What can replace sugar: options, tips and tricks

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Once you've made the decision to eat right, the first thing to do is cut out sugar. This does not mean that you need to deprive yourself of a daily portion of sweets that raise the level of endorphin. There are a lot of options for replacing sugar without harming your he alth.

Definition

Sugar is a product that we eat every day, and in its most diverse forms. It gives the dish sweetness, energizes, uplifts the mood. It is widely believed that sugar is simply necessary for intensive mental workers, it improves brain activity and prevents possible overwork. However, this is a common misconception. Sugar is a fast carb that does little to nothing other than settle on your sides and increase your cravings for sweets. Scientists have proven that the body does not need it at all, and it is better to replace it with slow carbohydrates, the energy from which will supply the brain much longer.

What can replace sugar? Agree, honey and a number ofchemical sweeteners from the nearest supermarket. These products are more useful, but each has its own set of pros and cons. In addition, there are plenty of other good and he althy alternatives to "sweet poison" that we have in our kitchen. This is a great option to replace it in baking in the event that a recipe cannot do without sugar.

Honey

We know about him since childhood. This sweet delicacy is called a real healing elixir for its wonderful natural composition. Honey is a great substitute for sugar. Firstly, it is more useful, and secondly, just one teaspoon will completely replace several tablespoons of sand.

Try drinking tea with honey. The taste sensations will be unchanged, but the benefits in such a drink will definitely be added. Honey is partially processed nectar collected by bees from plants. In fact, these are pure carbohydrates dissolved in a small amount of water. Can sugar be replaced with honey? Not only possible, but necessary! Just keep in mind that at high temperatures, it loses all its beneficial properties, only sweetness and aroma remain. It is recommended to dissolve it in a warm liquid, the temperature of which is not higher than forty degrees.

Stevia

Until recently, it was completely mysterious for most Russians. But after finding out all its useful qualities, stevia quickly gained popularity and is even grown in home gardens. The uniqueness of the herb lies in its rich composition, which contains a lot of useful substances, amino acids, vitamins and mineral s alts. Thanks toThis set of stevia has a high degree of sweetness and has a low calorie content. You can substitute it for sugar when baking. Now it is sold in the form of syrup in any store, and in addition, stevia is able to strengthen the immune system, cope with toxins and other harmful substances accumulated in the body.

Stevia is used everywhere in baking. It is unsuitable only for recipes that require additional caramelization. By adding one hundred grams of sugar to the products, you can get not only a lot of extra calories, but also an increase in serving size. Stevia is required in much smaller quantities, it does not change the volume and overall structure of the dish at all, only adding additional sweetness to it. The plant has an interesting characteristic flavor, so it does not go well with some products. Thus, the grass is intensely felt in dairy and fruit neutral desserts. Culinary experts recommend mixing stevia with other sweeteners, thereby reducing the brightness of its taste and achieving the least amount of calories in the end.

Agave syrup

Great natural sweetener, which, unfortunately, is quite difficult to find on the market. It is made from an exotic Mexican plant, from which, by the way, tequila is also made. It is chosen by people who monitor their diet, but this syrup should be eaten carefully. The fact is that in the process of its production, a large amount of fructose is condensed - its content can reach up to 97%, which is extremely unhe althy for the body. Fructose does not increase blood sugar levels, but taking large amounts of it on a regular basis develops insulin resistance.

Homemade spices

Cinnamon, nutmeg, almonds, and especially vanilla can give a dish not only a wonderful aroma, but also a wonderfully sweet taste. Can sugar be replaced with vanilla sugar? This is one of the most common options today, which is successfully used by experienced housewives. This fragrant ingredient is, in fact, sugar aged in vanilla beans. It is packaged in small bags weighing no more than twenty grams. The problem is that such sugar can be impregnated with both natural vanilla and its artificial substitute. In order not to purchase such an unnatural spice, carefully read the ingredients on the label or cook fragrant vanilla sugar at home.

Cooking vanilla sugar

What can replace vanilla sugar? Only natural aromatic seasoning, which is actually whole vanilla pods. They are maximally saturated with flavor, which will quickly absorb sugar if placed together with vanilla sticks in a tightly sealed glass jar. You can keep the container in any cool and poorly lit place, be sure to periodically stir the contents. After ten days, the product can be used to prepare various pastries and other fragrant and delicious desserts.

Raisins

If you don't have vanilla sugar on hand, but you want to addbaking personality, use raisins. It is a powerful antioxidant that, when crushed, gives the dish a good sweetness and a pleasant bright aroma. Try to bake a delicious cupcake with him. No added sugar, of course!

Maple syrup

What else can replace vanilla sugar? Maple syrup is an exclusively natural product that is made from real fresh juice. Rich in vitamins and trace elements, it contains more than fifty types of antioxidants, and it is also very fragrant and will be a great alternative to sugar in morning cereals or fruit desserts.

Citrus

Lemon, orange, and other richly flavored fruits are great substitutes for sugar. Scientists have found that the brain perceives them as sweet, which means that desserts with a little zest will be an excellent option for those who follow their figure.

Artificial sweeteners

These include saccharin, aspartame and sucralose. Their biggest advantage is their availability and almost no calories. Is it possible to replace sugar with this type of sweetener? They are several times sweeter and do not give additional volume when baking products, just like stevia. But their taste is much paler than real sugar, and in the preparation of shortcrust pastry, it will not work to achieve the presence of crispy crumbly crumbs with their use. In none of its purchased versions, this product is able to provide the dish with the airiness and lightness it needs, but maximum sweetness is guaranteed here. Experienced chefs recommend to reducecalorie baking, replace with a sweetener half the amount of sugar in the recipe. Is it possible to replace powdered sugar with artificial sugar? The taste of this product is very concentrated, with a clear sourness in the aftertaste, so the use of these sweeteners in this variation is not recommended.

Sugar alcohols

Xylitol and erythritol are especially popular now. They contain a minimum of carbohydrates. They are a great option for diabetics and are available in different forms. It is possible to replace sugar with these ingredients during baking, they will give it the desired volume, structure and consistency, practically without changing the main taste of the finished product. Their main disadvantage is only a large expense. In relation to sugar, erythritol and xylitol are used in almost equal proportions. They are able to crystallize, and for this they are so loved by cooks who specialize in making dishes with a low calorie content. With the help of sugar alcohols, you can cook delicious quality meringues or fragrant caramelized apples. In this case, you can replace sugar with powdered sugar made from these ingredients, or use them as a mix, combining in equal proportions with ordinary granulated sugar. This will also reduce the impact of the mentioned alcohols on the body, since their use in large quantities can adversely affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Fructose

She hasmore pronounced sweet taste compared to sugar (usually used in proportions of 1:3), and it is a better alternative for diabetics. Is it possible to replace sugar with fructose when baking? It has powerful absorbent abilities and can absorb more moisture from the environment. Therefore, products with it will always be more moist, even if you take fructose in smaller proportions. Also, under the influence of high temperatures, it quickly changes color to dark, so it will not work to make a beautiful white cake based on it.

• Fructose is digested three times slower than sugar.
• Provides the body with the amount of energy it needs.
• Does not give a quick feeling of fullness, so can be consumed in larger quantities than necessary.
• The level of glucose in the blood after eating it rises slowly, but lasts much longer than after meals with regular sugar.

When choosing what to replace sugar with, most people prefer fructose. It is he althy and sweet, can be used in the preparation of most desserts, but requires some restrictions in use. Splitting in the body very slowly, it almost completely enters the liver cells, where it differentiates into fatty acids. Their high accumulation can lead to the fouling of the liver with visceral fat, which, in turn, is the first symptom of the onset of obesity.

Dried fruits and fruits

Can regular fruits replace sugar? Why not? Very ripe and juicy, they contain the maximum amount of sweetness,which the brain perfectly perceives and uses exclusively for its own benefit.

Dried fruits are the same fructose, only in a convenient concentrated form, which can be used as a separate nutritious snack or for preparing a wide variety of dishes - from sweet desserts, pies and jams to jellies and compotes.

Cane sugar

Listing what can replace sugar, one cannot but mention this product. The only pity is that in our country it is almost impossible to buy it, and it is not cheap. Therefore, a number of unscrupulous manufacturers replace cane sugar with ordinary beet sugar by coloring it.

There is no difference between these products, if you do not take into account their color, so using it as an alternative food is impractical and simply unprofitable.