A blog of helpful tips and techniques for surviving as a Clean Eater in a non Clean Eating world. I'm working towards a clean diet, and want to share what I've learned along the way. I also occasionally write about gun and 2nd Amendment issues, so indulge me. Welcome to my blog!
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Saturday, January 1, 2011
White Sugar Alternatives
The average US adult eats about 150 pounds of sugar per year. That is a staggering amount of sugar. Think about it. That's 30 of those 5 lb sacks of sugar from the store. There are 1,750 calories in a pound of sugar - 150 pounds is 262,500 calories. Divide that by 3,500 calories you need to gain a pound of body fat, and you get 75 lbs. 75 lbs of body fat, potentially. Granted, sugar is the first thing your body reaches for to burn for energy, so a lot of that is burned off - BUT...your body doesn't get to burn your excess fat if you are stuffing your face with granulated sugar. Sugar is hidden in a lot of processed, bottled foods - like sauces, dressings, marinades - so be careful of those!
Here are some excellent white sugar alternatives. Special thanks to deliciouslivingmag.com for this excellent article. Great website - I recommend them highly!
Most of these can be found either in the "Natural Foods" section of your local grocery store, in the baking aisle, or you may have to visit a health food store ( or, as my BFF calls his local store, "the hippie hut" )
Sweetener: Agave nectar
What it is: Golden-brown liquid traditionally derived from the boiled sap of the blue agave plant. Less viscous than honey, but thicker than maple syrup, it’s intensely sweet.
Health impact: Glycemic index (GI) of 15, the lowest of any sweetener. (Note that GI only measures glucose, so numbers don’t tell the whole story; agave is 92 percent fructose and only 8 percent glucose.) Contains more calories per teaspoon (20), than white sugar (about 15).
Best in: Soft-textured foods such as smoothies, drinks, salad dressings, pies, cheesecake, and custards. Can also be used in breads, cakes, and cookies.
How to use: Substitute 2/3 cup agave for 1 cup white sugar; in baking, reduce other liquid by about one-third.
Sweetener: Brown rice syrup
What it is: Dense liquid made by fermenting brown rice with enzymes to convert starches to sugars. Thick, creamy texture, pale golden color, and mild sweetness reminiscent of butterscotch.
Health impact: Relatively low GI of 25 (contains 50 percent complex carbs and 5 percent glucose). Same calories as sugar but only half as sweet, so you may need to use more.
Best in: Soft-textured dishes, such as pies, hot cereals, and sauces. Tends to make baked goods heavy and hard, so better for crunchy items, like cookies, biscotti, or granola.
How to use: Substitute 1 1/2 cups brown rice syrup for 1 cup sugar; reduce liquid by 2 tablespoons.
Sweetener: Date sugar
What it is: Dehydrated and ground dates. Grainy texture; deep, earthy color and sweetness.
Health impact: Minimally refined and processed; rich in minerals, plus 1 gram fiber per tablespoon. Relatively few calories (12 per teaspoon).
Best in: Baked goods such as crusts, spice cookies, nut breads, or anything with a dark color and dense texture. In light-colored cakes, cookies, or puddings, will appear as brown flecks. Doesn’t dissolve in liquid, so not ideal for beverages, puddings, or pies.
How to use: Substitute 2/3 cup date sugar for 1 cup white sugar. Browns quickly and burns easily, so shorten recipe cooking time by several minutes. Don’t use in recipes where sugar needs to melt.
Sweetener: Palm sugar
What it is: Granulated or chunk sugar made by boiling the sap of coconut palm-tree flowers. Looks similar to brown sugar; has a more robust flavor than white sugar or honey, with hints of caramel and maple syrup.
Health impact: Relatively low GI of 35; same calories as white sugar, but slightly less sweet.
Best in: Recipes where a mild maple-caramel flavor will complement other tastes, such as oatmeal cookies, bean dishes, and sweet marinades. Because it dissolves easily and provides bulk, the granulated form is ideal for baking.
How to use: Substitute 1 1/8 cups palm sugar for 1 cup white sugar
Sweetener: Stevia
What it is: Derived from a shrub; now available in leaf form (ground or whole leaf) and as a chemically refined liquid or powder concentrate. Usually sold in the supplement section. The raw leaf is 60 times sweeter than sugar; in concentrated form, stevia is 150 to 300 times sweeter than sugar.
Health impact: In South America and Asia, people have used raw-leaf stevia safely for centuries as a flavor enhancer. With zero calories, it exerts no impact on insulin levels (some studies suggest stevia may actually help control insulin levels). Late last year, the FDA granted “no-objection” status to Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to use stevia-based products in beverages.
Best in: Ideal for sweetening tea, lemonade, or other liquids. Lacks bulk, so it’s trickier for baking—works in cookies, granola, and pies, but not as well in breads, cakes, or anything where texture matters.
What it is: Unbleached, less processed granulated sugar cane.
Health impact: Essentially the same calories and GI as white sugar, but retains some of the mineral-rich molasses. Eco-bonus: Some brands, such as Florida Crystals, are certified carbon neutral.
Best in: Anything that uses regular sugar; similar texture, and adds no color. Demerara or turbinado organic sugar (“raw sugar”) is slightly browner, with larger crystals.
