The dietitian’s guide to enjoying dessert while managing your blood sugar

Why the first thing I ask my clients isn’t whether they eat dessert, but how many teaspoons of sugar they add before lunch.

Every week, registered dietitian and Canderel nutrition consultant Mbali Mapholi sits across from people who have been told they need to reduce their sugar intake.

Almost every consultation starts the same way. “I suppose this means I can’t eat dessert anymore?”

“It’s one of the first questions I get,” says Mapholi. “People immediately think they need to give up cake, chocolate or pudding. But healthy blood sugar management doesn’t begin with dessert, it begins with the small sugar habits we repeat every single day.”

Instead of asking clients what they eat on special occasions, Mapholi says she starts with a much simpler question.

“Where are you adding sugar every day?”

“When we unpack someone’s routine, that’s where the real story begins,” she explains. “Two teaspoons of sugar in every cup of coffee. Sugar stirred into tea. Sugar sprinkled over oats. Sweetened breakfast cereals. Flavoured yoghurt. These are habits we repeat day after day, often without realising how much added sugar we’re consuming.”

Diabetes is no longer a distant health concern. The International Diabetes Federation estimates that around 2.3 million South African adults are living with the condition, with many more unaware they have it. For dietitian Mbali Mapholi, that’s why conversations about reducing sugar shouldn’t begin after diagnosis, they should start with the everyday habits that quietly add sugar to our diets. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting free sugar intake to less than 10% of total daily energy intake, with additional health benefits achieved by reducing intake to below 5%. For many people, that starts with identifying the small, everyday sources of added sugar. Such as the sugar stirred into coffee, tea or breakfast. That can quietly add up over time.

“People often blame the slice of birthday cake,” says Mapholi. “Yet it’s usually the hidden sugars we consume every day that deserve more attention. From the sugar stirred into coffee and tea to flavoured yoghurts, breakfast cereals and other packaged foods, these small amounts can quickly add up. That’s why I always encourage clients to start by replacing sugar in the habits they repeat every day.”

“I don’t ask clients to stop drinking coffee if they love coffee. I don’t tell them they can never bake again. I look for the easiest habit to change first.”

For many, that first recommendation is surprisingly simple… Replace the sugar, not the ritual.

“If you’re adding sugar to your coffee every morning, start there. If you sweeten your tea, start there. You don’t have to stop enjoying the foods and drinks you love. You simply need a smarter way to sweeten them.”

One practical solution she frequently recommends is replacing sugar with Canderel, a low-calorie sweetener that allows people to enjoy sweetness while reducing their intake of added sugar.

“I don’t encourage people to stop enjoying sweet foods and drinks. I encourage them to reduce the sugar they’re adding every day. Replacing sugar with Canderel is one practical way of doing that without completely changing the routine they already enjoy.”

That recommendation is further supported by the Glycaemic Index Foundation of South Africa (GIFSA), which has endorsed 19 Canderel products. GIFSA’s endorsement is an independent, third-party verification awarded to products that meet strict nutritional criteria relating to factors such as glycaemic index and overall nutritional composition, giving consumers additional confidence when making everyday food choices.

Questions around low- and no-calorie sweeteners continue to surface, particularly following the World Health Organization’s 2023 guideline.

However, Mapholi says it is important to consider how the evidence has evolved since the WHO guideline was issued. “More recent research, including randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews, supports the use of approved low- and no-calorie sweeteners as a practical way to reduce sugar and energy intake when they replace sugar-containing foods or beverages,” she explains. “They should be viewed as one tool within an overall balanced eating pattern, rather than as a standalone solution.”

Recent reviews have also strengthened evidence supporting their role in long-term weight management, while finding no robust association with increased cardiometabolic risk when consumed within established safety recommendations.

“The important word is replace,” says Mapholi. “These products aren’t about adding more sweetness to an already high-sugar diet. They’re about helping people reduce sugar in a way that’s realistic and sustainable.”

Rather than relying on recipes loaded with added sugar, Mapholi encourages clients to rethink the ingredients they use.

Replacing sugar with Canderel is one of the simplest changes. She also recommends using plain Greek yoghurt instead of sweetened varieties, incorporating berries for natural sweetness and fibre, and adding ingredients such as chia seeds, oats and nuts to improve the nutritional profile of desserts.

“When people discover they can still enjoy dessert without relying on large amounts of added sugar, healthy eating suddenly feels achievable instead of restrictive.”

Making Sweet Smart choices doesn’t mean saying goodbye to dessert. It means rethinking how it’s made. By replacing sugar with Canderel and making a few thoughtful ingredient swaps, it’s possible to enjoy the desserts you love while reducing added sugar.

Mbali’s Five Rules for Reducing Sugar

Before clients leave her consulting room, Mapholi leaves them with five simple principles:

• Start by looking at where you add sugar every day.
• Replace sugar before removing foods you enjoy.
• Choose practical swaps that fit your lifestyle.
• Build meals and desserts with protein and fibre to support balanced blood sugar.
• Focus on progress, not perfection.
•  “My goal has never been to put people on restrictive diets,” she says. “It’s to help them build habits they can still be following years from now.”

As more South Africans become proactive about managing their health, Mapholi believes the conversation around sugar needs to shift away from guilt and towards practical solutions.

“The healthiest lifestyle isn’t the one that’s perfect,” she concludes. “It’s the one you can sustain. Sometimes, that starts with something as simple as replacing the sugar in your morning coffee. Sometimes it’s baking your favourite dessert differently. Small changes, repeated consistently, are what create lasting results.”