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.