| When it comes to making it sweet, one of the | | | | is superb for baking and sweetening food and |
| first things that people grab for is the sugar or, if | | | | drinks. |
| they are trying to lose weight, an artificial | | | | 3. Sucanut |
| sweetener. However, neither of those options are | | | | Sucanut is a non-refined cane sugar that, unlike |
| the healthiest ones to choose. There are healthier | | | | white sugar, is a pure dried cane sugar, retains its |
| options. | | | | molasses content. Of all the major sugars derived |
| 1. Stevia | | | | from sugar cane, Sucanut ranks highest in |
| Stevia is a wonderful alternative for sweetening. | | | | nutritional value; although, as with most sugars, it |
| Stevia is a herb that is a part of the sunflower | | | | is not a significant source of any nutrient apart |
| family and is commonly known as sweetleaf, | | | | from carbohydrate. |
| sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia. It is | | | | 4. Agave Nectar |
| widely grown for its sweet leaves. Its extracts | | | | Finally there is Agave Nectar, a sweetener that |
| have up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar | | | | acts as a complex carb instead of a simple one. It |
| and because it has a negligible effect on blood | | | | is derived from a plant and due to its fructose |
| glucose and is known to enhance glucose | | | | content, Agave Nectar is remarkable in that its |
| tolerance, it is a much better choice than artificial | | | | Glycemic Index (GI) and glycemic load are lower |
| sugars like Aspartame, Nutrasweet, Equal, | | | | than most, if not all natural sweeteners on the |
| Splenda, Sucralose, for people who are diabetic. | | | | market. This makes it a good alternative to |
| Stevia in most forms, other than the white | | | | honey as honey has a high GI. Agave Nectar |
| powered forms, gives a long even energy and | | | | also naturally contains quantities of Iron, Calcium, |
| works in the body like a complex carb. It is | | | | Potassium & Magnesium which why it has |
| important to note that many of the extracts, are | | | | the color it does. |
| processed with alcohol and do not keep the plant | | | | There are other alternatives such as molasses, |
| properties intact; therefore it is important to pay | | | | honey and maple syrup. However, due to some |
| close attention to how the stevia you may use is | | | | negative properties such as the fact that they |
| processed. | | | | can raise blood sugar quickly, they are not the |
| If you are a baker and wonder what you can use | | | | best choices for a healthy sweetener; although |
| as a sweetener that is a healthier alternative, then | | | | they are still healthier alternatives to refined white |
| Rapadura or Sucanat are good choices. They are | | | | sugar. |
| both natural sugars which have many of the | | | | Refined white sugar, and let me add, most brown |
| minerals, vitamins and nutritional value still intact. | | | | sugars, are unhealthy options for cooking, baking, |
| 2. Rapadura | | | | drinking, and all sweetening needs. In order to find |
| Rapadura is a dried sugarcane juice that is | | | | the natural sweetener that is best for you, do a |
| common in Latin American countries, that comes | | | | taste test and choose the one that fits your |
| in the form of a brick. It is the perfect | | | | needs. You may find it necessary to have two or |
| unbleached, unrefined sweetener to use in place | | | | three of these sweeteners in your home for |
| of refined sugars. And the unique processing of | | | | whatever your food preparation needs are. |
| Rapadura gives it a mild, caramel-like flavor which | | | | |