Best Natural & Healthy Sugar Substitutes

Best Natural Sweeteners

Generally speaking it is best to reduce and eliminate added sugars or sweeteners whenever possible. Having said that though, we all need to satisfy our sweet tooth on occasion and who wants to totally skip dessert anyway!? Natural carbohydrates and sweeteners serve several purposes in our bodies. Creating energy, adding fiber, as well as giving us a wide variety of vitamins and minerals are just a few reasons that we have a desire for sweet things.

Replacing Sugar With Non-Nutritive Sweeteners

Americans and especially those who are diabetic seem to try to reduce sugar by consuming non-nutritive sweeteners. Artificially-produced chemical sweeteners serve no purpose to our health and have a negative health effect. Chemical substitute sweeteners do not give our body the needed energy to maintain life. As a result a craving for sugar, our body’s preferred choice for energy, is created, causing more empty calories to be consumed. The best substitutes for sugar in a diabetic diet would be to use less sweeteners and those that you do consume should have fiber and minerals whenever possible. Any time fiber is included with a sugar it will slow down the absorption and keep blood sugar levels in line. Everyone needs sugars to maintain energy levels. It is a fine line for diabetics to keep energy levels up and blood sugars in line.

All natural sugars contain calories. There is no way around it, so look for value-packed calories and consume in moderation.

Natural Sugar Substitutes

There are many plant based natural sugars that can easily be substituted in various recipes to give sweetness as well as provide natural wholesome goodness in the form of fiber as well as vitamins and minerals. Here are some good sugar substitutes:

Date Sugar	pitted, dehydrated, pulverized dates	high fiber, high nutrients, neutral effect on blood sugar
Honey, Maple Syrup, Molasses	use 1/2 cup per cup of sugar called for	strong flavor, high in nutrients
Mirin (sweet rice cooking wine)	good for glazing vegetables or even in glazes and frostings	mild flavor, neutral effect on blood sugar, few nutrients
Dried Fruits	raisins, dates, apples can be used to sweeten oatmeal, breads, desserts, pancakes, waffles and even cookies.	high fiber, high nutrients, neutral effect on blood sugar
Fresh Fruit, Fruit Juices	Fruit concentrates sweeten well. Whole and fruit juices make nice sauces and can be used in all of the same applications as dried fruits. A combination of both give nice intensity to dishes.	high fiber, high nutrients
Amazake	This is a mild creamy milk-like sweetener made from fermented brown rice. Works well in cakes, cream soups, and more.	small amounts of nutrients, good fat
Barley Malt Syrup and Powder	The syrup is thick. Both have a strong flavor that comes from sprouted barley. 25% as sweet as sugar.	small amounts of nutrients
Carob Powder	This originates from the carob legume.	rich source of nutrients
Sorghum Molasses	Made from sorghum as opposed to regular molasses which is made from cane. Very thick.	strong flavor, small amounts of nutrients, neutral effect on blood sugar
Stevia	Natural herb available fresh and dried leaves. Excellent for iced tea, or other liquids needing sweetened. Does not promote bacteria.	200-300 times sweeter than sugar
Agave Nectar	Use 3/4 cup in place of one cup of sugar called for in a recipe.	generally tolerated by diabetics

Pure Stevia, Recipe & Products

The herb stevia can be purchased in many garden centers across the US and is an easy way to bring pure stevia to your table and your sweet tooth. The herb stevia and the related products are 200-300 times as sweet as refined cane sugar. Pick a stevia leaf and eat it and you will be amazed at how sweet it is for a minimum of calories. Studies have shown that stevia extract effectively regulates blood sugar.

Try this quick sweet tea stevia recipe!
Natural Healthy Stevia Brew 2 quarts of hot tea. Instead of adding sugar add 3 crushed stevia leaves to to the warm tea. After brewing, remove the leaves and refrigerate. Experiment with the recipe until you find the sweetness you desire.

Natural Healthy Weight Loss

Healthy living is all about eating real food choices. Refined sugars and chemical substitutes do not contribute to good health at all. Learn more about natural eating choices and how to choose good for you foods in the “6 Weeks To The New You ” healthy living diet.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 6th, 2010 at 7:27 pm and is filed under Good Carbs, Bad Carbs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Best Natural & Healthy Sugar Substitutes”

Nutritional Healthy High Protein Snacks, Best Hiking Bars | Wow! You Are Really Lucky.... Says:
March 26th, 2011 at 7:25 pm
[...] mentioned, when looking for quality hiking snacks do not seek out low calorie snacks but look for good sources of carbs and sweeteners. Regular sugar, honey or maple syrup are better choices than the many processed sugars like high [...]