Nowadays, sugar is everywhere! It is in our tea, coffee, soft drinks, processed food, etc. Simply said, sugar dominates in our daily menus. With Australian’s obesity levels constantly increasing and the better understanding of just how dangerous for our health sugar can be, the hunt for natural sugar alternatives is constantly on. But there is a problem – not all sugar alternatives that are labeled ‘natural’ are really natural. In fact, they may be even worse than real sugar.
When looking for natural sugar alternatives online or at your local store, there are a few important factors to consider. In order to be natural, a sweetener needs to be naturally derived, not contaminated, minimally processed and contain some antioxidants and nutrients. Here are the top natural sugar alternatives online and offline retailers offer.
Stevia
Stevia is a natural sugar alternative extracted from the stevia herb, which is native to South America. It can be about 300 times sweeter than sugar and has been used as a sweetener for hundreds of years in South America and Japan as well. Because stevia has no calories and glycemic impact, it is a viable option for weight watchers and diabetics, which explains why it is one of the most popular natural sugar alternatives on the market. Stevia can be used for sweetening your tea, coffee, or other drinks, and you can also use it in baking.
Xylitol
If xylitol is a familiar name for you, that is because you can already find it in some products, such as chewing gums. Unlike many other sugar alternatives that have 6 carbon sugars, xylitol has five. While this may seem a subtle difference, it can certainly help prevent the growth of bacteria. It is naturally extracted from fibrous fruit and vegetables, hardwood trees and corn cobs. It does not cost more than regular sugar but is for sure a healthier alternative.
Coconut Sugar
To obtain coconut sugar, the coconut tree sap is heated to evaporate its water content until it is reduced to usable granules. This sugar alternative is nutritious and has a low score on the glycemic index. Plus, it tastes similar to brown sugar and can substitute traditional sugar basically in anything.
Honey
Sweeter than sugar, honey is an alternative full of benefits – it is packed with vitamins and also has antimicrobial properties. While it has more calories than normal sugar, it’s also sweeter, which means you should use less of it. You can add it to your coffee or tea and it works wonderfully in cookies and biscuits.