-bake peanut butter energy bars

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose can cut calories, but there is limited evidence of the benefits these substitutes provide. Sweeteners make false promises to our body as they relay to our brain that sugar is coming, and when it doesn’t it may leave us craving more. Substitutes need to be avoided as consuming these sweeteners, that are sweeter than actual sugar at times, can increase of our preferences for sweeter foods.Desserts account for 20% of the added sugar we consume, so limit them to special occasions to reduce added sugar. Added sugar comprises of the sugar that’s added during the cooking process and when it enters our mouth, it nourishes sugar-loving bacteria. The sweet receptors are activated and signal our brain to want more, which our liver ends up storing as fat.

Fruit on the bottom yogurt parfaits

These yogurt parfaits with fruit on the bottom are a healthy alternative to our beloved, sugary desserts. It contains natural fruit a touch of honey and vanilla that creates a rich flavour.[video_embed id='1882661']Dwayne Johnson responded to Ben Mulroney's tweet in the best way[/video_embed]