If you're following a diet, have diabetes, or just live a healthy lifestyle, you probably avoid added sugar in drinks and food. But quitting sugar completely can be tough because it adds a sweet and tasty flavor to meals. On the other hand, it's full of high calories and has serious health risks if you eat too much. Luckily, there are many healthy sugar alternatives, both artificial and natural. So, let us share with you in this article the best healthy alternatives to added sugar.
What's the difference between natural sugar and added sugar?
As the name shows, natural sugar is found naturally in foods, unlike added sugar which is put in to make the taste sweeter. Natural sugar occurs in fruits, milk, honey, and other foods. Added sugars are in sweets, soft drinks, and canned items.
What are the harms caused by consuming added sugar?
Even though you know completely the harms added sugar can cause, you might find quitting it hard. Even if you stop using it for a while, you might go back to it with weak willpower. Among the many serious harms that added sugar consumption causes in your body are:
- Tooth decay.
- Insulin level disorder and type 2 diabetes.
- Noticeable weight gain and buildup of annoying belly fat.
- Poor nutrition.
- High levels of triglycerides in the blood.
What are the healthy alternatives to added sugar?
There are many examples of added sugar alternatives, which can be grouped into four types Natural sugars, artificial sweeteners, new sweeteners, and sugar alcohols are all different. You need to know that each type has its benefits and harms. So, you should compare them all to find what suits you and fits your body and diet.
What are the main healthy sugar substitutes?
Based on the four types of substitutes, we can identify the best healthy options for you to use in your meals instead of added sugar:
First: Acesulfame potassium
You might find this term strange, but it is commercially known as Sunett, or Sweet one.
- Type: Locally produced industrial.
- Benefits: It does not cause tooth decay or raise blood sugar levels, and it adds no calories to the body.
- How to use: You can add it to all drinks and foods. It is heat stable, so you can add it to hot and cold foods without changing its chemical structure.
Second: Aloe nectar
- Type: Natural sweetener.
- Benefits: This type of natural sugar has a lot of nutrients in higher amounts than added sugar, and less than honey. It has a distinct sweet taste. It also contains large amounts of fructose sugar, which makes it unsuitable for diabetics. Eating more of it can cause noticeable weight gain.
- How to use: You can use it instead of added sugar in different recipes because it gives a sweet taste similar to honey. It lacks the bitter taste that some sugar substitutes have. Also, it is liquid, so you need to make some changes in the recipe you prepare.
Third: Coconut sugar
- Type: Natural sweetener.
- Benefits: Coconut sugar is special because it's unrefined sugar. So, it keeps all its vitamins and minerals. It doesn't cause blood sugar spikes. But it has almost the same calories as regular added sugar. It also has high levels of fructose and carbs, which means it won't help you lose weight. In fact, it can make you gain weight. Plus, it's not a good choice for people with diabetes.
- How to use: You can easily use it in the kitchen just like white or brown sugar. But coconut sugar is coarse, so you might need to grind it often depending on the recipe.
Fourth: honey
- Type: Natural sweetener.
- Benefit: Honey is known as the most popular natural sweetener. It also has lots of nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals compared to white sugar or table sugar, also called added sugar. Still, honey has a lot of calories that can cause some health risks like those from added sugar.
- How to use: You can add honey to many dishes and things like juices and baked goods. Since it has many calories, add just a little to your meals. It's very sweet and liquid, so when baking sweets, remember to reduce other liquids you use with it.
Fifth: Monk fruit extracts
This type is known by several brand names like Nectress and Purelo
- Type: New sweetener (high intensity).
- Benefit: This sweetener is about 300 times sweeter than added sugar. It has zero calories and no side effects on health or body weight. So, it’s a top choice for people on diets and those with diabetes.
- How to use: Like other sweeteners, you can add monk fruit extract to your daily foods. But watch out for one thing: its unique taste might mix weirdly with your meals. If that’s okay, you can add it to all your foods and drinks.
Sixth: Date Paste
- Type: Natural sweetener.
- Benefit:This type of sweetener has high levels of nutrients like fiber, minerals, and vitamins. So it's more of a healthy food when added to your dishes than just a sugar substitute. You can make it by mixing a cup of warm pitted dates with 3/4 cup of water and half a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- How to use: You can add it to various foods like drinks, baked goods, and more because of its great nutritional value. But keep in mind it's sweeter than regular sugar, so you only need to add small amounts, especially when baking.
Seventh: Maple syrup
- Type: Natural sweetener.
- Benefit: Maple syrup has lots of antioxidants and is rich in minerals like calcium, potassium, manganese, iron, and zinc. But like other natural sweeteners, it's high in calories, so you should eat it in moderation.
- How to use: You can use maple syrup in many dishes besides pancakes and desserts. You can add it to savory foods like healthy breakfasts with oatmeal and yogurt, lunch meals with lots of veggies, chicken, salmon, or salad dressings. You can also use it with baking, but first check how much liquid you’re adding to your recipe.
Eighth: Stevia extracts
This sweetener is known by several brand names Cobervea, andTrofia, andSweet Leaf.
- Type: A new sweetener (high density).
- Benefit: Stevia sugar is known as a healthy sugar alternative, good for those who want to lose weight or control it. It's also perfect for diabetics since it has few or no calories. It's plant-based and tastes sweeter than regular sugar, so you need less when using it.
- How to use: You can use it as a powder or liquid. but this type of sweetener is known to have a noticeable taste even after refining, though it's not chemical. That can affect drinks like tea or coffee and also food. Stevia sugar is also heat stable, so you can cook with it.
Ninth: Sucralose
Its commercial name is called Splenda.
- Type: Artificial sweetener.
- Benefit: This sweetener type is safe for diabetics, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and those on special diets because it's totally calorie-free. It's also about 600 times sweeter than regular sugar.
- How to use: You can use it with various drinks and foods. It’s heat stable so you can add it while cooking different dishes but reduce the amount to keep the sweetness balanced. There are also many other types, like those made just for baking.
Tenth: Xylitol
Its commercial names are known as Polysweet, andIdeal,Xylosweet.
- Type: Alcohol-based sweetener.
- Benefit: This type, like other alcohol-based sweeteners such as sorbitol, has low calories. Usually its taste is similar to added sugar from 25% up to 100%. So it's a good choice for diabetics and people on special diets. Also, it doesn't cause tooth decay or sudden blood sugar spikes. But like other sugar alcohols, it can act as a laxative causing diarrhea and bloating if taken in large amounts.
- How to use: This sugar type is found in gums and commercial foods labeled as sugar-free. It's also sold as granules which makes it easy to use and add to your drinks and meals.
What tips can help you cut down on added sugar?
- Drink water, or sugar-free drinks, or low-fat milk instead of soda and sugary drinks.
- Eat whole fruits instead of canned fruit juices and processed sweets.
- Choose unsweetened products like unsweetened apple juice and nut butter.
- You can find many other tips that help you cut added sugar from here.
