Many Americans today analyze food labels, scouring for the dreaded ingredient: sugar. But the sugar industry has caught on quickly and created euphemistic names for sugar including dextrose, sucrose, agave, and clintose, making it harder for grocery shoppers to recognize the actual amount of sugar a product may contain. (Full list of 90 sugar synonyms here).

These alter egos are also called “added sugars” and it is this sugar that a recent article in The New York Times suggests to cut out of diets. The article gives four steps to limit sugar in your diet:

1. Fix your breakfast: Breakfast has easily become the most sugar-packed meal of the day. Pop Tarts, Captain Crunch, syrup, and fruit juices are just a few of the most popular offenders. Even some granola products are coated with sugar granules. Options like eggs, oatmeal, plain yogurt, fruits, nuts, Cheerios, and pita bread are filling and tasty substitutes.

2. Redo your pantry: spend a little time reading the ingredients of your family staples. Many sauces, crackers and breads have unnecessary sugars, but very similar substitutes.

3. Eliminate Soda: “Just get rid of it.” This article’s solution is to switch to flavored seltzer, diet sodas, or carbonated water.

4. Whip Portion Inflation: Specifically in the restaurant business, portion sizes just keep getting bigger and bigger. This author advises to view every dessert as a serving for two.

Deciding to decrease sugar intake is the first choice to a healthier body and quality of life. These four steps are just one way to kick-start that effort.