Natural Alternatives to Sugar

Everybody loves something sweet, but not everyone loves the negative effects of refined sugar. There are many natural alternatives to sugar. Whether you want to substitute a teaspoon into your coffee or a cup of sugar into a favorite cookie recipe, there is a natural substitute that will suit your needs.

Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is a natural sweetener that is readily available in supermarkets and health food stores. It is loaded with minerals, which makes it a healthy choice, and it also contains fewer calories than sugar. When selecting maple syrup, be sure to look for 100 percent pure maple syrup on the label, and not maple-flavored syrup, which is commonly used as pancake syrup. Pure maple syrup will be more expensive. The Vermont Maple Sugar Maker's Association recommends using 3/4 cup maple syrup for 1 cup sugar (or 1 cup maple syrup to 1 cup sugar.) If you are substituting it in a baking recipe, reduce the liquid in the recipe by 2 to 4 tbsp. total per 1 cup of maple syrup you are substituting, add 1/4 tsp of baking soda and lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees F.

Honey

Honey always comes to mind as a natural sugar substitute. The World's Healthiest Foods encyclopedia explains that as bees collect nectar from plants, they convert the nectar's sugar into liquid form, creating honey. Honey is high in calories and sweeter than sugar. Diabetics should consider an alternative natural sweetener, such as stevia. If you are using honey in a recipe, use 3/4 cup honey per 1 cup sugar. WHF also recommends cutting down on the liquid called for in the recipe. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of milk, use 3/4 cup instead. Reduce the baking temperature by 25 degrees F, also.

Agave Nectar

Agave nectar is produced in the core of the desert plant agave. Dr. Andrew Weill explains that agave nectar is made by squeezing the juice from the agave core and then heating it, along with enzymes, to turn the sweet juice (also known as inulin) into sugars. When compared with sugar, it has the same number of calories, but because it is sweeter, you may want to use much less of it. When substituting, 1/4 cup agave nectar will replace the sweetness of 1 cup of sugar.

Stevia

Stevia makes an excellent sugar substitute for those who need to watch and control their blood sugar levels. In a study reported by the National Institutes of Health, stevia not only raises blood sugar levels, but it actually lowers them. Stevia has no calories or carbohydrates and is sold in health food stores as a dietary supplement, but there are brands available in supermarkets. The Stevia Resource Center reports that stevia is at least 10 times sweeter than sugar, which will significantly alter the amount you put into recipes, and even a cup of coffee. The Stevia Resource Center recommends the substitution of 1 tsp. stevia for 1 cup sugar; 1/4 tsp. stevia for 1 tbsp. sugar, and 1/16 tsp. stevia to 1 tsp. sugar.

Date Sugar

Date sugar is a sugar substitute that is made from the date fruit. The date is simply dried and then grated fine to a sugar consistency. The substitution is 1 to 1, so substitute 1 cup date sugar for 1 cup regular sugar.