Food texture sensitivities and sugar dependency

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My husband eats a lot of "trash food" (as he puts it) because he prefers the consistent textures of them. I think he also has a heavy dependency on sugar. I've kept track of what he eats and he seems to be eating about three to four times the amount of sugar that he should be. If he doesn't get the regular amount of sugar in trash foods, he'll just eat more of some "healthy" kind of sugar until it equals what he normally gets from cookies, candy and soda.

My usual attitude is not to challenge one's natural tendencies and aversions, but it's gotten to the point where it's impacting his health and he has to go on a diet.

Does anyone have any suggestions for replacing processed food with natural food? Or for reducing sugar intake without going cold turkey? I think at this point he would get sick if he just suddenly stopped.

I've been thinking maybe I should get a food processor to make sure there are no "bits" in his food. Would that help? Maybe plant-based artificial sweeteners? Is there some kind of vitamin that might help?

If you're going the healthy route, I recommend stevia. It's not going completely off sugar obviously, but from everything I've researched it's the healthier route and tastes just like cane sugar. I am also addicted to sugar. I have to have a certain amount in the day or else I get serious headaches, lethargy, and get very, very irritable and ill. It is possible to cut it completely off and substitute it for sugars in fruit and vegetables during the day, which I've done in the past, but it's extremely hard.

I'm no health professional, but my mom's a huge health nut, so I learn a lot of things from her.

Thank you! I'll try that first! I've noticed you can buy that in bulk like regular sugar.

Yup! I've seen it sold in bulk. My grandpa is also a sugarholic, and my grandma secretly slips stevia into his food instead of cane sugar. He still hasn't noticed.

I haven't tried it on my husband yet, but I have been using it in my own coffee since yesterday. I DO notice on the first sip, but after that I totally don't. Will buy more. Great tip!

Is it you or your husband who wants to change your husband's diet?

Nothing will work until your husband wants to make a change.

And it's his decision to make.

RE specifics of diet: eat less junk. If your husband wants to make changes, he'll be aware of what needs to be done.


It isn't complex. If someone makes it complex, they aren't ready to make changes. If they were ready, they'd have made the changes.

Hi Sonic. It's my husband, but I'm the one who cooks. My general philosophy is that if someone has foods that bother them they should avoid them and if others are comforting, that's cool. But in this circumstance my husband can't do that anymore, so I want to support and help him with what he's trying to do.

I was asking if people here had tips for replacement foods or ways to make the changes less painful.

No problem.


The simplest solution - and what I'd call 'stage 1' - is:

Eat less.

Which, for you as the cook, simply means cook less.


Nothing will change if one habit is replaced with another.

What needs to be developed is self-control over appetite. The problem isn't necessarily the food, but the excess of food - and of eating.


My point is: the foods don't matter if the habit of eating when not necessarily hungry can't be broken.



If you're looking for specifics: vegetables are always a good choice.


But not if you cook 3000 calories worth.


That's genuinely the best advice I could give.


Most who are overweight simply lack self-control.

Sonic, I'm not going to reply to any more of your posts in any topic. It's pretty clear that you're trying to troll me and I'm not interested. My patience does actually have a limit and you just reached it.

Are you being serious or having a joke?

What I wrote is completely & undeniably true.


I'm at a complete loss as to why most want to hear everything but the truth.


Your husband is overweight as he eats too much. It's very simple.

Therefore, he should eat less. And you should cook less.


Diet changes are close to meaningless if too many calories are still being consumed.



You're a big girl - you're very capable of googling diets, or investing in diet books. Don't play dumb.

When it comes to diet etc, I'm actually very knowledgeable. But the point is: none of it matters if you're eating too much.


PS it may take many years - but when the changes happen, you'll thank me for speaking the truth.


With the truth being: stop eating as much.



It's interesting how any opposing view is classed as 'trolling'.


You can apologise sometime in the future.

SocOfAutism, A food processor can definitely help! It helped me a lot!
I also only eat meals where I can actually see all ingredients. I don't want them to mix. It's just awful.
But throw them in the machine and you get a nice sauce/soup without problems

Also maybe he would try smoothies. Again, something that has helped me with eating less sugar.
Make fruit smoothies, they are really sweet. Later on you can try adding some vegetables. When you throw in like 50 grams of spinaze (for example), you really can't taste that! But you are adding some healthy vitamins that way.

Hope this is useful!

Those are great suggestions I will try those. I think the smoothies might especially work. Thank you!