Prospre: Meal Planner
Meal plans based on macros
Prospre: Meal Planner
Meal plans based on macros
Prospre: Meal Planner
Meal plans based on macros, macro tracking, and more
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September 19, 2023
Sugar can be addictive, and unfortunately, many of the processed foods we consume regularly are often packed with extra sugar to make it tastier. Consuming large amounts of sugar can have a negative impact on your health. Obesity, dental problems, inflammation, higher blood pressure, and fatty liver disease can all be caused by excess sugar consumption. Fortunately, there are many great-tasting alternatives to sugar that can be a healthier choice for many people. Some of these alternatives fall under the category of non-nutritive sweeteners, which taste sweet but contain little if any calories and other nutrients. Another category is simply alternative sweeteners, which do contain sugar, but can be more nutritious and less caloric in some cases.
Non-nutritive sweeteners, or sugar substitutes, are chemicals that taste sweet, but provide little to no nutrients (including calories and sugar, which are nutrients!).
If you are seeking out a tasty and FDA-approved non-nutritive sweetener, stevia may be right for you. Stevia contains no sugar or calories. It is derived from plants and is approximately 250 times sweeter than normal sugar. Stevia is famous for having less of an aftertaste than other similar low-calorie sweeteners, and it does not cause spikes in blood sugar levels. It is also stable enough for baking and capable of dissolving in water.
Erythritol is a less sweet sugar replacement with no calories, making it perfect for beverages and foods that do not require an extremely sweet taste. Erythritol is a sugar alcohol and is slightly less sweet than table sugar and has a significantly lower impact on blood sugar. Use erythritol as a 1:1 substitute for sugar when cooking or baking – there are also brown sugar and confectioner’s sugar replacements available on the market. Since erythritol contains less sugar alcohol than table sugar, you probably won’t experience negative side effects such as bloating, diarrhea, or gas if you consume it in large amounts.
Monk fruit sweetener is not only calorie-free, but it is also carb-free as well. Produced from the concentrated powder of monk fruit, a small green melon, whose extract is naturally 150 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar, monk fruit is typically blended with other low-calorie sweeteners to reduce its sweetness. It is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA, but it is not minimally processed. It can dissolve in water and it can be used as a cup-for-cup replacement for sugar when baking. It can also stand up to heat, so don’t hesitate to use it in your morning cup of tea or coffee.
Derived from fructose, allulose is a monosaccharide (a single sugar molecule). It can be naturally found in fruits such as figs and raisins. It has roughly 60-70% of table sugar’s sweetness but it only has 0.2 calories per gram. Allulose has a taste similar to table sugar, and it doesn’t impact insulin levels, so it is a great sugar alternative for people with diabetes. Use with caution, however – consuming too much can result in gastrointestinal discomfort.
Saccharin, commonly sold under the brand name Sweet‘n Low, was the first non-nutritive sweetener to be discovered. It was discovered by Constantin Fahlberg in 1878, who noticed that there was a strangely sweet taste left on his hands after getting home from working on tar chemicals for the coal industry. Saccharin is 550 times sweeter than sugar, and has no calories. However, it has a bitter aftertaste, which many people dislike.
Aspartame is one of the best known non-nutritive sweeteners, largely due to its use in a lot of low calorie sodas, such as Diet Coke. Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Due to its high profile, aspartame has undergone extremely extensive research on its health effects, and has been found to be safe for use in foods according to the FDA. However, in 2023, the WHO classified aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic," though it should be noted this is a lower classification than other food items like processed meats ("carcinogenic") and red meat ("probably carcinogenic").
Sucralose, often sold under the brand name Splenda, is another of the most popular sweeteners. It is 320-1000 times sweeter than sugar. Due to its ability to withstand relatively high temperatures without breaking down, sucralose is commonly used in baked goods. However, it does begin to break down above 119C, which means it is probably unsuitable for high temperature recipes, such as those involving caramelization.
Acesulfame-K, often referred to as just Ace-K, is another sweetener which is able to hold up in baked goods. However, it also has a bitter aftertaste like saccharin and, for that reason, is often used in conjunction with other sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame to mask this. Its sweetness is very close to that of aspartame at 200 times that of sugar.
The sweeteners in this section are nutritive and do contain sugar in significant amounts. However, they might be a healthier alternative to standard white sugar for a couple of reasons. First, they contain more additional nutrition properties than white sugar, such as vitamins and minerals. Second, some of them are sweeter than sugar gram-for-gram, which means that you might not need to use as much.
Offering a light caramel flavor and only 18 calories per serving, coconut sugar could be a better choice than table sugar (from a nutritional perspective). It is less processed than table sugar and is derived from the sap of coconut palms, which provides it with additional nutrients such as fiber, minerals, and antioxidants. It also dissolves easily in liquids. Most coconut sugars are USDA Organic verified. Use coconut sugar in dishes and beverages that typically call for brown sugar.
One of the most popular and best sugar alternatives in the world, honey is produced by bees who collect flower nectar, which is broken down inside honeycombs. Honey is not particularly low in calories, but a small amount goes a long way. If you don’t feel like using spoonful after spoonful of sugar to sweeten your food or beverages, you can use a much smaller amount of honey, and in turn, consume fewer calories. Certain types of honey, such as Manuka, have antibacterial and medicinal properties. Honey is also famous for the fact that it never expires - 3000+ year old honey was found in King Tut’s tomb in Egypt, and it was still perfectly fine.
When many people think of the agave plant, they immediately think of tequila. This is to be expected, but in reality, syrup from the spiky plant is a potent and effective sweetener. It is often used as a honey alternative for strict vegans. It is relatively low on the glycemic index, so it won’t spike your blood sugar like many other sweeteners, and its neutral flavor allows it to be used in a variety of dishes and beverages. Agave is, however, 1.5 sweeter than sugar and it does contain fructose, which has been linked to heart disease and diabetes. So, if you intend to use agave, use it sparingly and conservatively.
Molasses is a byproduct of the sugar refining process, and it is the stuff that makes brown sugar brown. However, molasses is much more nutritious than refined white sugar, especially if you use the blackstrap variety. Blackstrap molasses contains significant amounts of calcium, potassium, iron, and other nutrients. However, molasses does have a distinctive metallic taste, which not everyone likes. This may make it unsuitable for some recipes.
If you are in the market for some of the best sweeteners and sugar alternatives, the list above can help you make an informed decision. You can also start your journey to health and wellness by using our app, which is designed to help you make better eating choices. The app offers numerous benefits, such as diet tracking, meal planning, and a built-in nutritional coach.
