Londiwe Buthelezi
11 August 2026
Every week, registered dietitian and Canderel nutrition consultant Mbali Mapholi sits across from people who have been told they need to cut back on sugar – and 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.”
Rather than asking what clients eat on special occasions, Mapholi starts with a far simpler question: where is sugar creeping into their everyday routine?
“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.”
A Growing Health Concern
Diabetes is no longer a distant issue for South Africans. The International Diabetes Federation estimates that around 2.3 million South African adults live with the condition, with many more cases undiagnosed. For Mapholi, that statistic is precisely why conversations about sugar shouldn’t wait for a diagnosis – they should start with the quiet, everyday habits that add up over time.
The World Health Organisation recommends keeping free sugar intake below 10% of total daily energy, with further benefits at levels below 5%. For most people, getting there starts with spotting the small, easy-to-miss sources: the sugar stirred into a morning coffee, a flavoured yoghurt, a bowl of sweetened cereal.
“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.”
Replace the Sugar, Not the Ritual
Mapholi’s approach isn’t about deprivation. “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.”
Her go-to starting point is simple: swap the sugar, keep 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 tool she often recommends is Canderel, a low-calorie sweetener that lets people keep the sweetness while cutting back on 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 carries independent backing: the Glycaemic Index Foundation of South Africa (GIFSA) has endorsed 19 Canderel products, an accreditation awarded to products meeting strict criteria around glycaemic index and overall nutritional composition.
Addressing the Sweetener Debate
Low- and no-calorie sweeteners remain a topic of debate, especially in light of the World Health Organisation’s 2023 guideline on the subject. But Mapholi argues the evidence base has moved on since then.
“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.”
She points to more recent reviews strengthening the case for sweeteners’ role in long-term weight management, with no clear link to increased cardiometabolic risk when used within recommended safety limits.
“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.”
Rethinking the Recipe, Not Removing the Dessert
Beyond swapping sugar for sweetener, Mapholi encourages clients to rethink their ingredients altogether – using plain Greek yoghurt instead of sweetened varieties, adding berries for natural sweetness and fibre, and incorporating chia seeds, oats and nuts to boost the nutritional value 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.”
Mbali’s Five Rules for Reducing Sugar
Before clients leave her consulting room, Mapholi leaves them with five guiding 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.”
A Shift Away from Guilt
As more South Africans take a proactive approach to their health, Mapholi believes the sugar conversation needs to move away from guilt and toward practical, sustainable 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.”
