In the age of processed foods, the American diet has changed rapidly. Sugar intake—especially added refined sugars that aren’t naturally part of the foods you eat—has increased dramatically, leaving many of us addicted to sweetness.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average adult consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugars per day, which is well above recommended levels. The ideal diet contains no more than 10% calories from added sugar, which equates to 12 teaspoons from an average 2,000-calorie intake.
Many people already agree with what the data confirms: we eat way too much sugar. If you and yourself are looking for ways to cut added sugar from your diet, read on to learn some of the best sugar alternatives.
What are sugar substitutes?
Before we get into sugar alternatives, it’s important to clarify that sugar is not inherently bad for you. In fact, it is vital to your health. Your body converts carbohydrates into glucose, a form of sugar, and this is an essential source of energy to keep your body moving and your brain working. Despite what some popular diet fads advocate, without carbs and sugars, you may experience health problems and symptoms such as low energy, trouble sleeping, and brain fog.
The goal should not be to avoid sugar, but rather to consume the right amount Species of sugar. Much of the American diet today consists of added sugars, which are processed and refined to add intense sweetness without a lot of stuff. High purity white sugar and high fructose corn syrup are common ingredients in soft drinks, pastries, breads and condiments. They are quickly delivered into the bloodstream without adding another nutritional value along the way. Excessive consumption of these sugars can lead to serious health complications, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and fatty liver disease.
You can find the amount of added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label and ingredient list for any food item. The higher the added sugar is in the ingredient list, the more sugar is in the product. Added sugars are known by many different names, such as brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, maltose, and sucrose.
In contrast, natural sugars are unrefined or lightly processed and are found naturally in many foods. Fruits contain fructose, for example, but they are also high in fiber, providing a balanced mix of nutrients for your body. Honey and maple syrup is naturally sweet but also rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.
There are also many natural sweeteners and sugar substitutes you can add to foods and beverages that provide sweetness without the drawbacks of refined sugars. Examples of these alternative sugars are sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, and natural sweeteners such as stevia.
The best natural alternative to sugar
Here’s the good news: If you want to cut back on sugar, you still have plenty of options for keeping things sweet. Here are six of the best natural sugar substitutes that you can add to your diet in place of refined sugar.
honey
Honey has long been valued not only for its natural sweetness but also for its nutritional value. Because it is made by bees from the nectar of plants in the pollination process, honey contains a host of beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants.
Raw and darker honey, which is minimally processed, is rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids in particular. It offers many benefits, including positive effects on cardiovascular, digestive and respiratory health. It has even been shown to reduce seasonal allergies.
Maple syrup
Another popular natural sweetener, maple syrup, has taken its place atop many pies. If you’re cutting back on sugar, you might want to skip the pancakes but stick to the syrup, which is produced from the sap of maple trees.
That’s because maple syrup, like honey, contains antioxidants and minerals that can be beneficial to your health. In fact, many of the unique compounds found in maple syrup have been shown to help fight cancer and diabetes. The darker the maple syrup, the less refined it is—and the more benefits it may provide.
stevia
If you’re not a fan of the flavor of maple syrup or honey but still want a way to sweeten drinks and recipes, stevia is a great natural alternative to sugar to try. Made from the stevia plant, this sweetener is 200 to 400 times sweeter than table sugar.
As a sugar substitute, stevia is a non-nutritive, meaning it contains almost no calories. It adds sweetness without much else, and that might be exactly what you’re looking for when cutting back on sugar. Stevia has also been linked to lower blood sugar and cholesterol. Keep in mind that many stevia products on the market contain other processing ingredients or sugar alcohols, so it’s important to do your research before using them.
Pureed fruits
If you’re looking for a more nutritionally balanced form of sugar, raw fruit is hard to beat. The dietary fiber in raw fruit aids digestion and slows down sugar metabolism, reducing the blood sugar spike you might see from fruit juice or sugar additives. Eating high-fiber foods can also help you reduce your total calorie intake and reduce your risk of heart disease.
Pureed fruits give you many of the same benefits, and can act as a sweetener to add to other foods. Applesauce serves as an egg substitute in many recipes, for example, and pureed berries are a great addition to plain, unsweetened yogurt.
monk fruit
Monk fruit is another vegan alternative sugar. This fruit is derived from the monk fruit, also known as luo han guo, which is a small, round fruit commonly found in Southeast Asia. Although monk fruit itself contains fructose and glucose, these are actually removed in the extraction process, resulting in a non-nutritive sweetener that is about 100 times sweeter than table sugar.
Monk fruit is relatively new to the market, so it needs more study to determine all of its potential health benefits. However, research on other non-nutritive sweeteners shows promising results in terms of controlling weight and warding off diabetes. The natural mogrosides in monk fruit also contain antioxidants, which can help with immune health and cancer prevention.
fruit juice
Fruit juice is a natural sweetener that you can drink on its own, add to other drinks or seasonings, or even use in cooking. 100% fruit juice is a much better choice than refined table sugar or high fructose corn syrup because the fruit juice is natural and unprocessed. It also contains large amounts of vitamins and nutrients.