The Halloween season is upon us and that means we will be tempted by ghoulish treats. The fact is treats do not have to be unhealthy for us. There are ways to enjoy the treats we enjoy without all of the added sugars. You can use sugar substitutes to give your sweets that delicious flavor without actually adding all of the sugars. We often hear how we need to eliminate added sugars to our diets. The fact is sugar has a calorie count of a mere 15 calories per teaspoon. This sounds low unless we realize all of the sugars we are getting from our other foods naturally. We should be getting less then 25 percent of our calories from the added sugars that we find in items such as ketchup, cookies and cereals.
There are many people that use artificial sweeteners every day. Then there are those that tried to use the artificial sweeteners and found them to have an after taste and to be frank a little lack luster. That has definitely changed in the following years after the big launch of artificial sweeteners. If we tried the artificial sweeteners of years past and have never tried them again we have to realize that, like everything else, sweeteners have changed. Sugar alternatives made from the herb stevia which is 40 times sweeter then sugar are taking the sweetener market to a whole new level. This sugar alternative is found in Central and South America. It has no calories and does not change blood sugar levels. The problem with this alternative in the beginning was it’s bitter after taste. Once that problem was addressed and only the sweetest parts of the plant were used in the making of the sugar alternatives this product took off. It is offered by Sweetleaf and Trivia and is found in stores ad online for people searching for an alternative to their sugar intake. People are using this product in their beverages and in their cereals and fruits. As of now there is not a product made to be used in baking due to the texture and color change when used for baking. Realizing there is a need for this product to make it into the baking world as well the Sweetleaf company is working on a product that can be used for baking as well. It appears we will be having coolies make from this sweet sweetener in our near futures.
If we are addressing sugar alternatives we have to also mention Whey Low. It has a quarter of the calories and it has less than one third of the glycemic index of sugar. What this means to the consumer is you are less likely to have a down crash after consumption of this product. This product is made from a blend of natural sugars. The natural sugars occurring in fruit known as fructose, table sugar also known as sucrose and the sugar in milk are combined to make this four calories per teaspoon sweetener. Each natural sugar on it’s own may be fully caloric but when combined in Whey Low they combine to make a product that does not completely absorb into the body. It is easy to see why this product is becoming so popular. It is as easy to use as sugar and you can bake with it and still keep your calorie count low. It can be used as sugar for baking except in meringues because the product browns too quickly and does not set well. Being able to enjoy the sweetness without the calories is good news for everyone.
There is a sugar alcohol that occurs naturally in berries and beets called Xytlitol. With only Nine calories per teaspoon and tasting almost as sweet as sugar this product has promise. It is partially absorbed by the body and has a low glycemic index. You can find it in natural food stores. It is so sweet it is recommended that you use only half of the amount you would use of sugar. It can also be used in coffees and teas. Chances are you have already used this product if you have used sugar free gum. It helps to prevent tooth decay by preventing bacteria from sticking to your teeth. Another benefit of this product is the fact that sugar alcohols are not readily digested by our bodies which means our bodies blood sugar levels will not raise when using this product.
Now we come to liquid sweeteners. The blending of several agave plants blend to create liquid sweeteners. You may have heard of this plant because it is used to make tequila. You can not really bake with it but it can be used in teas and coffees. Being much sweeter then honey or sugar you only need about a third to get the ratio of sweetness. If you try baking with liquid sweeteners you need to lower your oven temperature because it browns quickly. There are no benefits from this product as far as the difference between agave nectar and sugar. The calorie count is higher for agave nectar then sugar but the sweetness is so much stronger that you need smaller amounts.
Now we come to the three heavy hitters in the artificial sweeteners market that we hear so much about and here they are with their differences. First we have Sweet’N Low. It is a saccharin that has 4 calories in each fourth of teaspoon packet. That translates to 2 teaspoons of sugar. It can also be used in teas and coffees as many other sweeteners. However because of the difference it creates in volume and texture when you bake with it baking is not it’s strong point. Next we have Splenda. Splenda is sucralose which is 600 times sweeter then table sugar. A packet equals 2 teaspoons of sugar. It is actually made in a lab from a sugar molecule. It is altered so it goes through the body without absorption. There are no calories in Splenda. It is easily used in baking because it reacts well to heat. The last of the famous sweeteners is Equal. Equal is aspartame. Each packet equals 2 teaspoons of sugar. It can be used in recipes but it should be used only in recipes that call for this product specifically.
There are alternatives to the world of sweetness and now you are familiar with them on a different level so you can make good choices whether you are sweetening a glass of tea or baking a delicious sweet treat.
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