Both stevia and Sucanat provide alternatives to refined white sugar. Stevia offers a natural, calorie-free option for replacing artificial sweeteners in the diet. While Sucanat cannot claim low calories because of its sugar cane origin, it retains the nutrients lost in the manufacturing of refined sugar. You can use both stevia and Sucanat to replace table sugar in your diet.
Stevia Basics
Even mainstream supermarkets carry the noncaloric sweetener stevia or the purified rebaudioside A that manufacturers process from the stevia plant. While the U.S. lagged behind other countries in approving stevia for use as an alternative to artificial sweeteners for those who must restrict their sugar intake, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2008 gave it the GRAS, or generally recognized as safe, designation.
Sucanat Basics
The name Sucanat comes from the words "sugar cane natural." The manufacturing of Sucanat involves crushing sugar cane to produce juice and then heating and dehydrating the juice. Sucanat contains all the original molasses plus iron, potassium, chromium, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin B6.
Nutrition and Taste
Stevia contains zero calories per teaspoon and, depending on the part of the plant a particular stevia product comes from, has a slightly bitter or very sweet aftertaste. It is 250 to 300 times sweeter than white table sugar. Sucanat generally offers 15 calories per tsp. and 4 g carbs. It offers a deep, molasses-type flavor, similar to that of brown sugar.
Uses
You can use both stevia and Sucanat to sweeten drinks and in many recipes, even baked goods. Be prepared to experiment if you want to use any noncaloric sweetener, including stevia, in baked goods because it can change the consistency and texture of the final product. Sucanat replaces sugar measure for measure in most recipes; count the calories as you would with sugar.
References
- American Diabetes Assiciation: Aritificial Sweeteners
- American Diabetes Assiciation; Ask the Registered Dietician: Can I substitute stevia or agave nectar for the sugar? What sugar substitutes are safe?
- "Diabetes Forecast"; Size Up Your Sweetener Options; July 2009
- LIVESTRONG.com MyPlate: Organic Sucanat
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