Having decided to eat right, the first thing to do is to give up sugar. This does not mean that you need to deprive yourself of a daily portion of sweets that raise the level of endorphin. There are many options for replacing sugar without harming your health.
Definition
Sugar is a product that we eat daily, and in its various forms. He gives the dish sweetness, energizes, uplifting. It is widely believed that sugar is simply necessary for employees of enhanced mental work, it improves brain activity and prevents possible overwork. However, this is a common misconception. Sugar is a fast carbohydrate that produces virtually no results other than settling on its sides and increased cravings for sweets. Scientists have proven that the body does not need it at all, and it is better to replace it with slow carbohydrates, the energy of which will supply the brain much longer.
And how can sugar be replaced? You must admit that honey and a number of chemical sweeteners from the nearest supermarket immediately come to mind. These products are more useful, but each has its own advantages and disadvantages. In addition, there are many other good and useful alternatives to the "sweet poison" that are available in our kitchen. This is a great option for replacing it in baking if you can’t do without sugar without a prescription.
Honey
We know about him since childhood. This sweet treat is called a real healing elixir for its wonderful natural composition. Honey is a great substitute for sugar. Firstly, it is more useful, and secondly, only one teaspoon will completely replace several tablespoons of sand.
Try a cup of tea with honey. Taste sensations will be unchanged, but the benefits in such a drink will definitely be added. Honey is a partially processed nectar collected by bees from plants. In fact, these are pure carbohydrates dissolved in a small amount of water. Can sugar be replaced with honey? Not only possible, but necessary! Just keep in mind that at high temperatures it loses all its useful properties, only sweetness and aroma remain. It is recommended to dissolve it in a warm liquid, the temperature of which is not higher than forty degrees.
Stevia
Until recently, it was completely mysterious for most Russians. But after finding out all of its useful qualities, stevia quickly gained popularity and is even grown in personal plots. The uniqueness of the grass lies in its rich composition containing a lot of nutrients, amino acids, vitamins and mineral salts. Thanks to this set of stevia has a high degree of sweetness and has a low calorie content. When baking, sugar can be replaced with it. Now it is sold in the form of syrup in any store, and in addition, stevia can strengthen immunity, cope with the accumulated slags and other harmful substances in the body.
In baking, stevia is used everywhere. It is unsuitable only for recipes requiring additional caramelization. By adding one hundred grams of sugar to the products, you can get not only a ton of extra calories, but also an increase in the serving volume. Stevia is required in much smaller quantities, it does not change the volume and general structure of the dish at all, only adding additional sweetness to it. The plant has an interesting characteristic flavor, so it does not mix well with some products. So, the grass is intensively felt in milk and fruit neutral desserts. Culinary experts recommend mixing stevia with other sweeteners, thereby lowering the brightness of its taste and achieving the least amount of calories in the end.
Agave Syrup
A wonderful natural sweetener, which, unfortunately, is difficult to find on sale. It is made from an exotic Mexican plant, from which, by the way, tequila is also made. It is chosen by people who monitor their nutrition, but this syrup should be eaten carefully. The fact is that in the process of its production a large amount of fructose condenses - its content can reach up to 97%, which is extremely unprofitable for the body. Fructose is not able to increase blood sugar, but its constant intake in large quantities develops insulin resistance.
Homemade spices
Cinnamon, nutmeg, almonds and especially vanilla can give the dish not only a wonderful aroma, but also an amazing sweet taste. Can sugar be replaced with vanilla sugar? This is one of the most common options to date, which is successfully used by experienced housewives. This fragrant ingredient, in fact, is sugar aged in vanilla pods. It is packaged in small bags weighing no more than twenty grams. The problem is that such sugar can be saturated with both natural vanilla and its artificial substitute. In order not to purchase such an unnatural spice, carefully read the composition on the label or make fragrant vanilla sugar at home.
Cooking Vanilla Sugar
How can vanilla sugar be replaced? Only natural fragrant seasoning, which is actually the whole vanilla pods. They are saturated with the aroma, which quickly absorbs sugar, if you place it together with vanilla sticks in a tightly corked glass jar. You can withstand the container in any cool and poorly lit place, be sure to periodically stir the contents. After ten days, the product can be used to prepare various pastries and other fragrant and delicious desserts.
Raisins
If you don’t have vanilla sugar at hand, but you want to add baking personality, use raisins. It is a powerful antioxidant which, if ground, gives the dish a good sweetness and a pleasant bright aroma. Try to bake a delicious muffin with it. Without sugar, of course!
Maple syrup
What else can replace vanilla sugar? Maple syrup is an exclusively natural product that is made from real fresh juice. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, it contains more than fifty types of antioxidants, and it is also very fragrant and will be a great alternative to sugar in morning cereals or fruit desserts.
Citrus
Lemon, orange and other fruits with a rich aroma can perfectly replace sugar. Scientists have found that the brain perceives them as sweet, which means desserts with a little zest will be a great option for those who follow their figure.
Artificial Sweeteners
These include saccharin, aspartame and sucralose. Their biggest advantage is accessibility and the almost complete absence of calories. Can sugar be replaced with this type of sweetener? They are several times sweeter and do not give additional volume when baking products, as well as stevia. But their taste is much paler than real sugar, and in the preparation of shortcrust pastry it is not possible to achieve the presence of crispy crumbly crumbs with their use. In no one of its purchased versions is this product capable of providing the dish the airiness and lightness it needs, but the maximum sweetness is guaranteed here. Experienced culinary experts recommend that in order to reduce the calorie content of baking, replace with a sweetener half the volume of sugar in the recipe. Is it possible to replace powdered sugar with artificial sugar? The flavor of this product is very concentrated, with a clear sourness in the aftertaste, therefore, in such a variation, the use of these sweeteners is not recommended.
Sugar alcohols
Xylitol and erythritol are especially popular now. They contain a minimum of carbohydrates. They are a great option for diabetics and come in many forms. You can replace sugar with these ingredients during baking, they will give it the desired volume, structure and consistency, almost without changing the main taste of the finished product. Their main disadvantage can be attributed only to high consumption. In relation to sugar, erythritol and xylitol are used in almost equal proportions. They are able to crystallize, and for this they are so loved by cooks who specialize in the manufacture of dishes with low calorie content. With the help of sugar alcohols, you can cook tasty high-quality meringues or fragrant caramelized apples. In this case, you can replace sugar with powdered sugar made from these ingredients, or use them as a mix, combining in equal proportions with ordinary sugar. This will reduce the degree of influence of the mentioned alcohols on the body, since their use in large quantities can adversely affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Fructose
It has a more pronounced sweet taste compared to sugar (usually used in 1: 3 proportions), and it is the best alternative for diabetics. Can I replace sugar with fructose when baking? It has powerful absorbent properties and can absorb more moisture from the environment. Therefore, products with it will always be wetter, even if you take fructose in smaller proportions. Also, under the influence of high temperatures, it quickly changes color to dark, so it will not work to prepare a beautiful white cake on its basis.
- Fructose is absorbed three times slower than sugar.
- It supplies the body with the amount of energy it needs.
- It does not give a quick feeling of fullness, therefore it can be consumed in larger than necessary quantities.
- The level of glucose in the blood rises slowly after its use, but lasts much longer than after meals with regular sugar.
Choosing how to replace sugar, most people prefer fructose. It is healthy and sweet, can be used in the preparation of most desserts, but requires some restrictions on use. Splitting in the body very slowly, it almost completely enters the liver cells, where it differentiates into fatty acids. Their high accumulation can lead to fouling of the liver with visceral fat, which, in turn, is the first symptom of the onset of obesity.
Dried fruits and fruits
Can sugar be replaced with regular fruits? Why not? Very ripe and juicy, they contain the maximum amount of sweetness, which the brain perfectly perceives and uses exclusively for its own benefit.
Dried fruits are the same fructose, only in a convenient concentrated form, which can be used as a separate nutritious snack or for the preparation of a wide variety of dishes - from sweet desserts, pies and jams to jellies and compotes.
Cane sugar
Listing how sugar can be replaced, one cannot fail to mention this product. It’s only a pity that in our country it’s almost impossible to buy it, and it’s not cheap. Therefore, a number of unscrupulous producers replace ordinary beet sugar with cane sugar by tinting it.
There is no difference between these products, if you do not take their color into account, so using it as an alternative food is impractical and simply unprofitable.