Sugar Alternatives

White table sugar (sucrose) can lead to obesity, diabetes and a host of other health problems. It’s found in a variety of foods, including some you might not suspect: canned foods, fast foods, and prepared foods. While table sugar can be bad for you, artificial sweeteners can be worse. Saccharine and Aspartame, which can be found in diet drinks and sugar free foods, have no health benefits, can cause diarrhea, and have been linked to cancer. Fortunately, there are healthy alternatives to white sugar and alternative sweeteners.

Sucanat: This sweetener is made from sugar cane juice. It comes in granules and can be used in place of white or brown sugar in a recipe.

Maple Syrup: This is not the pancake syrup made of high fructose corn syrup, but the pure maple syrup taken from the sap of a maple tree. It can be used in baking, but you may need to reduce other liquids in the recipe.

Maple Sugar: This is dehydrated maple syrup. It can be used in place of sugar.

Honey: More nutritious and having less calories than sugar, honey is a good sugar substitute. You may need to reduce the oven temperature and increase the baking time when using it in baked goods.

Stevia: Taken from dried stevia leaves. It comes as a liquid extract, a whole leaf, or as a powder. Stevia has no calories and is 100-200 times sweeter than sugar. It can be used in place of artificial sweeteners. It is a good sugar alternative for diabetics and people wanting to lose weight.

Blackstrap Molasses: Because it is sweeter than sugar, blackstrap molasses can be used in smaller amounts in a recipe than table sugar. It also has many nutrients, including iron and calcium.