Consider these 5 sugar substitutes if you want to cut back on all the added sweetness in other foods or baking.
Natural Sugar Substitutes to try out: Sugar has received a pretty raw deal over the years. Although it provides the raw fuel needed for our cells, it is usually degraded.
Of course, there is something like excessive sugar, which in countries like the United States adds sugar to everything from yoghurt to marinara sauce. (You read that correctly).
So if you’re already getting natural sugars from fruit and want to cut down on all the desserts included in other foods or when baking, consider these 5 sugar substitutes.
1. Stevia
The stevia plant is refined and processed into a sweet, zero-calorie sugar substitute that can pass through your digestive system without ever absorbing it.
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Stevia is much sweeter than sugar, so you don’t need to use it too much. It has licorice under the taste, so while some swear by it, others will be turned off by this subtle flavour.
2. Xylitol
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that is commonly used in sugar-free chewing gum. Since bacteria in your mouth do not convert this chemical into acid, it does not cause tooth decay.
Unlike stevia, xylitol contains calories, but not more than regular sugars, so this is a good alternative, especially for people with diabetes. Strangely, xylitol has been used to prevent middle ear infections in children.
3. Erythritol
Erythritol is another sugar alcohol such as xylitol. It contains only 6% of the calories you find in regular sugar, while 70% tastes sweeter. Using erythritol is a good way to cut out processed sugars from your diet without leaving the cold turkey.
4. Honey
Some people cannot bear the taste of artificial sweeteners, no matter what kind they use. But nature offers some sugar substitutes of its own, among them, classic honey.
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This natural honey product is great for sweetening tea and oatmeal, and it contains the vitamins your body needs. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you don’t need to use more than a drop, but you can always store it in your pantry as it never burns.
5. Maple syrup
Don’t like bees doing too much work? Maple Syrup is a vegetarian-approved, plant-based alternative to honey. Maple syrup is sweeter than refined sugar, so you can use less for the same ends.
Additionally, there is nothing like that delicious maple syrup aroma.
