Healthy Alternatives to Sugar

I planned to make this the last post in my series on sugar, but I have decided to do another post next week as well. But I am keeping it a surprise. You’ve all learned why you need to ditch sugar, the many names of sugar, and the ways you can combat those sugar cravings. If you missed any of those posts, I encourage you to read through them.

The past few weeks, I have delved into many articles, research and books on sugar and just started another book on the topic. These books will definitely be added to my list of books you should all read. They would fall under the “Health” category. It’s both intriguing and disgusting to me what sugar does to our bodies and how much we consume in America. Sugar lurks everywhere.

If you are anything like me, you love sweets. Treats, cookies, the occasional ice cream cone makes us feel good, at least temporarily, and they taste good. It’s not bad to have the occasional treat, but in today’s society it’s not an occasional treat, it’s an everyday, sometimes multiple times a day treat. This is the problem. Ditching sugar is hard, and I know that, which is why I want to offer some healthy alternatives to sugar including some recipes that are made without any added sugar or use other natural sweeteners.

In today’s market there’s many natural sweeteners that are easy on our bodies, and today you’ll learn some of my favorites.

• Stevia – This is in powder form or liquid form. It can have an after taste that some are not fond of, and may be more of an acquired taste. I tend to use less than what a recipe would call for in sugar, because it’s 40x times sweeter than sugar. So if the recipe says 2 cups sugar, I go with 1 – 1 1/2 cups stevia, because of it’s strong taste and it’s sweetness. You definitely don’t need as much. Stevia is made from a herb, has zero calories and doesn’t cause a rise in blood sugar.
• Truvia – Is a product made using stevia. It has less of a bitter after taste, as producers have learned to use the sweeter part of the plant. Use it in baking, but know that stevia is 40x sweeter than sugar, so it’s hard to know how much you’ll need. Better used in coffee, tea, or yogurts.
• Honey – Some would argue that this isn’t a great alternative because of its glycemic index, but I would argue it’s better than sugar because it contains helpful enzymes that help to combat sickness and allergies. It’s sweet for sure, but raw, organic honey is better than the processed white sugar.
• Maple Syrup – This is another great alternative to processed sugars. It’s great in place of sugar in bars, pies, breads and muffins. Use pure maple syrup, most syrup doesn’t even contain maple syrup and is just HFCS. Those who can’t stomach a lot of sugar, do better using maple syrup in their baking. Contains antioxidants, but does contain some fructose.
• Coconut Sugar -Made from the sap of coconut palms. It’s low in fructose and high in potassium and vitamin C. Read ingredient labels, as sometimes products are mixed with cane sugar. I think it’s a great substitute for sugar in most any recipe. I’ve used it in cookies, breads, bars and cakes.
• Agave – A liquid sweetener, that is like honey in texture. It’s much sweeter than sugar, so again you don’t need near as much of it in baking. It can be hard to bake with, because of it’s sweetness in comparison to sugar. I like it in puddings, over pancakes, overnight oats, chia pudding, etc. Great in making granola.
• Dates – These are great for adding sweetness to your baking. Especially great in power bars and healthy bites or protein bites. You can make a date paste, by soaking in water and then processing in a food processor to be used in brownies and breads. High in potassium and antioxidants. Or use Date sugar, which is a great substitute for brown sugar in recipes because of it’s texture.
• Xylo Sweet – Or Xylitol is made from plant fibers (think those in berries and cornhusks). It’s low in calorie and doesn’t raise blood sugar levels. Since it’s harvested from cornhusks, it could contain GMOs, so read package ingredients and look for non-GMO.

**Don’t use Sweet’n’low or Splenda. These are not healthy alternatives, as they are not natural, but artificial sweeteners and have health risks with continued use.  

***You can also use unsweetened applesauce and bananas to add sweetness to recipes, which I tend to do a lot. 

Healthy Alternatives to Sugar + 15 great sugar free recipes via @wholesomelybry #health #ditchsugar #nutrition #recipes #healthtips Share on X

Recipes With no Sugar / Some with Natural Sweeteners

Blueberry Lavender Muffins – My newest recipe.

Flourless Chocolate Mini Cakes – Super easy to make and I used these for R’s first birthday cake, no sweetener (except for the natural sweetness of bananas, and she as well as everyone else, loved them).

Tart Cherry Protein Breakfast Cookie – I love breakfast cookies and they are simple to make, with many options for fillings!! Great for freezing.

Flourless Chocolate Black Bean Brownies –

Coconut Chia Pudding – I love chia puddings. You can add Truvia, honey, maple syrup whatever natural sweetener you like.

Almost Raw Pumpkin Pie 

Chocolate Avocado Mousse – a staple in our house

Banana Chia Pudding 

No Bake Cookies

Flourless Almond Butter Cookies  – also can make peanut butter cookies

Sugar Free Matcha Breakfast Cookie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookie – Don’t mind that they look like cow pies 😉

GF Vegan Zucchini Muffins

Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream – 3 simple ingredients

Protein / Healthy Bites – you’ll find a list of great ones to try!!

Hope you have some tools to help you ditch the sugar, without feel like you are missing something, because ultimately you aren’t. You’re doing your body and health a favor, and you aren’t compromising flavor (see what I did there?!)

Have a great weekend Friends!!

Until Next Time Be Whole and Be Fit