As the weather warms up, refined sugar intake becomes less of a concern. An ideal diet has less than 10% of calories from added sugars, which equates to 12 teaspoons per average 2,000-calorie intake. But that doesn’t mean summer desserts have to be boring.
Natural sugar alternatives are a great way to not only sweeten your summer treats, but also add health benefits. Check out six options below to try today — you might be surprised at how many options you already have in your pantry.
What are sugar substitutes?
Before we talk about sugar alternatives, it’s important to clarify that sugar is not inherently bad for you. Sugar is essential for health. Your body converts carbohydrates into glucose, a type of sugar, which is your primary source of energy to run your body and keep your brain functioning. Despite what some popular diet fads recommend, without carbohydrates and sugar, you can experience health problems and symptoms like lack of energy, sleep problems, and brain fog.
The goal isn’t to avoid sugar, but to consume it in moderation. kinds Sugar. Much of today’s American diet consists of added sugars, which are processed and refined to add an intense sweetness with little substance. Ultra-refined white sugar and high fructose corn syrup are common ingredients in sodas, pastries, breads and condiments. They are quickly transported to the bloodstream without adding any other nutritional value along the way. Consuming too many of these sugars can lead to serious health complications, including high blood pressure, diabetes and fatty liver disease.
The amount of added sugars can be found on the Nutrition Facts label and ingredients list of any food. The higher added sugars is listed on the ingredients list, the more sugar the product contains. Added sugars go by many names, including brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, maltose and sucrose.
In contrast, natural sugars are unrefined or only lightly processed and occur naturally in many foods. For example, fruits contain fructose but are also high in fiber and provide the body with balanced nutrients. Honey and maple syrup are naturally sweet but are also rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.
There are also a variety of natural sweeteners and sugar substitutes that can add sweetness to foods and beverages without the drawbacks of refined sugar. Examples of these sugar substitutes include sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, and natural sweeteners such as stevia.
The best natural alternative to sugar
Good news: If you’re looking to cut back on sugar, you still have plenty of options for sweet treats. Below are six of the best natural sugar substitutes you can add to your diet in place of refined sugar.
Honey
Honey has long been prized not only for its natural sweetness but also for its nutritional value. Honey is produced by bees from plant nectar during the pollination process and contains a wide range of beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants.
Raw and dark, minimally processed honey is particularly rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids, which have many benefits including positive effects on cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and respiratory health, and have also been shown to reduce seasonal allergies.
Maple syrup
Another popular natural sweetener, maple syrup, is used in many pancakes, but if you’re trying to cut down on sugar, you might want to skip the pancakes and save the syrup, which is made from the sap of sugar maple trees.
That’s because, like honey, maple syrup contains antioxidants and minerals that are beneficial to your health. Many unique compounds in maple syrup have been shown to help prevent cancer and diabetes. The darker the maple syrup, the less refined it is and the more benefits it may offer.
Stevia
If you don’t like the taste of maple syrup or honey, but still want to sweeten your drinks and dishes, stevia is a natural sugar substitute worth trying. This sweetener is made from the stevia plant and is 200 to 400 times sweeter than sugar.
Stevia is a sugar substitute that is low in nutrients and contains very few calories. It works as a sweetener, making it a great choice if you are trying to reduce your sugar intake. Stevia has also been linked to lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Many stevia products on the market contain other processed ingredients and sugar alcohols, so it is important to research them before using them.
Pureed Fruit
If you’re looking for a more nutritionally balanced sugar source, it’s hard to beat raw fruit. The fiber in raw fruit aids digestion and slows sugar metabolism, reducing the blood sugar spikes caused by fruit juice and added sugars. Eating foods high in fiber can also help reduce your overall calorie intake and lower your risk of heart disease.
Pureed fruit has many of the same benefits and can be used as a sweetener to other foods – for example, applesauce can be used as an egg substitute in many recipes, and pureed berries are a great addition to plain unsweetened yogurt.
Monk fruit
Monk fruit is another plant-based sugar alternative. Monk fruit is a small round fruit commonly found in Southeast Asia and is also known as Luo Han Guo. The fruit itself contains fructose and glucose, but these are removed during the extraction process, creating a non-nutritive sweetener that is about 100 times sweeter than sugar.
Monk fruit is new to the market, so more research is needed to uncover all of its potential health benefits. Studies of other non-nutritive sweeteners have shown promising results in terms of weight management and diabetes prevention. Monk fruit also contains natural sweeteners called mogrosides, which contain antioxidants that may help boost the immune system and prevent cancer.
fruit juice
Fruit juice is a natural sweetener that can be consumed as is, added to other drinks or condiments, or used in cooking. Because 100% fruit juice is natural and unprocessed, it is a much better choice than refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup, and it is also packed with vitamins and nutrients.
