Natural Sweeteners
We all know that it’s bad for our teeth, but few of us know how bad sugar really is. Not only does it pile on calories, but it also upsets the chemical balance of the body, depleting it of essential vitamins and minerals. If you really want to scare yourself with all the nasty things sugar can do to you I reccomend the book ‘Lick the Sugar Habit’ by Nancy Appleton. Guaranteed to at least make you think twice before that second spoon of sugar in your coffee! Alternatives include...
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Honey
One of the easiest natural sweeteners and one of best loved! It’s rich in enzymes and has some minerals and vitamins. You should beware of cheaper brands of honey, though, which may well contain sugar or corn syrup. Honey can be used anywhere sugar is used, though the flavor will be different. Take care when baking - cookies made with honey tend to burn more easily than those made with sugar.
Honey * 1/2 cup = 1 cup sugar, reduce liquid by 1/4 cup
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Maple Syrup
Mention maple syrup to me and I’ll have visions of stacks of pancake and waffles oozing with butter and syrup. This syrup is high in minerals and the taste is wonderful; it shouldn’t only be associated with calorie-loaded breakfasts. As with all other natural sweeteners, beware the ‘maple flavor’ syrups. They can be as much as 97% corn syrup!
Maple Syrup * 1/2 - 1/3 cup = 1 cup sugar, reduce liquid by 1/4 cup
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Blackstrap Molasses
Molasses have been around for a while, but it’s only now, as we become aware of the dark side of sugar, that it’s starting to regain popularity. It’s made by removing the white crystal sugar from sugar cane and condensing the nutrients down into molasses. For this reason, molasses are a good source of iron, calcium, riboflavin (vit. B2), Thiamine (vit. B1) and niacin. Oh, and for those of you who have always wondered, ‘blackstrap’ refers to the grade of molasses.
Molasses * 1/2 cup = 1 cup sugar, reduce liquid by 1/4 cup |
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Dark Agave Syrup (light pictured)
This is very similar in flavor to molasses and is made by a similar process (though the raw material is the agave plant, rather than sugar cane).
Agave syrup * 1/2 cup = 1 cup sugar, reduce liquid by 1-4 cup
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Barley Malt
This is made from sprouted barley, and unlike blackstrap molasses, has a mild, sweet flavor. This is particularly good for baking.
Malt Syrup * 1 - 1 1/2 cup = 1 cup sugar, reduce liquid by 1/4 cup
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Brown Rice Malt Syrup
This is a thick, and fairly sweet syrup made by cooking brown rice for a very, very long time. Similar to Barley Malt syrup, but made from rice.
Malt Syrup * 1/2 -1 cup = 1 cup sugar, reduce liquid by 1/4 cup
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