One way to manage your weight is to reduce sugar.

Nationwide, 30 million kids and adults have diabetes, and 86 million are prediabetic, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

November is National Diabetes Month, and a superb opportunity to take steps to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The main risk factor for type 2 diabetes is being overweight. But the great news is, according to the ADA, losing just seven percent of your body weight can lower that risk by up to 58 percent.

Before getting started, it is vital to remember that many healthy foods naturally contain sugar, a carbohydrate that your body burns for energy. Refined sugar is different, adds calories that provide no other nutritional benefits, and at extreme levels, disrupts your metabolism, and poses a potentially serious health risk.

The USDA dietary guidelines recommend that added sugars account for under ten percent of your daily calories – that’s a maximum of 50 grams a day for the average woman and 62.5 grams for men. To keep your sugar consumption within a healthy range, Courtney McCormick, Corporate Dietitian at Nutrisystem offers the following tips:

Hold the ketchup.

You know baked goods and candy are loaded with added sugar, but so many foods you might not think are too sweet. One tablespoon of tomato sauce, for example, contains four grams of sugar. Salsa, barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce and even bread are hidden sources of sugar.

Sweetener with Spices.

Replace sugar from coffee, hot cereal, and other foods with naturally sweet spices, such as vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Taste Your Water.

A 12-ounce can of soda contains as much as 40 grams of added sugar. Skip the soda and drink water sweetened with fresh fruit and herbs, such as strawberries and basil or lime and mint.

Start with Plain.

The fruit at the bottom of your yogurt can contain 25 grams or more of added sugar. Buy plain yogurt and add your own fresh or dried fruit.

Fruit Snacks.

One cup of blueberries, for example, has seven grams of natural sugar to satisfy your sweet tooth, but they also contain fiber to help keep you feeling full and slow the breakdown of sugar, so you do not want more calories right after. eat it.

Baked with applesauce.

Eating less baked goods will certainly cut your sugar intake, but if the opportunity arises for baking, replace a third of the sugar in the recipe with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. For a delicious no-sugar applesauce recipe, visit leaf.nutrisystem.com/recipes.

Eat Right and Often.

When you are hungry, you crave calories and that all too often leads to sweet snacking. Reduce chewing between meals by eating healthy, filling foods four to six times a day. Programs like Nutrisystem provide portion-controlled meals and snacks throughout the day, providing you with the structure you need to eat right.

This National Diabetes Month, make small changes to reduce your sugar intake and manage your weight more easily.