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 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.
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Use
the information provided on this site 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.