7 Natural Sweeteners That Are Healthier Than Refined Sugar

 

In recent years, studies are revealing more about the negative consequences of a diet that's high in sugar. This has spurred a health movement toward lower sugar and sugar-free diets. Our collective sweet tooth has been linked to increasing rates of many health maladies, including obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and more. (Source.) Except sometimes you just need a little sweetness in your life.

And... sugar is sugar, right?

Nope. There are some amazing natural sweeteners that blow white cane sugar and (often genetically modified) beet sugar out of the water. These sweeteners are far less processed, more sustainably produced (no pesticides or GMOs!), and are healthier for you since they contain trace levels of minerals.

1 -- Coconut Sugar

This brown-colored sugar (also called coconut sap sugar) is made by collecting the flowering stem of the coconut palm tree. By gently simmering the sap for a long period of time, crystallization occurs to concentrate the naturally occurring sugars. The large crystals are then ground to form the fine grains you find in packaged form. There is some controversy over the sustainability of harvesting coconut sap sugar. Collecting coconut sap is NOT harmful to the coconut palm trees and does NOT affect coconut oil or coconut milk production. Once a coconut palm tree becomes a "sap tree", coconuts for oil and milk are no longer collected from the tree. Coconut trees can be tapped 10 years (or more!) with no harm done to the trees (source). At Wildly Organic, we love that our coconut products showcase how an entire tree can be used -- with nothing to waste! We offer a wider range of coconut products than any other retailer -- including coconut oil, spread, and milk, coconut vinegar, coconut syrup, and coconut sugar! Coconut sugar makes a great brown sugar replacement. Try using it in place of brown sugar in your chocolate chip cookie recipe! Use it to sweeten beverages, sauces, marinades or as a replacement for refined sugar and brown sugar in baking. You should also try adding it to your coffee! Or try our Grain-Free Peanut Butter Brownie Bites that are sweetened entirely with our coconut sugar!

2 -- Agave Nectar

Originating from Mexico, the agave plant has been harvested for many centuries to make the ever-popular alcoholic drink, tequila. But it's utility has spread to become a popular and inexpensive natural sweetener. The traditional method of producing agave nectar involved boiling down the sap from the agave plant to form a thick syrup. Unfortunately, the conventional method of processing agave has changed significantly. In these instances, the end product is more akin to high fructose corn syrup. This involves a thermal and enzymatic process that denatures the inulin naturally found in agave and turns it into fructose. Hence, the agave nectar you find in most supermarkets and health food stores has recently received bad reviews. Wildly Organic has crafted a unique form of organic, non-GMO agave nectar. This product is different from other agave syrups available on the market. It is a truly raw product since no heat or chemicals are used in processing. Natural inulin is allowed to ferment for 4 to 5 days. Next, it is filtered to produce the concentrated agave nectar. The excess moisture is removed through a vacuum to create shelf-stable, concentrated nectar. As agave is sweeter than sugar, less is needed to achieve the same levels of sweetness. You can use it in raw dishes or baking. No artificial aftertaste remains, unlike artificial sweeteners. It is water-soluble, but not oil-soluble, so agave is not recommended for use where recipes are predominantly oil (such as chocolate-making).

3 -- Inulin

Inulin is a form of prebiotic -- a term that describes foods that feed probiotics. Prebiotics help to populate the digestive tract with beneficial bacteria that aid in maintaining a healthy digestive system. Species of gut flora, such as Lactobacillus, are able to break down inulin into a fatty acid for your body to more effectively utilize. Diabetics may prefer to use inulin as an alternative sweetener since it is high in fiber and low on the glycemic index. Studies have also shown that inulin increases both the absorption and deposition of calcium into bones (source). Inulin is commonly used alongside other sweeteners to bulk up recipes while keeping the calorie count low. It has less than one-third of the calories of sugar. It's not particularly sweet on its own, however, you may wish to incorporate it into recipes because of its potential nutritional benefits. These Busy Morning Breakfast Bars and this High Fiber Apple Cider are 2 tasty ways to learn to use WFN's inulin!

4 -- Coconut Syrup

By simmering the sap of the coconut palm tree flower (similar to the way maple syrup is produced), a thick and concentrated substance is produced. Wildly Organic coconut syrup maintains the natural goodness and potential health benefits of coconut water. It's high in enzymes and polysaccharide inulin which is a prebiotic fiber that may help maintain good digestion. The consistency and color of coconut syrup is like molasses, yet the taste is deep, rich, and caramel-like. Try drizzling coconut syrup over oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, and ice cream or adding it to smoothies and shakes. We especially love our coconut syrup in this Sweet Walnut Dessert Drizzle and these Salted Caramel Popcorn Balls!

5 -- Vegetable Glycerin

Typically gathered from palm or coconut oil, vegetable glycerin is a colorless and odorless liquid. Wildly Organic Vegetable Glycerin is a USP food-grade with a moderately sweet taste. It is completely water-soluble, so you can use it to add moisture to recipes. It is not a raw product -- but it does have a long shelf life -- is lower on the glycemic index than honey and sugar, and does not oxidize easily. Vegetable glycerin can be used in place of corn syrup, like in this Naturally Sweetened Pecan Pie.

6 -- Stevia

Stevia is a natural sweetener derived from the native South American stevia plant. With a sweetness as much as 200 times that of sugar, it's also been used by native cultures for its medicinal purposes. Studies suggest stevia may help to reduce blood glucose and insulin levels following a meal (source). Many people associate stevia with the zero-calorie liquid drops which can have a strange aftertaste. These, however, are just the isolated and extracted components that give stevia its pungent sweetness. Often the liquid extract is mixed with alcohol or other additives. You will need to either grow it yourself or purchase it as a dried powder if you wish to consume the whole plant. Stevia is generally safe for diabetics, although you should check with your doctor before adding stevia to your diet. It is a zero on the glycemic index, therefore it causes no shifts in blood sugar whatsoever. Being naturally very sweet -- just 1 teaspoon of Stevia can equal a cup's worth of sugar in terms of sweetness. You will probably need to adjust baking recipes to account for less liquid (if it normally calls for honey or syrup) or less dry ingredients (if a crystalline sugar is normally used). Beverages are a wonderful way to use stevia, including sweetening hot or cold tea, coffee, and herbal coffee, adding to smoothies, and sweetening lemonade.

7 -- Muscovado Sugar

Muscovado sugar is produced using a small native lime called Calamansi and fresh coconut milk. Heating the juice of the sugar cane with the lime and coconut milk prevents foaming over. The end product has about 0.2% coconut milk remaining. After sun drying in coconut shells, the liquid crystallizes and is then pounded to form muscovado crystals. While the color resembles brown sugar, it's a completely different process. A touch of molasses is added to refined white sugar in order to produce brown sugar. Muscovado is pure, unrefined, non-centrifugal cane sugar that has a natural light brown color. This helps to retain the high mineral content found in the original sugar cane plant, similar to molasses. Other names given to muscovado from around the world include rapadura, jaggery, piloncillo, gur, and Khansari. Use muscovado sugar in equal amounts in recipes calling for refined sugar. Muscovado sugar shines particularly when you wish to produce a delicious caramel flavor.

Bonus! 8 -- Wildly Organic Coco Monkey | 5-Cal Sweetener

Coco Monkey is a unique, low-calorie organic sweetener (only 5 calories per serving) made from all-natural ingredients. It has a nice, clean sweetness with no artificial aftertaste. Two teaspoons of Coco Monkey are equivalent in sweetness to one tablespoon of white sugar. You can use Coco Monkey in any recipe that contains water. This includes baked goods, desserts, salads, fruit dishes, tea, coffee, etc. Coco Monkey is completely water-soluble and very little stirring is required for it to mix.

Have you substituted any of these natural sweeteners for refined sugar? Which ones have you tried?