The Most Nutritious Sweeteners
By
Raise your hand if you ever feel overwhelmed and confused about which sweeteners/sugars are the best to use in your treats?
Uh-huh…me too. There are dozens of different sweeteners out there and all kinds of arguments trying to convince you to eat one over the other.
While I’m certainly no sweetener expert (although I do consider myself an expert taste tester of all things sweet and sweeter), I will share with you what I’ve learned through the past few years of researching.
Better Sweeteners (in no particular order)
Sucanat/Rapadura – “Dehydrated Cane Sugar Juice”
This is by far my favorite sugar to bake with. It is processed in the traditional way that people of India have used for thousands of years and leaves most of the minerals intact. It substitutes one for one in recipes that call for sugar and has a delicious, rich flavor.
Rapadura is a brand name for Sucanat, so in general I find that Sucanat costs a bit less. Be very careful to buy Organic Sucanat however, as some ‘regular sucanat’ brands I’ve seen are NOT dehydrated cane sugar juice…but some form of processed sugar with molasses added back in making it MUCH less nutritious.
Raw Honey
If you can find raw honey from a local bee keeper, go for it! Raw honey (honey that has not been heated over 117° to kill healthy bacteria) contains many nutrients and digestive enzymes.
Raw honey is a wonderful addition to buttered toast or granola. Honey is also wonderful to bake with (although then of course, it won’t be raw anymore). If a recipe calls for one cup of sugar, I usually substitute 1/2-2/3 cup of honey.
Mmm…I love maple syrup! I never bake with it, but find it works wonderfully in liquid recipes like Strawberry Milkshakes, Smoothies, Warm Vanilla Soother, Creamy Orange Cooler, etc. Oh, and it’s great on Pancakes and Waffles too!
Because real maple syrup is kinda pricey, I am the designated syrup pourer on pancakes…otherwise we’d have a lot of this “Liquid Gold” wasted all over our pancake plates.
Organic Grade B Maple Syrup is better than Grade A as more nutrients are present. Plus, non-organic maple syrups may contain formaldehyde or other synthetic defoamers.
“Mom, can I please have some more formaldehyde on my pancake?” I don’t think so.
Molasses is the “waste product” that comes from the production of refined sugar. It is rich in many minerals. I don’t use molasses much for baking, except in recipes such as Molasses Cookies. Mmm!
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This is by no means an exhaustive list of “healthy sugars”…these are simply my favorites and the sugars I’m most familiar with. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments section if you have researched and know of a great sugar to try!
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Sweeteners to Avoid
Refined Sugars
Unfortunately even many organic sugars (turbinado, raw, natural) are quite refined and contain very few nutrients. I use these occasionally because AT LEAST they are (unbleached, organic, a little less refined) and better than…
White Sugar
This sugar is so refined that there are no nutrients left in it whatsoever. It is also usually bleached to make it prettier. Because it is not sugar in its whole form…it has a dramatic effect on blood sugar levels in the body. I can actually feel the effect white sugar has on my body (can you?!).
But, if you have a choice between the two, choose regular sugar over…
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Dr. Mercola can explain why High Fructose Corn Syrup should be avoided way better than I can! Read his professional information on the subject…
Agave Nectar
While I used to believe that Agave Nectar was a healthy substitute for sugar, it seems I should have done my homework more thoroughly. Agave Nectar should usually be avoided as apparently, it is almost worse than High Fructose Corn Syrup.
By the way, I think I’ve changed any recipes I have here on my site that included agave nectar as an ingredient…but in case you find it anywhere, please let me know so I can edit it!
Artificial Sweeteners
Ooh, I can’t say enough about fake sugar!!! Please don’t make the mistake of believing that you are eating/drinking healthier if you avoid sugar but use aspertame, splenda, or whatever the latest “fake sugar” is out there. They are worse than good ol’ refined sugar and can cause so many long term health problems. I have reasons to be passionate about this subject…so if you want to picture me down on the floor grabbing your feet begging you to avoid these…that truly is what I’m doing right now. You can read more information about aspertame here…and more than you want to know about artificial sweeteners here. I believe these testimonials may say more than I ever could.
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I’d love for you to share your experiences, thoughts on this subject, and favorite sugar choices with us!
Thanks for setting the record straight! It drives me nuts when people think they are being healthy by substituting Splenda in everything. Just a tip – if there is a brew supply store near you, they may have a local raw honey source. It’s used in making mead. I’ve found that’s the cheapest way to get it where I live, the only “trick” is I have to remember to bring my own jar.
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Denai Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 7:09 am
GLEE makes mint flavored gum…
AND to set the record straight… CORN SYRUP is WAY different than HFCS!
Corny syrup is actually JUST glucose, NO FRUCTOSE, so your body doesn’t use the liver at all to break it down….
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I have a question about gum. Does anyone know of a “minty” flavored gum that does not have artificial sweetener in it. One that has sugar in it. I have looked at Wal-Mart and couldn’t find any. I like that flavor for fresh breath. I do know the health food store has some with xylitol but that is so expensive. Just wondering if anyone knew of a regular brand that might have sugar. Thank you.
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Laura Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 10:38 am
I’ve ordered this xylitol one from Azure Standard before http://www.azurestandard.com/product.php?id=HB976 but you’re right, it is pricey. I don’t know of any other great ones out there…maybe other readers will have some good suggestions!
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Danielle Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 11:59 am
I don’t like gum… but I am curious about mints, Laura. Any suggestions?
I nearly had a sugar attack at church the other week, the mints offered we ALL sugar! (you know the ones that melt in your mouth lol)
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Danielle Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
ack *were* all
Danielle Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
OK, I had to laugh. I looked up mints thru Azure Standard. They do have mints. One of the ingredients? ORGANIC corn syrup!
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Laura Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
Oh brother. Too bad organic corn syrup is hardly any better than non organic.
Danielle Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Yeah I didn’t think it was a good thing. I thought it was funny
that they called it organic lol. I wonder if a lot of people say “oh it must be good, it’s organic after all!” I guess that’s why I’m leary of anything that claims to be
organic. What makes it organic?
In all seriousness, am I better to get sugar free mints then? As long as they aren’t subbing fake sugar?
Laura Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Yeah, I think I’d lean toward buying mints with regular sugar if the only alternative is mints with fake sugar. I guess since you’re not just eating a whole pack at once, it isn’t too bad!
Rachel Reply:
December 22nd, 2010 at 8:04 pm
Organic corn syrup actually has an improvement over non-organic corn syrup
in that it comes from corn that is not genetically modified; so that’s a good thing.
However, I still would recommend the xylitol sweetened gum. Best of all,
though would be to kick the habit of gum chewing all together, as it
contributes to digestion problems.
Andrea Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
I like Spry gum. I bought it at our local health food store in a 600 piece container. It was $45 (Yikes!), but I’ve been using it over a year now (oh, it’s cheaper on Amazon). Xylitol is amazing for your teeth. It reverses tooth decay and keeps your mouth enviroment hostile to sugar feeding decay bacteria! If you consume xylitol while pregnant, you can pass on good teeth to your baby! Read the studies! I also use Xylitol toothpaste. Spry also has mints. I don’t like eating large quantities of the Xylitol as a sugar though, because large amounts at once can cause unpleasant digestive side effects like any sugar alcohol. However, chewing five or six pieces a day has never caused that problem.
Spry also has mints. I have only had the lemon ones and they are good.
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While Dr. Mercola talks about how bad Agave Nectar is, I take what he says with a grain of salt. I read an article that refuted most of his comments about it (I wish I still had the link to share). As with any sweeteners, it should be used in moderation, but I wouldn’t say that it is as bad or even almost as bad as HFCS.
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Andrea Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
I just read this article this week. She felt the same way you do. I think it is interesting to read the way it is processed and produced.
http://www.safbaby.com/agave-nectar-not-a-safe-alternative-sweetener-for-your-family
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I just want to give a shout out to Stevia, for those who are diabetic and cannot use even the good sweeteners. I know you can buy stevia leaves and use them to sweeten tea, etc. but I have never seen them used. I have tried the truvia and purevia and sugar in the raw’s “stevia in the raw”. They still have a little bit of an aftertaste to me, but the calorie-free sweetness comes from a real plant, not from adding chlorine to sugar!
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Melinda Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
I found that I eventually got used to the “after” taste and actually LIKE it! :)
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Have you used Stevia? I changed from Splenda to Stevia about a year ago.
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Laura Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 10:39 am
Yes, I’ve used stevia, mostly for smoothies. That’s about the only way I like it…it has a bit of a bitter aftertaste, but I LOVE how it doesn’t effect blood sugar!
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Rachel Reply:
December 22nd, 2010 at 8:09 pm
I use the Sweetleaf Stevia brand in my coffee every morning and in my
yogurt making as the sweetener. My children like it fine. Plus, they have flavored liquid
versions for your pleasure, too. I’m looking forward to trying those
in my yogurt making process soon.
Even better is that you can grow it yourself as sugar prices continue to
rise! There’s a cookbook specifically for using Stevia.
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This is great information. Personally I am a huge fan of raw honey. It’s great because different varieties have different flavors. My all-time favorite is wildflower honey. I know a lot of people also like the orange blossom honey.
I was sad to read about the turbinado not being that great. I have been using that for baking because it says it is evaporated cane juice. The sucanat is pretty expensive. I think I prefer to stick with my honey.
BTW I started buying my maple syrup on Amazon with my Swagbucks. Grade B is cheaper too!
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I’ve been a fan of local raw honey for a number of years. Much better then sugar. With buying it local, it also has helped with my allergies. I purchase it in a 5 gallon pail and then break it down into quart size jars.
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I am trying to cut back on the bad sugars that we eat. One of the areas I struggle is with my coffee. Does anyone know which of these “good” sugars is best in coffee?
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Elizabeth Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 3:06 pm
I have used honey in coffee, and I really like it.
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Sarah Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 9:09 am
Stevia’s great for coffee too! and there’s not sugar rush or crash from it.
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Andrea Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
My parents use Stevia in their coffee.
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Rachel Reply:
December 22nd, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Again, I second Stevia for coffee; the Sweetleaf brand is the one I’ve been pleased
with as having the least amount of extra ingredients and it dissolves
beautifully. Also, it has FOS for your gut bacteria.
Laura,
Thanks for this post! It’s nice to hear someone agree that artifical sweeteners are so bad. No one will ever convince me to trade in my real sweetener for some chemically altered substance!
I’ve looked in my local grocery for sucanat and haven’t been able to find it. Do you have a source that you use?
Thanks!
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Laura Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 10:40 am
I buy it from Azure Standard http://www.azurestandard.com/ or from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EA3M92?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwheavenlyho-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000EA3M92
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Ami Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
I buy organic sucanat from an Amish bulk foods store. It is about $1.25 for 3 cups. If you can find a good Amish bulk foods store that primarily services the Amish community and is not meant for tourists, you can probably find lots of good whole foods for a reasonable price. We don’t get Azure Standard where I live.
I figure that paying more for it makes me want to cut down on sugar more so it will last longer!
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It’s still in your banana cake recipe.. the frosting. I acually bought some agave nectar about a month ago but haven’t used it and it’s still sealed.. I’ll be taking it back! I printed the banana cake recipe out this morning because I have BLACK bananas that need to be used. I was going to nix the frosting and make muffins.. ever tried that? I might sprinkle some sugar/cinnamon on top. I’m on the look our now for raw honey in our area!
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Laura Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Ooh, thank you…I’ll go edit that now!
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I just started hearing things about Agave Nectar…I bought a bottle because I was told it was healthy for you! Thanks for the info!
Any thoughts on stevia?
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Laura Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 6:03 pm
Stevia seems to be pretty good! I’m just not a big fan of the taste, so forgot to mention it!
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Oh my gosh thank you for this great resource :) This is all so confusing that I’m glad to have an article on it. I’ve been baking alot lately with honey and maple syrup and I buy organic sugar. I’m sure I’ll read your post many times as a reference. Thanks for the inspiration as always :)
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Hello thank you so much for posting such wonderful info, ideas , and recipes. They are a blessing to our family. We have been eating healthy four about 5 yrs , yet your recipes are new and fresh to us. I was living a raw vegan lifestyle for the last year ( due to illness) but was convicted add back in healthy meats and some cooked foods. This blog has really answered prayer and blessed or family.
thank you again,
Leah funk ….wife to Jonathan and mother to, Eleora , Lael , Gideon , Taliah and Ezekiel soon to come in Aug, 2010
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Danielle Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 10:22 am
Wow.. I only know of ONE other Lael! well two, one is a recording company a friend just started, his daughter’s middle name is Lael.
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Thank you for posting your menus. It helps me a lot. Many of the recipes that I have are laden with condensed soups and velveeta.
Toaster Oven- It is the way to go. You can reheat almost anything in it and don’t have to worry about the shape or crumbliness of what you are trying to heat- bread, waffles, pancakes, pizza, meatballs. I use mine as a mini oven quite often. Especially when we only need to reheat small servings. It makes avoiding the micowave much easier.
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Laura,
I used to be such a fan of agave too. I posted a warning on my blog not too long ago. http://embracingtheseason.blogspot.com/2009/07/sabbatical-from-agave.html
The one recipe I need to update is the marshmallows. I’ve never tried honey marshmallows. Once I do that, I’ll replace the current agave. But I did add the agave warning link to let my readers know they should be cautious.
My husband found one connection between agave and miscarriage on a site a while back – wow scary. I’ve had now two miscarriages but it was after we stopped agave – hopefully that wasn’t the cause. But I don’t dwell on that thought – God is sovereign. Thanks for your blog!
Carra
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Does maple syrup go bad?
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Laura Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
You do have to store it in the fridge once it’s opened. I’ve never had any go bad, but I guess we eat it too quickly for me to know!
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Gah! Formaldehyde WHAT?? What on earth!
Thank you for this list! We buy only organic sweeteners, but it’s nice to have even more info on them. Horror at formaldehyde aside, that is.
I know a man who can’t have aspartame because it gives him seizures. Instead, he reaches for the next fake sweetener. I just want to shake him and tell him, “THINK!” :D
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Thanks for this list. I learned so much from it.
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This is a good list. I also use date honey as a substitute in baking.
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thanks for this post! i have been struggling with this topic!
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May I recommend two more “better” sweetners?!?
Brown Rice Syrup… a gentle sweetner
and Maple Sugar (I know maple syrup was suggested- but the sugar is great too.)
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Anyone have any thoughts about using fructose — fruit sugar, I know you can get it at some health food stores, but it looks quite processed (very white). Also heard to use frozen apple juice concentrate in place of sugar, but then again — processed (at least condensed). Looking for ways to keep the sugar low but still make “normal” things (like cookies and muffins) and stay on a tight budget.
Thanks!
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Laura Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Unfortunately, fructose is highly processed and not a good alternative to sugar. Frozen apple juice is probably a little bit better, although since it is just the juice part of the apple, not all of the nutrients are left in.
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Sarah Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 9:11 am
You need to make sure to get organic apple juice though because apples are one of the fruits on teh Dirty Dozen list.
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Thanks so much for the post. I was just getting ready to order a 33# bag of Rapunzel’s Rapadura from Azure. So, I went back to check the price and it actually works out to be less expensive than the Wholesome brand Sucanat from Azure. Rapunzel’s 33# bag works out to $1.67/# and Wholesome’s 25# bag comes to $1.80/#. Plus, I am splitting it with a friend. I thought Rapadura was like the equivalent of “white” sugar and Sucanat the equivalent of brown sugar. Interesting to find they are the same. Thanks again!!
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What do you know about Mexican sugar? I noticed that my Walmart (in Memphis) has sugar from Mexico that lists its ingredients as just “dehydrated sugar cane juice”. It is kind of grey in color and about $2.25 for 4 pounds. It is not organic, but maybe less processed than American brands? I know that sugar prices are not kept artificially high in Mexico as they are in the US – as a result most Mexican soft drinks (“cokes” here in Memphis!) are made with actual sugar, rather than less-expensive HFCS. In fact, government meddling in the form of price controls, thanks to our sugar-producers’ lobby, is the reason that HFCS is so ubiquitous in processed foods today. Just a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that my Costco (yes, my own personal one) is now carrying Mexican cokes – the real “Coke” ones! They taste GOOD! Unfortunately, my kids understood them to be some kind of health food and snarfed them in no time, so I won’t be buying them again soon.
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Laura Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Ooh, don’t know. It sounds like the Mexican sugar must be similar to sucanat. Awesome.
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Hi Laura. thank you for this post. What are your thoughts or what do you know about demerara? I’ve found it at a bulk food store that I buy food at and have substituted it for white sugar. It is more granular but good but I don’t know about it’s nutritional value compared to sugar. Thanks!
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Laura Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
I’m not very familiar with demerara, but I think I’ve seen it at Walmart. I just read about how it is made (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demerara_(sugar)) and it sounds like although it is better than white sugar, many of the nutrients are stripped away. Still…it is better than white sugar!
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Mmm, we use lots of natural sweeteners and this is the second time I’ve heard Agave knocked down. While we don’t use it very often because it can effect us the same as sugar does and there are two of us in our home who cannot eat it, I highly disagree with the “experts” (not you) who tell us it’s bad for us. I especially disagree when they state it’s worse then corn syrup, because honestly most corn syrup comes from GMO style corn… Plus, not all agave is created equal, which could greatly impact what they are saying. I also think you’ll find people on both sides of the line no matter WHAT sweetener/health foods you eat. There are so many people out there who knock coconut oil and full fat milk, but there are those who also know the full benefits of them and won’t give them up. Honestly, I think sometimes all one can do is what they feel is best for their family. ;)
We enjoy using: Honey, Stevia (pure, not the mixed ick stuff you’ll see in shops these days, blah!), honey, coconut sugar, bran syrup, molasses, pureed dates, and occasionally agave. ;) We also use a combo of some of them for our recipes.
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Andrea Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
I just read this article this week. I think it is interesting to read the way it is processed and produced.
http://www.safbaby.com/agave-nectar-not-a-safe-alternative-sweetener-for-your-family
I hope this helps!
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I don’t know if anyone else has mentioned this yet or not (didn’t read all comments) but if you buy Canadian maple syrup there is no formaldehyde. It’s illegal to use here.
http://www.lbmapletreat.com/faq/m_faq.htm scroll down to the very bottom to read about this.
I’m Canadian and for that reason I don’t buy organic maple syrup, save a few $$! We can go this time of year to the sugar farms and see how it’s made, still a very natural process involving buckets hung on trees, collecting the sap and boiling it down in huge vats.
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LOL on the “designated maple syrup pourer” because I do the SAME thing! I look like a miser or something at the table but I know my kids would seriously over-pour the maple syrup too. Thanks for posting about the agave nectar because I had no idea. 3 years ago my midwife was telling me it was the best one to use. I always suspected that agave nectar wasn’t a very ecologically sustainable choice anyway, asI always think about whether or not something could be mass produced in a responsible manner.
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Is Succant about an equal amount replacement as sugar? For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar is it a cup of succant?
Rochelle
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Sarah Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 9:15 am
Yes, it is equal substitutions with either white or brown sugar in your recipes. You may find though that you need a little less (or because it’s so expensive want to use a little less) and it doesn’t affect the taste. :-)
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Laura Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 10:35 am
Yep!
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Thanks so much for this information; it was very helpful! Our family is on a journey to healthier eating!
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I use sugar and molasses most of the time.
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I am fortunate to live in one of the biggest syrup producing states, and while $44 a gallon isn’t cheap for syrup, it is cheaper than many other places. And like I told my sister – fake syrup is bad for you all the way around, at least the real thing has some nutritional value to it. I always wondered about the other sugars, thanks for clarifying.
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This is the first I’ve heard about agave nectar! Thanks for the info, I’ll be reading up on it.
What do you know about the big soy controversy? Do you use soy?
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Laura Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
I avoid soy…that’s a subject on my “list” to blog about…eventually!!
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Laura, Would you mind sharing the url to the kind of sucanat you use from Azure Standard? thanks!
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Laura Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Here you go! http://www.azurestandard.com/product.php?id=SW068
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Did you read about Stevia? I am starting to believe in conspiracy theories. Some stuff is just weird.
I am encouraged that places like Japan have been usuing Stevia for years without problems. I am trying to get more ino the habit of using it when I want a bit of something sweet here and there. I love that it doesn’t raise your blood sugar, which I think is a good way to keep the sugar cravings at bay. My mother has been using it for a while. She recently decided that NuNaturals pure liquid Clear Stevia (from Fred Meyers) is some of the best with almost zero after taste. I almost can’t tell the difference between it and sugar in a beverage.
I also think that Xylitol is pretty cool for how it can benefit your teeth. I think it should be used in moderation, though. I don’t like sugar alcohols.
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I too have stopped using agave. I have been using organic brown rice syrup as a sweetener. I haven’t done a lot of research on it, but it is a lower glycemic sweetener and works quite well in baked goods.
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Laura, I appreciate your comments about sugar and how you can feel how it affects your blood sugar. I am a hypoglycemic and often turn to sugar to get a quick fix so to speak when my sugar is dropping. Can you explain a bit more about how these different sweeteners affect your blood sugar? I admit we are a pretty traditional white and brown sugar kind of family, we do enjoy some honey as a treat. I am trying to learn more about what I eat and how it affects my blood sugar so I can feel better on a regular basis. Thanks
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I just bought this sucanat at http://www.azurestandard.com/product.php?id=SW046 it says organic in the details but not in the product name. Is it still as good? I sure hope so, but now I’m worried! Anyone who can give me some feedback would be great. It says it’s from wholesome sweeteners so I figured it was still as good. Please help! Thanks so much.
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Laura Reply:
April 14th, 2010 at 11:15 am
I’m unsure about this variety. The ingredients say: Sugar, molasses…like they maybe add more molasses back in after they process it. But, the rest of the discription sounds like it’s good. SO, I don’t know. You’ll probably be fine. Regardless, it’s gonna be WAY better than processed white sugar!
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Sarah Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 4:39 pm
I called Azure standard and they let me take it back!
SO I can get the Organic kind next month, thanks so much for your
help Laura! Oh and I do have a question about butter, what brand
do you use? Thanks again!!
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Laura Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 7:06 pm
Yay! They are so nice! I get the Rumiano sweet cream butter: http://www.azurestandard.com/product.php?id=DP030
Thank you so much for this post! I just picked up “Nourishing Traditions” from the library and was dismayed to read that she equates “sucanat” with white sugar, but recommends Rapadura…! I was so confused and disappointed because I have a 25 lb bag of sucanat from Azure Standard! Glad to hear that she probably means the fake sucanat you discussed. I can now go safely back to using up my 25 lbs!
I was also unsure about the difference between Grade A and B syrups (also just learned about the formaldehyde in non-organic syrup from the book). Definitely going to get the Grade B ORGANIC from now on!
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I can’t remember if I read a comment on this.. sorry if there was. I was at the store today, and I was looking at the sugars. Domino (a brand of refined white sugar) has what’s called pure cane sugar (I *think* it says organic). And it’s not white… is that like sucanut? And then there was always something called raw sugar (also not white). Ingredients listed turbinado sugar.
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Laura Reply:
April 14th, 2010 at 7:36 pm
The Domino pure cane sugar is just a tiny step better than refined sugar, not much better but okay to use in a pinch! So no, that’s not sucanat. Wish it was. The raw sugar is also not that great…again better though than refined sugar.
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Danielle Reply:
April 14th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Sigh…. I was hoping, since it wasn’t white. And it said pure cane so it had me thinking!
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Danielle Reply:
April 14th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Thanks anyways!
Hi Laura,
I just started making my own homemade yogurt and it is so good. As I was looking for ideas on how to sweeten it for my little one, I checked out your homemade yogurt recipe and above the recipe you suggest sweetening it with agave nectar. Anyways, my little one is so used to the Yobaby yogurt that she doesn’t like the taste of my yogurt. I have tried mixing in homemade strawberry jam with fresh strawberries (which is so yummy), applesauce and vanilla, but she still does not like it. Do you have any suggestions on what else I could try?
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Laura Reply:
April 23rd, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Thanks, I edited the agave out of my yogurt post!
As far as breaking your daughter from YoBaby yogurt and getting her to like the homemade which is less sweet…I’d say keep her away from YoBaby and wait quite a while before introducing your homemade to her, so she kind of forgets about the other! Also, try making the yogurt into a smoothie with lots of fruit and a little real grade b maple syrup. It’ll be a different way to serve the yogurt and if she’s drinking it, she may like it better!
Hope that helps!
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Aimee Reply:
November 3rd, 2010 at 10:00 pm
We have used sucanat, brown sugar, and honey to sweeten ours. Each
person/kid in the family has their preference, but we’ve been able to find
one that works for each of us!
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Timely info! I just purchased some sucanat, but couldn’t remember if I should use it in the same amount as sugar called for–and hadn’t had time to come browse your site for more info! Perfect!
**Also, I tried your Popcorn Chicken recipe a couple weeks ago, and my kids loved it and requested it be added to our meal rotation. Thanks for sharing!
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Do you know anything about date syrup? I just picked up a jar today, thought it might be nice in my date bread in place of the refined white sugar.
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Laura Reply:
April 19th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
No, I’m sorry…I’ve never researched it much. I should put that on my list!
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I love sucanat, raw honey and real maple syrup!
We still use organic cane sugar for somethings but I feel if it keeps us from eating packaged crap it’s okay.
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I am curious about brown sugar. Or is that another post? :-)
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Laura Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Brown sugar is not too much better than white sugar…it’s highly processed. BUT given a choice, I use it over white sugar since it is unbleached.
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Kori Reply:
April 25th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
So do you just replace white with brown in any recipe? They have
such different flavors to me. And do you know anything about
turbinado sugar? My understanding is that is a less processed, more
“raw” brown sugar. Just curious.
Thanks
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Laura Reply:
April 29th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Yes, I do just replace brown with white. Turbinado sugar is better than brown sugar, but not as unprocessed as sucanat.
Laura-
Forgive me if this has already been discussed earlier… What is ‘demerera’ sugar? And is it one of the better ones or one to avoid? I had a coupon and bought some last week, but wondered if it’s any better than regular brown sugar or white sugar.
This is one of the ‘better’ sweeteners I can find since I don’t have a health food store nearby.
Thanks!
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Laura Reply:
April 29th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Demerara is quite processed, unfortunately. My understanding of it is that it has been processed much like white sugar, then molasses is added back in to make it look healthier. It IS better than white sugar if that is your only option, but there’s not many nutrients left.
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Bethany Reply:
April 29th, 2010 at 10:26 am
Thanks Laura! I kinda had a feeling that was the case. In my small town there’s not many choices for healthy sweeteners. Guess I’ll be ordering some online!
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I have a friend who asked me what I thought about Sugar In The Raw brand. I buy Rapadura from Azure and I don’t know anything about the brand she mentioned. It is like Sucanat? Thanks.
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Laura Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
No, Sugar in the Raw in quite a bit more processed than rapadura or sucanat. Actually rapadura is a brand name for sucanat, so essentially rapadura and sucanat are the same thing.
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Hey I know you wrote about this forever ago, but I wanted to tell you about Steviva. It is a stevia based company and I have been using it in a lot of my recipes. I am actually going to do a blog post about it tomorrow on my blog thethingsilovemost.blogspot.com so come by and check it out!!
Thanks for your great post. I think it is all so confusing and moderation is the key, and also know what your body can handle!
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I personally prefer raw local honey and pure organic grade b maple syrup. My husband loves Stevia for drinks (I can’t stand the after taste). We use turbinado right now because it was cheaper than the sucanat. But now that I know the difference between the two, when my storage runs out we’ll be replacing with sucanat.
Thanks for your great blog! I really love the simple, quick, and most importantly, nourishing food recipes. I love real food, but we are new to making it and I get discouraged with other sites that have such weird ingredients. I can do this kind of real food. :O) I believe that one of the most important things we can do for our health is to eat sustainably grown local foods in season. For that reason I don’t eat much of seafood or sea vegetables. I live in Utah. There is no sea near me! :O)
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Quick question about honey. I have not found a source for raw honey. We do have locally grown, but it is not raw, and it is very expensive. Is honey purchased from the grocery store still a better choice than white sugar? I have also had some luck with sucanat, which I have found a local grocer. Thanks!
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Laura Reply:
February 20th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
Yes, honey from the store is still better than white sugar…if that’s your only option, I’d go for it until you find something better!
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