Ounce for Ounce, Coconut Sugar Has Less Sugar Than Other Natural Sweeteners
Ounce for Ounce, Coconut Sugar Has Less Sugar Than Other Natural Sweeteners
Psst: White sugar isn’t doing you any favors (it can raise your risk for heart disease and cause your blood sugar to spike, then crash). But the idea of a life without the sweet stuff? Thank u, next. So go natural with one of these four cleaner natural sugar options recommended by Abby K. Cannon, RD, a dietitian in New York City. As she explains, they all contain less fructose than traditional table sugar and more nutritional benefits (think: antioxidants, healthy minerals, and fiber). Schweet!
1) Dates
Full of fiber (thanks to its origins as a rich fruit), it also offers inflammation-fighting and mood-lifting health perks. Add a dash of it to ease up spicy dishes.
Per date: 66 calories, 0 g fat, 18 g carbs, 16 g sugar, 2 g fiber, 0 g protein
2) Honey
Its heart-healthy antioxidant and antibacterial properties (which make it clutch for soothing sore throats) are destroyed by too much heat, so skip it in baked goods. Instead, use in teas and cocktails, and on meh fruit.
Per 1-tablespoon serving: 64 calories, 0 g fat, 17 g carbs, 17 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein
3) Coconut Sugar
Sub in 1 cup of these caramel-colored crystals for 1 cup white sugar to whip up baked goods that promote a happy tum, courtesy of the good bacteria from coconut’s star fiber, inulin.
Per 1-tablespoon serving: 45 calories, 0 g fat, 12 g carbs, 8 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein
4) Maple Syrup
We’re talking “100% pure organic” to score essential minerals like thyroid-boosting manganese. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons to balance out any bitterness in a vinegary salad dressing, and sub ? cup for every cup of regular sugar when baking—just be sure to reduce other liquids by about a quarter too.
Per 1-tablespoon serving: 52 calories, 0 g fat, 13 g carbs, 12 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein
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This article originally appeared in the September 2019 issue of Women's Health.
Huh, who knew...