Cathryn Arndt
Last month we prepared ourselves for making substitutions for white sugar in holiday baking. We considered its effects in both the body and in baking. Since you can’t substitute all sweeteners 1:1 with white sugar, this was important to consider.
Now let’s dig further into white-sugar alternatives.
For starters, here’s a word of advice. Just because you choose to use less in your cooking/baking or in the products you buy doesn’t guarantee that you’ll automatically be healthier, lose weight or manage your blood sugar. Why? It has to do with the whole picture of your diet, what you eat day in and day out.
If you eat highly processed foods and beverages while neglecting the abundance of health-promoting “real food” (particularly vegetables and fruit), then you’re missing out. I’ve known of many people who chose low-fat or low-sugar products (or whatever the popular health claim was at the time) while still consuming an overall unhealthy diet, one void of the real foods that would have helped them. As a culture, we’re good at jumping on bandwagons but missing the forest for the trees.
Make smarter choices when eating sweets, but also, work on improving your food choices as a whole. You may find that decreasing your sugar intake isn’t as difficult when you focus on other vital aspects of healthy eating. So, eat sweets in moderation, mindfully and with gratitude.
Here’s a quick rundown on replacement sweeteners for white sugar. (It is by no means comprehensive.)
NATURAL SWEETENERS
(with calories)
Fruit
Dried fruit (dates, raisins, apples, apricots, etc.): A great way to cut down added sugar in a recipe while keeping some pockets of sweetness and texture.
Use: cookies, sweet breads and cakes
Fruit purees: Another way to cut down on sugar — and even fat. Unlike dried fruit, they add sweetness throughout the entire product, not just in pockets. Make sure to consider what flavor a certain puree might give your product. Bananas and dates are the strongest and most distinctive in flavor (which is why they’re often used in chocolate-flavored baked goods) while prunes and apples are more subtle. Banana and date purees can be substituted roughly 1:1 for sugar (so you are replacing all the sugar). When using other fruit purees, replace 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup for the sugar with the puree so you are reducing the white sugar used. If the recipe calls for a liquid and you are using a fresh fruit puree, decrease the amount by one-fourth.
Use: cookies, quick breads, some cakes, smoothies.
Honey & Maple Syrup
Honey can be local or raw and virtually unprocessed. Maple syrup is popular with vegans and vegetarians. They don’t come from animal sources and are milder flavor-wise. Changes you may notice may include increased browning. Like white sugar, honey draws water to itself (hydroscopic) and can add to a product’s moisture.
Use: Soups, smoothies and sauces, caramels, pudding and dense, “quick” breads where you need LITTLE to NO to leavening (rise) to take place (I.e., banana or zucchini bread, as well as some pancake recipes).
Agave nectar: While this is still a liquid, food-sourced sweetener like maple syrup, I am giving it its own category to make special note of it.
I mentioned in a previous article that agave is high in fructose — between 55 and 97%! It’s essentially equivalent to fructose corn syrup which, when eaten frequently and in large amounts, can lead to weight gain around the middle, higher cholesterol and inflammation!
Agave is often the chosen sweetener of diabetics, vegans/vegetarians or anyone trying to improve their weight, blood lipids and inflammation. These people may find that frequent use of agave may work against their health goals and wellbeing. Personally, I don’t recommend its use.
Use: If you choose to use agave for baking, then the same guidelines given above for honey and maple syrup apply.
NO-CALORIE NATURAL SWEETENERS
Steviosides (aka stevia, Truvia, sweetleaf sweetener or Pure Via): Derived from a stevia rebaudiana plant, it is 200 to 300 times sweeter than white sugar and is also calorie-free. After processing, it is sold in liquid or powder forms, making it versatile in its use. It doesn’t degrade under heat but also doesn’t add bulk to baked goods. For this reason, it’s often mixed with other low-calorie sweeteners (and because it offsets a possibly unpleasant licorice-like aftertaste).
Use: Table-top sweetener, soups, sauces, smoothies and baking.
Monk Fruit: A new natural- and zero-calorie sweetener on the scene, monk fruit may have some potential health benefits when used at certain doses. Research is still pending, though, so don’t become overly enthusiastic and overconsume it.
It can be substituted 1:1 for sugar in drinks, dressings and sauces. Heat-stable, it can be used in baked goods. However, use half-monk-fruit and half-sugar so the volume and texture aren’t altered too much.
Use: Tabletop sweetener, baked goods.
LOW-CALORIE SWEETENERS
Erythritol (a sugar alcohol): This is a new favorite on the scene of non-calorie sweeteners since it does NOT raise blood sugar. It is almost a 1:1 ratio of use for sugar which is helpful when bulk is needed in baking. It mixes with water and won’t leave a grainy texture. However, it is non-hydroscopic and doesn’t add moisture. This is often used with Stevia to offset the aftertaste. It can cause gas but not diarrhea.
Use: Cooking (soups, smoothies and sauces) and baking, except in yeast breads, where the yeast needs to feed on real sugar to rise. Use part real sugar and part erythritol if using a recipe with yeast.
Xylitol (a sugar alcohol): The sweetest of all sugar alcohols is a 1:1 ratio with sugar, meaning you could substitute cup for cup. This does contain very few calories (less than half of sugar), dissolves quickly in water and gives a cooling effect in the mouth. It’s often used as part of a blend of sugar substitutes. Since most of it isn’t absorbed by the body, it CAN have a strong laxative effect when consumed in greater than 50 grams of alpha acid per day.
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
As mentioned in a previous article, a vast array of information is available about artificial sweeteners’ possible effects on our appetites, healthy gut bacteria, overall response to blood sugar and more. I NEVER recommend artificial sweeteners.
There you have it: a quick guide to swaps for white sugar. Have fun experimenting as you make your swaps this holiday season, and remember, it’s a trial-and-error process!
Cheers to your health this winter!
Cathryn Arndt is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). She lives in Lebanon with her husband and daughters. Find her on Facebook by searching under “Dietitian Cathryn.”