Forget fat, sugar is the latest dietary enemy. You may have binned your paper bag of the white stuff and reduced your daily intake, but what if you want to add a little sweetness back into your life and a piece of fruit doesnt quite cut it?
There are plenty of alternatives out there that you can spoon into your tea or drizzle on your porridge, but which are the healthiest alternatives? We're not going to lie, this is a sugary minefield, here we look at the options and reveal the pros and cons for each.
Forget fat, sugar is the latest dietary enemy. You may have binned your paper bag of the white stuff and reduced your daily intake, but what if you want to add a little sweetness back into your life and a piece of fruit doesn’t quite cut it?
There are plenty of alternatives out there that you can spoon into your tea or drizzle on your porridge, but which are the healthiest alternatives? We're not going to lie, this is a sugary minefield, here we look at the options and reveal the pros and cons for each.
Taste: Grade A maple syrup is an amber hue, while grade B (which is produced later in the season) is richer and darker and has a caramel undertone to its taste.
Texture: A slightly thinner texture than golden syrup.
Pros: Grade B maple syrups contain more minerals, plus the darker the maple syrup the higher the antioxidant levels.
Cons: Maple syrup is primarily made up from sucrose (the same as white table sugar) – it has a similar positioning on the Glycaemic Index (GI) as table sugar too (maple syrup – 54, table sugar – 64). The lower the GI number the better, why? Because it has less affect on insulin and blood sugar levels; high GI foods cause a spike that can lead to a crash meaning it’s unlikely we’ll stay satiated for long after eating.
Best for: Occasional sweetening of porridge or pancakes – see it as a treat.
Taste: Mild-tasting sweetener.
Texture: Like runny honey.
Pros: The GI of Agave is low around 30 so it won’t spike your blood sugar levels as much as other sweeteners can. It does, however, have more calories than table sugar (60 calories to 40 for the same amount of sugar) but it’s sweeter so you can use less.
Cons: Agave nectar has been used in Mexico and South America for centuries in cooking and medicinally. Despite it’s low GI, it’s made up of around 76% fructose (fruit sugars) which are fine when eaten in whole fruits but when extracted and consumed have been found to lead to an excess of abominable fat.
Best for: on porridge or in homemade Bircher muesli
Taste: A neutral, sweet taste with a similar consistency to agave.
Texture: like runny honey.
Pros: Okay this is confusing but bear with us. Sweet Freedom is made from apples, grapes and carob – no chemicals are used in the process, just water. Not all fruit is high in fructose and unlike Agave that has 90g per 100g, Sweet Freedom has just 23g per 100g. It has a GI of just 35.
Cons: None of note. But don't go mad on the stuff, all sweet foods should be eaten as a treat.
Best for: A versatile option you can use it in baking, on toast or porridge and to sweeten hot drinks.
Taste: Similar to sugar
Texture: granules.
Pros: You’ll probably recognise the name, as it’s commonly used in sugar-free gum. Xylitol is actually natural derived from fibrous fruit and vegetables and is even, in small amounts, found in our own bodies. When chewed it neutralises the pH in our mouth and prevents bacteria sticking to teeth thus helping to fight tooth decay. It’s also low calorie (9 calories per tsp) and is only 7 on the GI table.
Cons: Most Xylitol comes from corn which is cheap to produce, much corn is genetically modified, best look out for Xylitol sourced from birch bark (harder to come buy). The low calorie may seem positive but this is down to the fact it only partly breaks down in our bodies, the rest ferments and can cause bloating. There are also no studies on long-term effects
Best for: Err on the side of caution and use occasionally in baking o
Taste: Sweet, with a slight aniseed aftertaste.
Texture: comes in white powder, green powder or liquid.
Pros: A South American herb, Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar. It has no calories and is so low it doesn’t even register on the GI. It’s used by Coco Cola to sweeten many of its low calorie products. Look to the green powder version – Wisdom Sweetleaf – that is extracted using purified water or the liquid drops that are less processed.
Cons: The white powder version is highly processed. It has an acquired taste so it may not be for you.
Best for: Due to the flavour it’s best reserved for baking, unless you find it’s palatable in your favourite hot drink.
Taste: Super sweet, similar aroma to white chocolate.
Texture: granules
Pros: A malt-hued alkalising powder, it’s known in India as ‘sugar for Diabetics’. Sourced from the sweet sap of the Palmyra Jaggery palm tree it is the only plant-based source of Vitamin B12 and has a high level of iron, plus it contains just 3.1g of fructose per 100g. It has a GI of 40.
Cons: Go easy, it’s so sweet to taste you won’t need as much as traditional sugar.
Best for: baking, sprinkling on cereal or in hot drinks – it’s pretty versatile.
Taste: Butterscotch-esque flavor.
Texture: granules
Pros: Made from the sap from coconut plants, this sugar is now being used in many health foods as an alternative. While table sugar is empty calories (no nutritional value) coconut palm sugar contains iron, zinc, calcium and potassium, alongside antioxidants.
Cons: The GI of coconut palm sugar is apparently 35, but this has been debated over the internet. Also, the sustainability of coconut palm sugar has come into question– look to a reputable organic brand like Biona if you do buy it.
Best for: sweetener for drinks and baking.
Taste: this varies – all are sweet but some have floral, woody or toffee aromas.
Texture: from runny to more solid
Pros: Just like maple syrup the darker the honey the more nutrients it will contain. Honey contains natural unrefined sugars that are sweeter than traditional sugar, so less is more. Honey has antioxidants and was found in one study to reduce inflammation.
Cons: It has a high level of fructose and can spike blood sugar levels. Opt for raw honey, as it will be less processed.
Best for: sweetening porridge and cakes.
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