To continue from part 1, Sugars – the good, the bad & the disgusting, I’m going to add a best to worst list of sweeteners here. If you think I missed something, let me know and I’ll add it or modify this list…
These are in order from best choices to the worst choices:
- No refined sugar is best, and only small amounts of natural sugars. (Hopefully someday I’ll get there!)
- Stevia, rapadura, sucanat, maple syrup, maple sugar, honey, coconut or palm sugar, molasses, dates – these are all the least refined, the most natural, and contain the most nutrients – scroll down at that link for a comparison of the nutrient content in sugars. (Also, more info below about some of these natural sweeteners.)
- Turbinado, organic regular sugar (this one is a little better because organic has no GMOs from the sugar beets), evaporated cane juice
- Regular refined white table sugar or brown sugar (see above about GMOs) – refined sugars have no nutrients left in them at all…
- Avoid: high fructose corn syrup, agave nectar, xylitol, erythritol, artificial sugars (Splenda, Nutrasweet, etc. – it’s better to use small amounts of real sweeteners above than to use these fake sugars.)
What I’ve learned:
- I haven’t had much luck with Stevia, so I’m afraid to experiment more. Please comment and tell us what you like it in.
- Rapadura or sucanat is great for some things, like cinnamon toast or to sweeten a sauce, but I have found it to give baked goods too strong a taste. However, I just tried Ann Marie’s sucanat and hers tastes milder than my rapadura, and she has good luck with it in baked goods, so maybe it’s just a brand difference! Be sure to experiment to find what you like.
- Ann Marie also just had me try her organic evaporated palm sugar and it’s so good! I could use that to replace 100% of the refined sugar in cookies and it would taste exactly the same! I’m so excited about this, because I’ve still used some refined sweeteners in my recipes if I couldn’t get them to taste good otherwise, but this may get me totally away from refined sweeteners!
- Molasses is a sweetener with a strong taste, I use a little in the nut bar recipe that I’m posting soon – what have you had good luck with it in?
- As I said last time, this chocolate mousse is a great recipe using dates as the sweetener. You process them up really small and they give a good flavor.
- Maple syrup (or maple sugar) is great for the ooey gooey layer in the bottom of the pan of cinnamon rolls, in homemade ice cream, to give smoothies a little sweet taste, and in homemade applesauce!
- I like raw honey in my homemade bread, in a homemade hot fudge sauce or chocolate fudge, and to substitute part of the sugar in cookie recipes, but if I substitute it for all the sugar, the honey taste takes over.
- I don’t worry so much about the tiny amounts of xylitol in gum or toothpaste, but maybe I should…any thoughts?
- Often you can drastically cut the amount of sugar in a recipe without anyone noticing.
Other information on sweeteners:
- Passionate Homemaking has good info on the difference between rapadura vs. sucanat!
- The Nourishing Gourmet has more information on palm sugar and the glycemic index of these sugars (in the comments section).
- More info on these natural sweeteners:
- Blackstrap Molasses is approximately 65 percent as sweet as sugar and can be used in both cooking and baking. Blackstrap molasses is an excellent source of manganese and copper, and also contains iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and Vitamin B6.
- Maple syrup is most widely known as a topping for pancakes and waffles, but it’s also a natural sweetener that can be used in baking and is a good source of magnesium and zinc. Maple syrup is about 60 percent as sweet as sugar. Maple syrup can cause blood sugar levels to rise, so those with diabetes should use it sparingly.
- Raw Honey is a natural sweetener that has powerful disease-protecting antioxidants that are thought to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Honey is 25 to 50 percent sweeter than sugar and can be used in cooking, baking, and beverages. As with maple syrup, honey can cause a spike in blood sugar levels and should be used sparingly by those with diabetes. (Note: Do not give honey to children under one year of age as it may put younger children at risk for botulism.)
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{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
Meg 04.29.09 at 2:45 am
Hey Kelly –
Best of luck in your travels.
I’ve been having fun reading about your exploits here in CA… Glad you’re enjoying our weather – and the food! Great, isn’t it?
Meg’s last blog post..Real Food Wednesday
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Kate 04.29.09 at 3:25 am
Hi Kellie,
I was just wondering if what you said about it being better to use small amounts of real sweeteners above than to use these fake sugars, would apply to those with insulin resistance, diabetes etc? I’m just really struggling with this and don’t know which is worse, sugar or fake sugar, as I’m always told sugar is the problem for these conditions. So, if I have one home baked treat a week, do I go with sugar, or erythritol etc?
Kate.
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cathy 04.29.09 at 7:32 am
First, I would like to repsond to the last comment. Definitely should avoid anything artificial whether you are diabetic or not. Lean more toward the items listed on #2 whenever possible. I love this whole list. Really explains to people all the differences. My preference for cooking or baking and other uses is organic maple syrup(local), raw honey(local), and agave nectar!!
Cathy
http://www.letsbegreentogether.com
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Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS 04.29.09 at 9:28 am
Hi, Kelly!
I am confused why you listed Rapadura in #2 and evaporated cane juice in #3. I have always thought these are the same. Sally Fallon calls them the same in Nourishing Traditions on page 536. Well, she says Rapadura is “dehydrated cane sugar juice” which I thought meant “evaporated cane juice”. Thanks if you can clarify this for me.
~Wardeh
Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS’s last blog post..Agave Syrup: Good or Bad?
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Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS 04.29.09 at 9:30 am
And thanks for sharing the link to Passionate Homemaking regarding the difference between Rapadura and Sucanat ~ I was avoiding Sucanat because in NT doesn’t recommend it, but now it appears that they consider it the same as Rapadura. Good to know!
~Wardeh
Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS’s last blog post..Agave Syrup: Good or Bad?
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Teena 04.29.09 at 9:52 am
Thanks for clarifying that. I have been putting a small amount of brown sugar in my boy’s oatmeal in the morning. Now I know better and will stop!
I was reading in the Rookie Tips about leaving oatmeal out overnight and it made me wonder if the milk/yogurt is in it and left unrefrigerated overnight, won’t it become rancid?
Are there any restaurants in Western Michigan like Grace? We don’t eat out much because I don’t know a restaurant that uses fresh foods. Good job eating the oyster.
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Stacy 04.29.09 at 10:00 am
Hello! I added my post to the list. I wrote about what happens when my raw milk sours. I made a cake with it! I’ll have a few more posts about what to do with soured milk in the next few days as I use up more soured milk.
Stacy’s last blog post..Soured Milk Chocolate Cake
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Jendeis 04.29.09 at 10:03 am
Really well-explained post. I think my first goal needs to be cutting and then eliminating the sugar I put in my tea and coffee. Well, first I’ll cut the coffee habit (it usually takes me just a couple days to switch completely to tea).
Jendeis’s last blog post..Music for Work
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Rosy 04.29.09 at 10:19 am
I like a little molasses in my oatmeal, Just a drop!
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Julie 04.29.09 at 11:01 am
I blogged about my favorite appetizer, Spinach Balls.
Julie’s last blog post..Spinach Balls
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Amy 04.29.09 at 11:03 am
Thanks for all the info. It is definitely confusing and I’m working on cleaning out the last of my white sugar and just bought my first pack of palm sugar and rapadura.
I haven’t always loved the taste of stevia either, but I actually just used it in my lemon coconut rice pudding (link above) and thought it worked well to add just what I needed – a little bit of sweetness. Now I’m using Truvia brand, which I know is not stevia in it’s most natural form (green liquid I hear) but at least it’s a start!
Amy’s last blog post..Lemon Coconut Rice Pudding
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Rosy 04.29.09 at 11:05 am
I don’t have a blog, so this is my real food Wednesday contribution for this week.
I found this cool recipe on line and thought you all might like to look at it and try it too. I think this will be the sourdough that I try.
http://maria.fremlin.de/recipes/wksourdough.html
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Julie 04.29.09 at 11:48 am
Great post! I’m blogging today about how to encourage water kefir grains to multiply (using “good” sugars helps immensely)–water kefir is a fantastic real food that is not only tasty but has significant probiotic benefits.
Julie’s last blog post..Caring for Water Kefir Grains: Encouraging Growth (Part 3)
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Rosy 04.29.09 at 11:56 am
Alright Julie!
I have been creeping around the search engines for just this kinda thing!
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Kelly 04.29.09 at 11:59 am
Hi Kate, I agree with Cathy, except for the agave nectar part. Only one baked treat a week? That’s pretty good if you ask me. Be sure to make it with lots of healthy fats (butter, coconut oil, and eggs, etc.), as Sally says (see part 1).
Wardeh, look at the link above where it says “Most nutrients” (under #2) and that shows you the differences in nutrients.
Teena, if you’re using pasteurized milk, it’s best not to leave that out overnight (it doesn’t still have the good bacteria that raw milk does), but if you use yogurt or kefir to soak your oatmeal, then it won’t spoil – it will only give it a slightly sour taste, but pleasantly so.
To find a restaurant near us like Grace, basically you just have to go to the higher end restaurants. It’s still good to ask questions there, though, if you’re wondering about something specific. We LOVE Reds. They cook from scratch, make their own stock, etc. Although I’m sure every single thing isn’t all sparkly because I see the Sysco trucks there. I like to tell myself it’s just dropping off non-food items!
Rosy, that looks good. After meeting Jack at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, I’m SO ready to figure out how to make my own sourdough bread!
Thanks for joining in everyone!
Kelly
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Raine Saunders 04.29.09 at 12:23 pm
Good list! I have tried and tried to limit treats with sugar in them for my son to once a week…alas, I have failed, but I know I am doing better than most. Some days he eats no sugar at all, which is more than I can say for most kids we know.
I used Stevia in my coconut flour cupcakes that I made for Valentine’s Day this year. In any basic recipe, you can use approximately 1/4 teaspoon of Stevia, which is what I used, and they came out great. I also made homemade frosting with just organic strawberries, melted grass-fed butter, and a bit of powdered sugar. It was heavenly!
My featured post is about nutrition and allergies. I do a new post most week days, but today’s was about fighting back pain naturally (which is not food related), so I contributed this one from last Thursday. My site is dedicated to nutrition through whole, traditional foods, sustainable living, and alternatives in health and medicine. Cheers!
Raine Saunders’s last blog post..Whole and Healthy Meat…Does it Really Exist?
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Kyle 04.29.09 at 12:29 pm
It’s a shame, because I just barely bought some agave and xylitol (a few months ago) and right after I bought it was when I started reading bad things about them.
Oh well, I can get sucanat for like $2.00 a pound or something, which doesn’t seem bad to me.
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Pamela 04.29.09 at 5:07 pm
Hi Kelly ~ I couldn’t find anywhere on your blog to enable emailing you directly so I thought here’s better than anything.
First off I see my daughter Paula ( gluten / thyroid issues ) is listed above under the Mr. Linky.
I am working on but won’t be ready to set public yet a sister blog to my main blog.. I am planning to keep my current just as it is. But I want to have a linked over blog that is strictly geared towards Nourishing Health / Organic gardening, CSA’s and so forth.
I’ll be entering all my own info researched, learned, applied and add in links of others geared to the particular posting of the day.
I particularly like your site and Cheeseslave’s ( whom I’ll write also ) and many others…..and would like to ask your permission to quote you from time to time and link you into the postings when it pertains to what I am posting ?
Have a wonderful day……Lord Bless and hope your not swimming in rain like we are! Pamela
I’ll watch for your response on here.
Pamela’s last blog post..Thankful Thursday….a day early!
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Sue E. 04.29.09 at 10:14 pm
Teena,
I am from West Michigan, too, and besides Red’s in Rockford, I have heard people talk about: the Real Food Cafe , Bistro Bellavita, Rose’s on Reeds Lake, Blue Water Grille, and some around Cherry Street (Marie Catrib’s). Many of these at least use local, some organic food. You can call around and discover that many small places, especially in town, have some good options for us! Have fun researching and trying out new places!
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Kelly 04.30.09 at 12:48 am
Pamela, I’ll email you.
(My contact info is in the “about” section.)
Sue, those are good ones!
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Andrea 04.30.09 at 9:01 am
In regards to whether small amounts of xylitol should be used in gum and toothpaste, the question may be what the alternatives are. In a lot of cases, the sweeteners used in gum and toothpaste are artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol and aspertame. There is some research to support the antibacterial qualities of xylitol in helping prevent tooth decay, so personally, I would err in the direction of xylitol for toothpaste and gum (if you are a sucker for some chewing gum like I am), if that is what the alternatives are. Of course, there may be a better one out there….
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Karen 04.30.09 at 1:04 pm
My favorite subject (again) eegads, I need to get off this stuff! Totally agree with the sweeteners you suggest and will be posting about the cons of agave nectar soon as well. Question – have you baked with coconut/palm sugar? I just bought some – it has almost an ‘airy’ consistency so I’m wondering how it will hold up.
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Karen 04.30.09 at 1:06 pm
Also…for Raine – did you use liquid or powdered stevia? The green powder is so nasty I just cannot embrace it; the white is OK, and the liquid is supposed to be as refined as white sugar…?
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Cathy 04.30.09 at 2:28 pm
I find it interesting that there is negative being said about agave nectar. I have read at great length about it and find it to be very much a decent replacement for sugar.
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Kyle 04.30.09 at 3:29 pm
Yay, I was able to crank out a post
Kyle’s last blog post..Where to find real eggs
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Karen 04.30.09 at 11:25 pm
I hope this isn’t a stupid question but what is wrong with xylitol? I have never used it before but I recently took my 2 yod to a chiropractor who is knowledgeable of NT and Weston Price. My 2 yod has intestinal ringworm (it’s not Candida which was a shocker since that is my issue). This doctor told me that coconut oil (yummy!!!) and xylitol are anti-fungal and that I should use the xylitol instead of stevia. I bought some and have been using it just a bit. I was nervous about using it though. I try to stay away from things that might be more man made and xylitol fit into that category for me. I just don’t know much about it. Of course, I have also been using agave for a LONG time as a recommendation from my naturopath because it doesn’t feed Candida. All I can say is that I stopped using it earlier this week and I am going through a major sugar crash right now. Stevia has been my saving grace in this area (not to mention lots of prayer.) So, could you point me in the right direction to find some good info on xylitol? I don’t want to give it to my 2 yod if it’s not good for him but if it does have anti-fungal properties will they outweigh the bad sides? Thank you for all the info. I am new to your blog but I love it. God Bless.
Karen
Karen’s last blog post..Perspective!!!
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Rosy 05.01.09 at 12:28 pm
A good gum alternative that uses only natural sweetners is Glee Gum. It is really good, but you may want to call if you are doing the no GMO thing. They do use corn syrup as a candy coating I think… Or glucose…I can’t remeber now.
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Sue E. 05.01.09 at 2:02 pm
I know that Trader Joe’s sells Glee Gum, and just a few months ago, someone from Trader Joe’s in Ann Arbor told me that their whole store is non-GMO. Now, I don’t know if that is a fact or not, something to look into a bit more….
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Kelly 05.03.09 at 9:58 am
Sue, I was talking with Ann Marie about TJ’s the other day, and we’re wondering how they can say they’re ALL no-GMO, when we’ve seen items there with Canola oil…?
Cathy, have you looked over the links in this post about Agave Nectar?
Karen, I just ordered palm sugar from the buying club – I’ve heard of others having great luck with it and can’t wait to try it.
Other Karen, check out the link in this post about xylitol to read more.
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Paula 05.03.09 at 3:04 pm
You mentioned: “Ann Marie also just had me try her organic evaporated palm sugar and it’s so good! ” what is this? Is it something she made or something we can buy? What is the difference between evaporated palm sugar and palm sugar? I put my palm sugar (hard kind) in my blender (K-Tec) and made it into sugar and used it just like sugar. Was the wrong. It came out tasting WONDERFULLY good. LOL!! When replacing sugar with palm sugar, do you need to reduce the amount?
THANKS KELLY!!!
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Kelly 05.03.09 at 8:46 pm
Paula, it’s something she bought. I don’t know the difference between evaporated and not – all I know is that when I checked my buying club to find it, they had the organic evaporated palm sugar, so that’s what I got!
What you did sounds fine to me, though. Try reading the link I added above to Kimi Harris’ post – she has more on palm sugar at her blog, actually that’s where I first heard of it. She can also tell you there about how to replace it for regular sugar – I’m pretty sure it’s 1 to 1, but not positive and I have to get the kids in bed and can’t look now!
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Kelly 05.03.09 at 8:49 pm
Paula, Kimi is “the nourishing gourmet” – I didn’t mention that when I said to read more at the link to Kim’s blog!
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acahoon 05.07.09 at 4:16 pm
I have had good results with stevia ( the white powder) when using it in baking and in combination with a small amount of another sweetener like honey. They seem to play off one another much better than by itself. It does take a little getting used to the flavor, which seems chemical-like to me. My kids love adding the flavored stevia liquid in their raw whole milk since I do not get them chocolate milk, particularly the chocolate and butterscotch flavors. This week my rhubarb is coming in and I made a great dessert with it using pretty much stevia and honey. It was a crust with flour, butter and rapadura topped with a rhubard sauce made of cooked down rhubard thickened with nonGMO corn starch, 1/3 c honey and some stevia powder to taste. On top of the rhubarb sauce I made a simple vanilla pudding ( Betty Crocker cookbook) with milk, eggs, corn starch, flavored stevia liquid and stevia powder. I loved and every one else seemed to like it as well since it only lasted 2 days!
I use stevia powder exclusively to sweeten my homemade yogurt as well. This is a good choice for diabetics!
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Kelly 05.09.09 at 9:59 pm
Acahoon, great scoop, thanks!
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Anthony 05.18.09 at 4:11 am
Kelly, why would you say to avoid erythritol, which is probably the healthiest sweetening option of all those listed? With diabetes and insulin resistance on the rise, our bodies don’t need carbohydrate-laden sweeteners. Erythritol and stevia are the only natural sweeteners with zero blood sugar impact, which is probably the most important aspect for overall health. The scientific evidence says there’s nothing natural about consuming concentrated sources of carbohydrates. Paleolithic man had no access to boiled saps, evaporated cane juice crystals, and very limited access to honeycomb. The human body is not designed to deal with massive amounts of carbohydrates contained in ANY sweetener, natural or refined. I’m not sure what your issue is with erythritol, found in fruits and in our bodies. It could seriously save a generation of children from being obese if it replaced the sweeteners in our food! I don’t want to take you off my blog roll, but I’d like to know on what scientific studies you base your opinions.
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Kelly 05.23.09 at 9:27 am
Anthony, did you read the post I linked to on xylitol/erythritol in the above post? It would be good if you could pop over there and share your opinions so that readers hear both sides.
Kelly
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Musings of a Housewife 07.15.09 at 8:37 am
So the Raw Sugar you buy at the grocery store is no better than refined table sugar? I like the raw in my coffee. Makes me feel refined. (No pun intended. ha!)
Musings of a Housewife’s last blog post..Baked Salmon
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Kelly 07.16.09 at 12:20 am
If it’s darker (and hasn’t been made to just *look* darker), then it may be less refined, which is better.
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