Alternative to sugar: tasty sugar substitute

Sugar is not healthy, everyone should know that by now. Increased sugar consumption leads to various lifestyle diseases, and it also stands in the way of achieving an ideal weight. Consuming too much sugar is not good for your body in any way. But how can you reduce your sugar? Sugar is a bit like a drug: Once you get used to it, it's hard to get rid of it.

Do you always have to leave it out completely, the sugar? Is there an alternative to sugar that can hold a candle to it? How can sugar be tastefully replaced and what about sugar substitutes such as cane sugar, honey or agave syrup? Are they really healthier?

Healthy alternative to sugar - a dream?

Who doesn't dream of it: a healthy substitute for sugar that doesn't come from a chemical laboratory, but ideally comes from nature and which is also healthy. It should be clear that sweeteners such as aspartame or the like are also unhealthy and therefore not a worthy substitute for sugar.

But there are sugar substitutes that are healthier than white table sugar. Not only do they sweeten wonderfully, they also have one or two health benefits.

No added sugar at all - The ready meals from Löwenshare

We think the best alternative to sugar is none at all. That's why we don't use any extra sugar in our ready meals. The high quality foods bring enough flavor with them. Our dishes have been designed in cooperation with a top organic chef and are particularly convincing due to the high-quality carbohydrates, the essential fatty acids and the numerous proteins and fibers that are in our dishes. Of course, we also offer a large selection of vegan dishes. We want to revolutionize ready meals and make it easy for everyone to eat a balanced diet.

Stevia

Stevia is one of the sweeteners, which means that even small amounts have an extremely high sweetening power. It is believed that stevia is up to 300 times sweeter than table sugar. Stevia is purely plant-based and hardly changes the blood sugar level because the sweetener has no carbohydrates or calories.

However, stevia is still highly controversial. It is often seen as a plant-based alternative to regular table sugar. However, this is also vegetable, since sugar is obtained from sugar beet. Afterwards, this is then heavily processed industrially, just like stevia. That is why Stevia can also be found on packaging with an E number as an additive.

Accordingly, it cannot be unreservedly recommended to consume stevia and to regard it as a healthy sugar substitute. This is also due to the fact that there are not that many studies on it and opinions differ widely.  

Xylitol or birch sugar

Another fairly healthy alternative to sugar is xylitol, also known as xylitol or birch sugar. It is one of the sugar substitutes and is made from the remains of corn cobs, sometimes also from birch wood. The result is the same: xylitol has an enormous sweetening power and, above all, is not harmful to the teeth, quite the opposite: xylitol is perfect for dental care.

Another advantage: Xylitol is not a chemical sugar substitute, but purely vegetable. Add to that the fact that it doesn't raise blood sugar or insulin levels, and it's also said to have anti-inflammatory properties.

Xylitol can be used in the same quantity as sugar and is therefore great for baking. The sweetening power is similar to that of table sugar.

However, higher amounts of xylitol can have a laxative effect.

maple syrup and agave syrup

Maple syrup is also great for sweetening. However, it drives up the blood sugar level, but by no means to the same extent as table sugar. It has a significantly lower fructose content than agave syrup, which is a positive.

Maple syrup has a slightly malty aftertaste and does not go well with all dishes. It is ideal for smoothies, shakes or in pastries. However, it does not go well with coffee and cakes.

Agave syrup is also very popular, the taste is often perceived as more pleasant than that of maple syrup. Opinions differ on whether agave syrup is really healthier than table sugar.  

coconut blossom sugar

This product is obtained from the blossom nectar of the coconut palm. It is available as a syrup and as a powder, so it is easy to dose and versatile. It sweetens well and has a low glycemic index. So it does not lead to an increased blood sugar level, as is the case with many other sweeteners.

Incidentally, coconut blossom sugar hardly tastes like coconut, but more like caramel. It can be used 1: 1 like household sugar.  

dates or date syrup

Dates contain a lot of sugar and are a very natural and healthy sugar substitute because they have many nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. The advantage of dates compared to other dried fruits: the inherent taste is relatively low when they are processed. They simply bring a pleasant sweetness to soups, shakes, smoothies and sauces, without any aftertaste.

Date syrup is easier to use than whole dates and is great for smoothies or cakes, but not so much for coffee. 

Rice syrup and apple sweetener

Another fairly healthy alternative to sugar is rice syrup and apple candy. You can usually get these at health food stores. They behave similarly to date syrup. Dosing is very easy and it is comparatively much healthier than white household sugar. 

honey

Honey can also be used as a liquid sugar substitute, but it has a taste of its own that not everyone likes.

Is honey healthier than sugar? Opinions differ on that, too. Honey certainly has one or the other positive property compared to household sugar, but it is doubtful whether it is really a healthy sugar substitute. After all, it is a natural sweetener, but unfortunately it is mostly adulterated and cheaply stretched. The bottom line is that it may be slightly healthier than sugar, but it has a similar number of calories, is even more likely to whet your appetite and is bad for your teeth. 

Is brown sugar healthier than white?

The question has been asked for a long time and there is still disagreement about it. Both varieties are made from sugar cane or sugar beets. Brown sugar is actually an intermediate before it would become white sugar. It is therefore no longer cleaned and spun. There is therefore a slightly higher proportion of minerals in brown sugar, but so low that it is not significant and cannot really be described as a healthy alternative to sugar. Both have the same amount of carbohydrates, are bad for your teeth and drive up blood sugar levels. Cane sugar tastes a little more like caramel.  

It's best if you just try out which alternative to sugar you get along with best - there's more than enough choice, as you can see.

  

FAQ

Is Brown Sugar Healthier Than White Sugar?

Only minimal. Both types of sugar have similar negative properties.

  

Is honey healthy?

Opinions differ on that. Honey has a similar number of calories as sugar, raises blood sugar levels and is bad for your teeth.

  

What is a healthy alternative to sugar?

Stevia, birch sugar and dates or date sweeteners are considered healthy sugar substitutes.