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Healthy Sugar Alternatives That You Should Try

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Everyone can use a little sweetness in their lives and more often than not, people get this through a satisfying sugar fix. While sugar and artificial sweeteners can significantly enhance the flavour of your food,  sugar is also associated with a wide range of health issues. Fortunately, several healthier sugar alternatives can likewise satisfy your sweet tooth, and below are some of them.

Honey

Honey is a natural sweetener that contains more nutrients than table sugar. It is rich in antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins, which are all easy to digest because of honey’s nature. In case you are not fond of honey, date syrup is a great honey substitute that can still provide you the sweet fix that you need. In this case, you can use either honey or date syrup in your smoothies, baked goods, as well as sauces.

Agave Nectar

Another natural sweetener that you can try in place of table sugar is agave nectar. While it poses slightly fewer nutrients compared to honey, it is highly flavourful, such that you won’t need to add that much in your food or beverage. The great part is that agave nectar is known to have a long shelf life.

Coconut Sugar

There is also the option for you to try coconut sugar if you are actively seeking a sugar alternative. Since coconut sugar is mostly unrefined, you will get to enjoy all its vitamins and minerals. It is also easy to use in the kitchen because you can use it as a one-to-one replacement for either white or brown sugar. Nevertheless, if you intend to use it for baking, you should grind it using a blender or a food processor because it can be quite coarse since it is unrefined.

Maple Syrup

You may already use maple syrup for your waffles and pancakes, but aside from these types of foods, it is also a good sugar substitute. Thus, try using it in your savoury dishes with vegetables, chicken, or salmon. You can even add it to your salad dressing. Maple syrup is high in antioxidants and minerals, which includes calcium, iron, and zinc.

How to reduce sugar in your diet

In case your overall goal is to eventually reduce your sugar intake significantly, make sure to drink lots of water rather than going for flavoured drinks. There is also the option for you to go for calorie-free beverages or low-fat milk, aside from water.

It will also help if you opt for whole fruits rather than a serving of a processed dessert. Alongside this, add some fresh fruits to your cereals instead of buying fruit-flavoured sweetened cereals. You can also add fresh fruits to sweeten plain yoghurt rather than having a cup of artificially sweetened yoghurt.

The Bottom Line

A reduction in your sugar consumption can lead to several health benefits, but this doesn’t mean that you can no longer enjoy sweet treats. Try some of the healthier alternatives mentioned above and for sure, you will still satisfy your sweet tooth, while controlling your sugar intake.