Sugar Alternatives for the Health Conscious

As I venture through my thirties, I find myself becoming more aware of the products I put into my body. Last week, the World Health Organization advised that sugar should make up just 5 per cent of our daily calorie intake, which is half of its previous recommendation.  And one of the sad facts of the North American diet is that even if you avoid all desserts, you're still putting way more sugar into your body than it needs.  Sugar is hiding in everything from cereals (even the "healthy" ones), to fruit juices (even the "natural" ones), salad dressings, pretty much everything on a fast food menu, and so on.

Even worse than regular white table sugar are the alternatives that are marketed to dieters and diabetics. Products like Equal, Splenda and other aspartame-based products are pumping chemicals into your body which may or may not have health risks such as cancer attached to them.  I'd definitely prefer to avoid those.

Don't even get me started on High Fructose Corn Syrup.

So, what are we supposed to do, living in a world surrounded by sugar?  Ideally, the best course of action would be to change your taste buds.  Train them not to crave the sweet anymore.  If you're serious about this, my best advice would be to follow the Whole 30 plan for one month.  It's HARD.  But I did it.  And you can too.  And it's worth it.

If you're not quite ready to go that far, here's a list of the sugar alternatives that I like to keep on hand in my pantry:

Coconut Sugar
Coconut Sugar (aka coconut palm sugar) is derived from the sap of the coconut palm.  The sap is heated to remove water content, and then crushed into granules.  It looks and tastes similar to brown sugar.  It's low on the glycemic index, and can be used at a 1:1 ratio in most recipes.  Coconut sugar is gaining popularity in North America and can be found in many grocery stores (I actually saw some in No Frills, our local discount grocer, last night!), or it can be ordered online.


Maple Syrup
Maple Syrup is personally, one of my favourite sweeteners to use.  It is readily available, and easy to use.  When replacing sugar with maple syrup in baked goods, you will probably need to reduce the amount of other liquids by about a quarter to a third. Slightly less easy to find in stores is maple sugar, which is the dehydrated, granulated form of maple syrup.  But it may be easier to replace in recipes.



Honey (Raw, Local)

Honey, particularly raw, local honey if you can find it, is an excellent choice as a sugar alternative.  It has health benefits beyond many sugar alternatives as it aids in local allergies and is packed with vitamins.  It is sweeter than table sugar, and packs more calories.  Honey has a different flavour than most other sugars, so it may not always be the best substitute in baked goods - but it is definitely excellent in a cup of tea.



Xylitol
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and is commonly found in chewing gum, as it's known for its tooth remineralizing properties.  In its granulated form, it is very low on the glycemic index and can be replaced 1:1 with sugar.  It has fewer calories than sugar and is absorbed slower by the body, which makes it an excellent alternative for diabetics.  The one down-side to xylitol that I've read about is that it may produce a laxative effect if consumed in high quantities.  I've personally never experienced this, but since reading it, I avoid using it as a substitute in recipes calling for a large amount of sugar.

Stevia
Stevia is derived from a plant in the sunflower family.  It comes in various forms:
granulated, powdered, or liquid drops being among the most popular.  The liquid form is often flavoured.  Stevia is popular as a sugar substitute because it has zero calories, zero carbs and is at zero on the glycemic index.  Depending on the brand, stevia can have a licorice-type aftertaste, so it's not necessarily my favourite of the sweetener alternatives, but it definitely has its place on this list.


**Note: One other sugar alternative that I do not personally use is Agave Syrup.  I've read a lot of pros and cons on agave, and I'm not convinced that it's any better than table sugar, or any of the sugar alternatives I currently use in my own home.  Feel free to discuss your thoughts in the comments!

Sweet Omelette with Cinnamon Toasted Pecans (Primal)

This is my absolute favourite Primal breakfast, hands down.  If you're craving the taste of pancakes, but  don't feel like whipping up the egg whites for light, fluffy coconut flour pancakes, or don't feel like the heaviness of almond flour pancakes... this is the recipe you want.  It's quick, easy and delicious.

Ingredients:

For the Omelette:
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- dash of cinnamon
- butter for pan (about 1tsp)

For the Pecans:
- 1/2 cup pecans (I make extra so that I can snack on them later!)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon

Serve with:
- maple syrup
- blueberries or other fresh berries

Method:
1. Start with the pecans: In a small frying pan, melt 2 tbsp of butter.  When melted, add your pecans + cinnamon and sauté until the pecans look slightly softened and glisten with the butter.  Remove from heat and set aside in a dish.

2. In a bowl, beat the two eggs, vanilla and cinnamon.  Melt the butter in the pan, and then pour the mixture in.  When it starts to bubble on the sides, carefully flip it.  Once cooked, remove from pan and fold over on your plate.

3. Spoon the cinnamon-toasted pecans, and add some berries on top, then drizzle with maple syrup and serve!

The whole process takes less than 20 minutes - if you time it well, you may even be able to get a breakfast like this in before work or school!  Please let me know if you try this, and what you think!

Chocolate Fruit Bark

This is now my favorite recipe!! I used 2 dark chocolate bars, a mixture of tropical dried fruit, handful of raisins, slivered almonds, handful of cranberries and cinnamon. Below is the recipe, but I think this is the kind of recipe where you can alter it in any way. Add or remove any ingredients to suit your sweet tooth. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

12 oz high-quality dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup dried mango, chopped
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne or chili powder (optional)
1/4 tsp ginger powder (optional)

Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper of lightly greased parchment paper.

Using a double boiler, melt chocolate until very smooth. Stir in half the dried fruit, cashews and spices.

Spread the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining dried fruit.

Chill in refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes.

Break into pieces of desired size.

Romance Yourself: Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Happy May Day

So it is May 24 and while some people hit the bars and the “24’s”-eh I was plotting my evil cake plots. Well truth be told there is an entire meal planned out before this cake. But we are going to stick with the cake on this one.

Things you need:

CAKE

12 eggs separated (I find this works best with your hands)

1 cup white sugar

1/3^rd cup cocoa powder

MIDDLES

Homemade strawberry Jam

Strawberry

Chocolate Mousse

EXTRAS

Butter and line 2 9-inch cake pans. Set your oven for 350 F - you will be baking for about 30 mins or until the cake springs back to the touch.

In bowl 1 (aka the bigger bowl):

Beat egg yolks and the one cup sugar together for about 3 minutes until it is a nice pale spring time yellow.

Sift in the cocoa powder and then using a soft spatula fold and blend in.

In bowl 2, beat the whites of the eggs until they form soft peaks – how you know you are done is when you lift your hand mixer out and a little “peak” is left- also the bubbles are no longer bubbles and look solid.

In about 3 sections, fold the egg whites into the first bowl.

Pour into equal parts into 2 9-inch buttered pans and bake.

When done baking, pull out the cakes and let them rest until they are 100% cool.

On the first layer add strawberry jam followed by a layer of diced strawberries and then a sprinkle of sugar powder and top with chocolate mousse.
Drop 2^nd layer of cake on. Add another layer of strawberry jam, then a layer of chocolate mousse and decorate with strawberries on top.

When I served this I added melted dark chocolate that I swirled over the cake and plate with a big blob of whip cream .

ENJOY!