10 Alternatives for Sugar You Should Try
Fat was the food villain these past few decades but sugar is quickly muscling in to take its place. As rates of sugar-related disorders such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease climb, many experts believe that when Americans rid themselves of fat, they simply replaced it with sugar in all its forms.
Furthermore it contains a lot of calories, with no essential nutrients & because of that it is considered as part of ’empty’ calories.
The White Death, it tastes sweet to your senses, but it is actually very bitter for the body. It might make you feel good due to the beta-endorphin rush in the brain, but is very bad for the immune system in the long run.
Although sugary drinks are known to be a problem scientists say many people are unaware that flavoured waters, soups, ketchup and ready meals also contain large amounts of hidden sugars.
Alternatives of Sugar
1. Honey
Probably the most known and most liked natural sweetener is honey. Honey is made by bees from the pollen and nectar of flowers. It can be used in place of sugar. Honey is sweeter than sugar so you should use about ¾ of a cup for every one cup of sugar.
Honey has enzymes and vitamins and even has some medical uses as well. It can help soothe a sore throat is an
2. Stevia
Stevia is a plant that is native to South America but it can be grown in any sub-tropical environment. Its leaves are about thirty times sweeter than sugar so a little can go a long way. Stevia can come in either an extract or a powder
cup of sugar equals about a teaspoon of stevia extract or powder and a tablespoon of sugar equals about a ¼ teaspoon of stevia powder or extract.
It has zero calories and isn’t harmful to your teeth like sugar. Stevia by itself doesn’t have a very long shelf life, so what you buy in the store might not be pure stevia – sometimes they add sugar alcohols to extend its shelf life. It can also have a bitter taste if not processed correctly.
3. Coconut Sugar
Coconut oil may be one of the biggest food and
beauty trends of recent years but have you heard of coconut sugar?
Well, if you’re looking for something for a replacement then coconut sugar may
be a good switch.
4. Brown Rice Syrup
Syrup is made by taking cooked brown rice and fermenting it. Rice has vitamins, potassium, and magnesium. It also doesn’t have any chemicals or preservatives. Brown is a form of sugar so it does have calories and can harm your teeth. It is also less sweet than sugar so you’d have to use more of it then you would sugar. It is not, however, processed like refined sugar.
5. Natural Cane Sugar
Cane sugar, sometimes called Turbinado sugar, comes from sugar cane as white refined sugar does. The difference between the two is that refined sugar is boiled several times to remove the molasses and then is processed some more.
Raw cane sugar is boil only once, so it’s a darker color and should not process anymore. Other than it being less processed, raw cane sugar is basically the same as refined sugar. So it can harm teeth and cause diabetes if taken in excess. Since it’s less processed it is more natural than white sugar.
6. Brown Sugar
Brown sugar is basically refine white sugar with the molasses added back to it at the end of the processing. So refined brown sugar is not natural. It has the same issues that white sugar has but it does have a few more nutrients because of the added molasses.
7. Date Sugar
Date sugar is simply dehydrat dates chop into fine pieces. So it has the same properties and benefits that dates do. Unlike the rest of the
8. Raisins
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9. Molasses
What happens when sugar cane, grapes, and beets get together? Molasses! Use this dark syrup in a recipe for gingerbread cookies. It’ll add some extra iron and calcium, which makes the cookies healthy.
10. Maple Syrup
Last but not necessarily least in terms of a natural sweetener is 100 percent pure organic maple syrup. Look for grade B or even grade C that is USDA-certified organic.
Maple syrup is one of the best sugar substitutes because it’s a fantastic sweetener. It’s good especially over things like pancakes and waffles and good in certain recipes where you want more of that earthy flavor along with it.
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