5 Healthy Sweeteners You Need to Have!
By Alice Osborne
I wrote an article about the number of pounds US consumers eat and/or drink per year. Would you believe, around 150 pounds? We do love our sweets! So what is the answer when it comes to wanting to sweeten a food or beverage without the health (and weight!) risks of sugar?
According to Rodale, (rodale.com), a website whose tagline is "Where health meets green", there are several ways to satisfy our sweet tooth, and be healthy at the same time. The following are 5 of the healthier sweeteners that we should have in our pantry.
Maple Syrup
I have watched people in Vermont tape trees, hang a bucket, and wait for the pure maple syrup to drip. This natural sweetener is lower in calories and has more minerals than honey. Research conducted by a pharmacist at the University of Rhode Island, discovered that 54 previously unknown compounds found in maple syrup proved to be anti-inflammatory, which protects your heart, and "exhibited cancer-fighting antioxidant properties". Just make sure to purchase the 100% maple syrup. There are a lot of imitations that promote, "natural maple flavoring", but that is all they are: imitations.
Stevia
Can I just say that I love this stuff. It satisfies my taste buds and according to Donna Gates, the woman who worked to bring this herb into the US, it is the "the safest sweetener there is, period".
Stevia has no calories and is great for sweetening liquids, or put on top of cereals, or sprinkled on other foods. However, cooking with it is another matter. I have tried several times to add some packets to what I am doing, but am thus far, not satisfied with the taste.
Sugar Alcohol
These are natural sweeteners found in xylitol, sorbitol and erythritol. Health foods stores carry xylitol gum which actually prevents cavities! These sweeteners have fewer calories than table sugar, but more than the aforementioned stevia. It is suggested that we try the organic versions in order to keep away from genetically engineered material. Also, xylitol has been found to be extremely toxic to dogs, so like chocolate, keep it far away from Fido.
Raw Local Honey
Oh my, pardon me while I drool. My sweetheart came home with a pound of raw local honey from our health food store, and I am addicted. Sweet, golden, sticky, smear-it-on-toast, honey is better than chocolate cake. Honey does have higher fructose levels, but it also has loads of cancer-fighting antioxidants. Allergies? Local honey is said to help alleviate allergy symptoms.
Did you burn, cut or scrape yourself? Honey is a natural antiseptic. It also has a lower glycemic index, so when I add it to my tea, it doesn't send me crashing later on in the day.
Black Strap Molasses
This sweetener has it all; iron, potassium, and calcium. One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses is said to provide more iron than a 3 ounce serving of red meat. But what is it? Molasses is the syrupy by-product of the process that turns sugar cane into refined white table sugar. Sugar cane juice is boiled three times to extract the crystallized sugar, which first creates a light molasses, then a dark molasses, and finally, the super-concentrated, nutrient-rich blackstrap molasses. Buy organic whenever possible just for health sake.
Why the term, "black strap"? Because when it is poured, it absolutely looks like a black strap!
