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Life is Sweet! A Guide to Using Healthy Sweeteners

One of the greatest joys of life is eating, and sweeteners make many of our foods taste delicious! The average person will consume 43 pounds of sweeteners per year. The most widely used sweeteners are conventional white sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Both are highly processed sweeteners and are not the subject of this guide as they offer no benefits to the health-conscious and environmentally responsible consumer.

There is a broad spectrum of healthy sweeteners to choose from, and they vary in degrees of processing and nutrition. Raw and minimally processed sweeteners generally contain more nutrition than highly processed alternatives. Organic sweeteners have the added benefit of being grown and processed in a way that is not only healthier for us but for the environment as well. Look for products that have an organic certification to be sure that you are purchasing products that have been grown and processed without using harmful chemicals, pesticides, or herbicides. These organic practices help protect our environment by eliminating polluting chemicals from entering our soil, groundwater, plants, and atmosphere. Organic standards do not allow for crop burning.

Because any one sweetener type may or may not be organic, this guide will not distinguish between “organic molasses” and “molasses”. It will only describe the characteristics of sweeteners as a whole.

 

Natural Sweeteners

Sucanat®

Sucanat® is the only sugar cane product of its kind, is made by keeping together the two products that typical sugar processing tries to separate - sugar and molasses. The initial pressing of the sugar cane plant contains all of the elements of both sugar and molasses. Through the sugar making process, these two products are separated. All of the nutritional benefits of the sugar cane plant remain with the molasses leaving sugar as “empty calories.”

In making Sucanat, two key things are accomplished. First, unlike brown sugar where molasses is simply added back to sugar for color, the molasses and sugar are kept together from the beginning of the process. This creates a dry sweetener product with the vitamins, minerals and trace elements of the sugar cane plant and a lower sucrose level than refined white and brown sugar. Second, the crystals that are formed are actually bonded naturally, forming a granule that is easier to blend with the other ingredients and creates a smoother texture in baked goods.

Unrefined sugar

Unrefined sugar is made from sugar cane juice that is released by pressing sugar cane stalks. It is different from refined sugar in that it is typically 50% less processed and therefore contains slightly more molasses than refined sugar. Unrefined sugar has a sucrose level in the range of 99.2% - 99.5% as compared to refined sugar which has a higher sucrose level of 99.9%.

Honey

Honey is a sweet, viscous fluid made by honeybees from the nectar of flowering plants. Flavors vary depending upon the plant source from which the nectar is derived. The worker bee transforms the sucrose of nectar into the simple sugars fructose and glucose. Honey is sweeter than sugar (100% sucrose), has more calories than sugar and raises the blood sugar even more than white sugar. Raw honey reportedly has medicinal benefits and contains enzymes and small amounts of minerals and B-complex vitamins. Honey can be purchased in liquid and granular forms. Note: It has been suggested that honey should not be given to children under the age of 18 months because their digestive tracts and immune systems are not yet developed enough for bacteria that may be present in honey.

Molasses

Blackstrap molasses is the final product produced in the sugar-making process. As the final product, blackstrap molasses contains more vitamins, minerals, and trace elements (iron, potassium, calcium and magnesium) found naturally in the sugar cane plant, making it more nutritious than most other sweeteners.

Barbados molasses is another type of molasses, but unlike blackstrap molasses, it is one of the first products produced in the sugar-making process. As one of the first products produced, Barbados molasses is lighter and sweeter than blackstrap because it has a higher sucrose content than blackstrap. It is an excellent choice when the blackstrap variety is too strong or not sweet enough.

Rice syrup

Rice syrup is a sweetener prepared by culturing rice with enzymes to break down the starches, straining off the liquid, and cooking it to the desired consistency. Brown rice syrup contains 50% soluble complex carbohydrates, which take from two to three hours to be digested, resulting in a steady supply of energy. This syrup can be evaporated to form a rice syrup powder.

Barley Malt

Barley malt is made by fermenting grain. The fermenting bacteria convert the grain starches into simple and complex sugars and the final product consists of 40% complex carbohydrates.

Date “sugar”

Date sugar is made by pulverizing dried dates. It is not “refined” like sugar and, therefore, contains the nutrients and minerals found in dates. Date sugar also contains fiber.

Concentrated fruit juices

Concentrated fruit juices-LINK are highly refined sources of sugar that contain very little of the nutrients present in fresh fruit and none of the fiber that balances blood sugar. These sweeteners bear little resemblance to the fruit from which they are derived. It is recommended to use fruit juice instead of juice concentrates or fruit syrups, which are even more concentrated.

Fructose

Fructose is a natural sugar found in plants and fruits, but generally is a highly refined product made from corn starch. It is low or devoid in nutrients. For some people there are disadvantages when consuming large amounts of fructose: increased LDL cholesterol levels, uric-acid levels in the blood, and triglyceride levels. However, it is absorbed more slowly in the gastro-intestinal tract than glucose, producing only a slight insulin response, resulting in smaller fluctuations in blood-sugar levels.

 

Substitution in Recipes

Substituting healthy sweeteners for conventional white sugar in recipes is easy! You’ll enjoy the wonderful textures and rich flavors that healthy sweeteners add to your favorite recipes. When you find the perfect substitute, cross out sugar and white flour, for example, and write in the perfect healthy or organic substitute.

Substitution Chart

Commonly Used Sweeteners Equivalent to 1 Cup of White Sugar

Sucanat    1 cup

Unrefined Sugar   1 cup

Date Sugar    1 cup

Barley Malt    1 ½ cup-Reduce liquids by 1-2 tablespoons

Brown Rice Syrup   1 cup powder

Fructose    ½ to 2/3 cup

Molasses    ½ to ¾ cup

Concentrated Fruit Juices  varies

Honey     ½ cup

Reduce liquid by ½ cup & Temperatures by 25 ¼ F

 

The above article is reprinted with permission from Wholesome Foods. Wholesome Foods provides a full line of organic and natural sweeteners, available in health foods stores throughout the United States. http://www.wholesomefoods.com

Related Articles:

·      Stevia: Healthy and Sweet

·      Sugar N Spice and Everything Nice

 

Use the information provided in this database as an educational resource for determining your options and making your own informed choices. It is not intended as medical advice or to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any specific illness. If there is any chance your child is seriously ill, take him or her to a qualified health professional for evaluation.