Sugar in its purest and most natural form is healthy. But it is often misrepresented as being less harmful. Don’t let its sweet flavor mislead you. It is even a superfood that can help you lose weight faster. As much as sugar is sweet than anything else, it is also healthier in some ways. But too much of it can cause diabetes, unwanted weight gain, and many other health problems. So if you are to eliminate sugar from your diet and start a healthier lifestyle, these sugar alternatives can help you achieve that goal. Sugar isn’t the only option available when it’s about to sweeten everything from beverages to desserts. There are alternatives available in place of sugar. They have fewer calories and lessen the impact of sugar on blood. Always remember that it’s ideal to consume sugar in moderation, regardless of its form! Let’s have a look at the 20 best sugar alternatives to help you ditch the sweet stuff and eat healthier. We will show you why each one of them is better than sugar and how they can replace it in all your favorite foods. Here is a list of 20 sugar alternatives to replace sugar in everyday use, desserts, or beverages:
1.Honey
The most common and convenient substitute for sugar has been honey for ages. One tiny spoon of honey had by a healthy individual who is not overweight and does not base his diet primarily on a passive intake of sugars. It leads to improved heart health, faster wound healing, and higher blood antioxidant levels have all sides with honey’s health advantages. Due to its high calorie and sugar content, however, consuming too much could have side effects. That’s why it is better to use honey as a substitute for other types of sugar and take it in moderation.
2.Dates
Dates are the perfect ingredient for brownie batter or the base of homemade granola bars because they have a low to moderate glycemic index and natural sweetness. Phytochemicals are organic plant substances that may help lower cholesterol. Date flavoring is a recent addition to the sweets industry. Derived from a specific type of date, it is a substitute for sugar due to its natural flavor.
3.Fruit Flavoring
This is extraction driven by the traditional ways of the tribes. A low-sugar diet might benefit from fruits like bananas, figs, and pureé. One will get more fiber and potassium if one like the taste of bananas. Figs and pureè offer calcium and iron-rich minerals, and raisins are another healthy alternative to table sugar.
4.Stevia
Stevia sweeteners are prepared from a plant called stevia. It stands in the top five on the list. When baking, using stevia instead of sugar allows you to cut the amount in half. The stevia-to-sugar ratio is much lower if you use pure stevia powder.
5.Xylitol
This sugar alcohol has half the calories. It tastes almost like ordinary sugar while having just a sweet flavor. Xylitol has a reputation for reducing cavities, and several sugar-free gums and mints feature it as an ingredient. Xylitol impacts the gut if consumed in excess. If you take in a lot of this sweetener, you can get unpleasant gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
6.Maple Syrup
Calcium and Potassium are minerals that give maple syrup an advantage over refined sugar. It has antioxidants. But make sure you take the genuine article. Many pounds of refined sugar or high-fructose corn syrup may be buried inside the bottle of maple-flavored syrup.
7.Date Paste
Mash-up of dates and syrups brings us the paste version of a deliciously sweet sugar alternative in the form of Date paste. As dates are a nutrient-dense food source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, using date paste as a sweetener in your dishes can improve the nutritional content of your diet over using regular table sugar. When baking, you’ll have to use less liquid and sugar because date paste tends to be sweeter than sugar.
8.Coconut Sugar
Coconut Sugar is an alternative to refined sugars. It serves as a perfect replacement for table sugar. It is rich in nutrients and antioxidants, which are beneficial for the health of the body. It also has a low glycemic index, so it helps control blood glucose levels. The downside of coconut sugar is its high-calorie content. Hence, it is advisable to use it in moderation.
9.Agave Nectar
Agave nectar is a natural sweetener that contains no calories, is low in sugar, and has a lower glycemic index than table sugar. The main disadvantage of agave is that it has a very bitter taste which may be hard to stomach for some people. However, this can be resolved with the addition of other flavors, for instance, vanilla or cinnamon.
10.Cane Juice
Cane Juice is another natural sweetener that has been used for centuries by many cultures across the globe. It contains less fructose than honey but still provides the same benefits as other sweeteners as stevia or xylitol. If sugar is not your option, then cane juice will serve your purpose.
11.Molasses
Renowned as a blackstrap, molasses is also an excellent substitute for table sugar in baking recipes. It contains about half the calories of refined white sugar. Its flavor is less intense than that of regular brown cane sugars.
12.Brown Rice Syrup
Crushed brown rice is the source of brown rice syrup. Granola bars and baked pieces of bread benefit from their buttery and nutty flavor. Though slightly more nutritious than sugar, brown rice syrup is heavy in calories and should only be taken in moderation.
13.Sucralose
Sucralose has no calories and is an artificial sweetener. Sucralose is heat-stable that utilized in a wide variety of sucralose products. It includes sugar-sucralose blends that are made specifically for baking. Sucralose can be a substitute to sweeten beverages and meals. Be mindful of the quantity used. Even while mixing, the blends for baking, the flavor enhancement usually doesn’t require as much sucralose.
14.Yacòn Syrup
This molasses-like syrup, which has notes of apple and only one-third the calories of cane sugar, is a sweetening ingredient derived from the yacón plant. Just that little makes a big difference in baked products and smoothies with raw fruit because it is similarly sweet to honey. Fructooligosaccharides, a type of glucose it contains, may benefit body weight and sugar levels.
15.Monk Fruit Sweetener
If you’re trying to cut back on calories, monk fruit is a worthy option. However, available on the market, monk fruit supplements have undergone some processing and can include added sugar or sweeteners, so always read the label. To achieve better results, you might need to adjust your recipes or combine them with other sweeteners, just like you would with any other elevated sweetener.
16.Erythritol
A sugar alcohol called erythritol can be found naturally in several fruits, veggies, and starchy foods. It is best to use erythritol as a 1:1 substitution for sugar because it is roughly 70% as sweet as sugar and won’t overpower your taste senses. It is the reason why low-carb baking frequently uses it. Since it’s less sweet and exerts a similar metabolic impact, it’s often paired alongside monk fruit and stevia.
17.Balsamic Glaze
You can use this sauce instead of sugar in your preferred desserts. It gives every dish an exquisite, vibrant flash of color to create an elegant, polished presentation. Once you start putting this balsamic glaze over food, you’ll become dependent on it and yearn for its potent flavor.
18.Frozen Juice Concentrate
In place of sugar, use apple juice essence while making homemade apple pie. To substitute one cup of sugar, pour out 3/4 glass of juice. Similar sweetness is produced by the concentrate but with fewer calories. Orange juice is another excellent sugar alternative, especially for handmade slices of bread and cakes. It offers vitamin C as well as a citrusy undertone.
19.Allulose
Allulose is becoming more popular because it has the same flavor. It feels like sugar and has no aftertaste. It only occurs naturally in trace levels in a few foods, including figs, wheat, and raisins. Allulose is referred to as a “rare sugar.” Since our bodies cannot use allulose for energy like they can erythritol, it retains a similar taste to sugar without having the same metabolic consequence.
20.Acesulfame Potassium
It appears to be the last on the list and is sometimes known as Ace-K. It is a sugar substitute having no calories. It doesn’t cause tooth decay or blood sugar to spike. Ace-K is also heat-stable.
