Sugar is literally EVERYWHERE. People often think they don’t consume a lot of sugar in their diets as they are unaware of so many food items that has sugar hidden in it. If only we would stop buying things on the basis of how it is marketed (ex: 100% Sugar-Free) and start paying attention to the list of ingredients, we would be shocked by the reality check!! At least I was when I understood how important it was to read the ingredients in any packaged item that I am buying from the market. Shockingly enough, sugar tends to be a part of almost ALL of them and that too present as the first few ingredients which is an indication of large quantities.
Even if we keep aside the items we buy from the market, we are putting sugar in many many drinks, dishes, meals that we make at home and it is so imperative to be mindful of the amount and quality, especially these days when awareness about the harmful effects of sugar in our diets have been immensely high. Apart from the well known weight gain problems, it is behind almost anything bad that can happen to a human body including early ageing, hair fall, skin issues, and even chronic illnesses.
The best advice or suggestion or alternative I have for sugar is NO SUGAR AT ALL. NONE. ZERO. I am so jealous of the people that can actually pull this off. Thankfully, they are not a lot and most of us have either immensely big sweet tooth or can control our sugar cravings up to some level. For me, I am not CRAZY for sweets but I have my cravings from time to time.
So for us lot, I have complied below list of healthy and nutritious sugar alternatives to the bad, processed, empty calorie sugar. This list takes into consideration one single day for an average person, goes from morning till evening, considers every SWEET meal or dish that you might require sugar for and tells you what is the best alternative for that!
So let’s dive into it!!
1. MORNING
Most of us like to start our days with a good cup of either Coffee or Tea!! I feel that having these beverages without any added sugar is the best thing that can be done. Trust me it was unimaginable for me two years back, that I would want, in fact, prefer my coffee or tea without any sweetness. But I would give credit to the slow and gradual way of reducing and thus eliminating sugar from my beverages, that led me here today. I highly and strongly recommend to try to lower and lower the amount of sweetness in your beverages each day as it is one of the easiest places from where we can eliminate sugar from, and very easy to stick with.
But until you reach that stage, if you have to have some sweetness in your coffee or tea, my number one suggestion is
Stevia
Stevia is a zero calorie sugar substitute derived from the plant Stevia. It is so popular these days especially amongst the people that are trying to control their weight or counting calories. Being zero caloric, it may help you cut down on some unnecessary calorie intake in your diet. It comes in powder or liquid form. One very very important attribute of Stevia (that I was unaware of before buying it in bulk amount) is that it is extremely extremely sweet. You only need like an eighth of a pinch. Along with the sweetness it also leaves a bitter after taste in your mouth which some people (me) might dislike. Hence, I find its usage best with bitter beverages such as coffee or tea, where Stevia’s bitterness will not stand out but it will make your beverage sweet at the same time.
Another alternative is
Dates
Make a homemade date paste in your blender or food processor by blending soaked dates. Add this to your beverage and enjoy natural caramely sweetness along with loads of antioxidants and minerals such as potassium, copper and iron. Additionally dates have some fiber, and when we consume sweet along with its fiber, it releases glucose in the body in a more gradual and controlled way. Basically avoiding all the sugar rush havoc.
Another one is
Raw Honey
It is a powerhouse of anti oxidants that helps fight against so so many diseases. But make sure to not add honey in extremely scalding hot water. It might kill all the good enzymes in the honey.
Next one is
Maple Syrup
Similar to honey, it is filled with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and holds a lot of medicinal properties.
For frothing up the coffee, we might require some form of granulated sugar and it is a good idea to use
Jaggery Powder and Coconut Sugar
Although they are slightly processed form yet still contain huge amounts of minerals and vitamins that are devoid from table sugar.
2. BREAKFAST
Moving on to breakfast, the first category is drinks. Try not to add fruit juices to your smoothies, as they are very high in sugar and have no fiber. Best things to add to these are
Fruits
Fruits are a great natural sugar alternative. They are so good to especially start our mornings with as they are highly nutritious, naturally sweet and each one contains a different and essential set of vitamins and minerals.
If not possible, again we can add as well here
Dates
Although if we are adding fruits to our drinks, there is really no need to add more sweetness, but if you have to then you can throw in some dates here.
Another breakfast category is oats or muesli in many forms. Healthy and nutritious sugar alternatives here are the same as we mentioned in the drinks category. Fruits and dates (if needed) will actually make your breakfast bowl more wholesome and complete. If you want to pour some syrup from the top to make it look fancy, go for honey.
Additionally they can be flavored with some
Spices
YES!! Adding spices like cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg increases the flavor profile a LOT and you will not miss or crave excessive sweetness in your oats this way. Just TRY IT!
And for those Pancake lovers, it is a great idea to mash a banana or two in your pancake batter. Plus add fruits and very little maple syrup from the top. No, absolutely no need of table sugar!
3. LUNCH/DINNER
For the sweet salad dressings, I think a great choice is to go for
Oranges
Loaded with Vitamin C, Oranges serves two purpose in the salad dressings – sweet and sour! You can also use other fruits in dressing or as an element in your salads. Honey goes a long way too.
For a sweet curry, coconut sugar or jaggery powder can be added.
For homemade ketchup or BBQ sauce or dips, addition of Dates makes the most sense in terms of nutrition and taste.
4. SNACKS/DESSERTS
Start by choosing to make them at home. If you buy them from the market, they are going to be packed with loads of artificial sugar. While making them at home, add Fruits or Dried fruits such as apricots in order to make them wholesome. Of course, Dates are a great choice too. Being energy dense they work really well in these small power packed snacks.
For cake or muffin batter, you can mash a banana or add a homemade apple puree. For the icing, use honey or coconut sugar.
If you choose to make ice cream at home, go for frozen fruits. Banana is used here most often as it makes it very sweet and creamy. Add maple syrup or coconut sugar or dates for that caramely flavor.
So there you go! Those are all the alternatives you might need to switch to from your refined processed white sugar. Refer to the summary below for a quick overview and do not forget to comment below or reach out to me if you have a specific question!
You can do this!! 💪 😎
