Sugar, Sugar, Sugar. It's the must have for those with a deadly sweet tooth and the bane of those on diets. It's true that the crystalline, white, sweet stuff isn't really that good for you.
But what is one to do if they are trying to create a healthier option?
Give up sweets?
Not likely. No actually. At least in my case.
Being guilty of having a sweet tooth myself, I needed another option fortunately I didn't really have to look far.
Good Old nature had me covered.
Nature has provided all of the world with plenty of healthier sweeteners. Today I want to list some of them and their advantages and some cautionary tips. I am a baker and have been baking for a pretty long time. So I will also give some helpful tips on using sweeteners other than sugar in the kitchen. Not only does this cut down on white granulated sugar intake, but it also allows for a cutback on processed foods. Please do not use any of the below recipes or tips as a replacement for medicine. I am not a doctor. (yet). But I do get this information from reliable sources. If it's just from personal experience I will mention it.
Alright now. Let's get to the interesting things .
I'll begin with the traditional , good , old fashioned honey.
Honey is a great way to replace sugar in one's diet. It's sweet but it's also a liquid. So baking will have to be adjusted accordingly. I'll get to that in just a moment. First let's get some facts on this sweetener.
Benefits
- Honey can actually serve as an anti bacterial agent in food. Yes it's true. It kills deadly food pathogens like salmonella and E coli.
- Here is a tip from my personal experience. honey can often help with a sore throat. Maybe that's a trick many people know already but it's worth mentioning. As always with holistic methods I don't suggest this be the only thing everyone does for sore throat treatment but it can help.
- Honey can also work as an emulsifier in dressings.
Cautions and Tips
- Never give honey to an infant. According to web md this is because infants immune systems are not equipped to protect them from some bacteria found in honey.
- Also adjust your baking accordingly since honey is a liquid and is different than using dry sugar. You can usually just mix it in where sugar is required in a recipe. Unless something like meringue is being made in which the properties of granulated sugar are required. I don't use as much honey as sugar is required in a recipe, I use just a little less. You have to be careful when baking with liquid sweeteners because the consistency of them is different but if it's something like cupcakes, cookies, or a round cake you should have no problems. I haven't baked with sugar in years and I usually use honey. Although I prefer agave, my favorite sweetener that is going to be coming up next.
Agave
This may be an unfamiliar source of sweet for some. So let's have some background. Agave is typically grown in south Mexico. A picture of an agave plant before it's nectar is harvested is above. Nectar from this spiky plant is used in anything from baked goods to tequila.
Benefits
- Agave is sweeter than sugar.
- It is vegan
- No known health deficits. Although too much of anything of course, is not good.
Tips
- Agave is a lot sweeter than sugar so in baking or even in just putting it in tea less will have to be used.
- For baking use about 2/3 cup of agave for every 1 cup of sugar.
Xylitol Benefits
- Xylitol has one third fewer calories than sugar.
- It can prevent cavities, because it destroys some bacteria in saliva that cause tooth decay.
- It is vegan
- Xylitol is safe as long as it's not over used.
- May prevent ear infections.
- It has a consistency like sugar so there's no need to worry about the liquid component affecting baking.
- Xylitol is safe in the amount it is found in foods. However if someone is using it as medicine there are different requirements, adults should not go over 50 grams a day and children should not go over 20 grams. If these amounts are gone over some side effects will occur. (nothing too major, diarrhea or intestinal gas which can be more serious. So it's best not to go overboard in using it as medicine.)
See you next week internet.
Sources
Image Credit
No comments:
Post a Comment