5 Natural Sweeteners: Regular Sugar Alternatives

by Katie Bock

 
Refined white sugar is processed and really not the best for our bodies.  Lucky for us there are a few alternative options that taste just as good!  Here are a few I use in the Kitchen…

5 Natural Sweeteners

Honey

Honey is my favorite of all.  I use this in my tea and also to make tasty cinnamon dishes.  Honey also has some powerful healing benefits.  It can help with Coughing, Sore throat, Immune Support, and Allergies.  When looking for honey it is important to find a local organic brand.  There are many farm stores that sell honey.  If local honey is not an option I recommend this honey…YS Organic Bee Farms Certified Organic Raw Honey

Something to Note

  • ½ to ¾ cup of honey for every 1 cup of white sugar in recipe
  • When baking with Honey you should lower oven Temperature about 25 degrees

Coconut Sugar

We use this a ton in our Kitchen.  Don’t get discouraged by its dark color, this can be used to replace white or brown sugar.  It has a strong smell and keeps the taste of foods the same.  This is a simple swap out for Refined White Sugar.  Using Coconut Sugar allows you to equally substitute recommendations in recipe, in other words 1 cup of sugar = 1 cup of Coconut Sugar.

Xylitol (Birch Sugar)

Why is this better the refined white sugar?  It has two-thirds the caloric value as regular sugar and Xylitol is also said to have dental benefits.  This would be an equal replacement for regular sugar.

Something to Note

  • Does not do well in Bread making or hard candies
  • High doses can cause Digestive side effects
  • Toxic to dogs

Maple Syrup

Who would have thought, Maple Syrup good for you!  That is great news, at least I thought so.  Now I do not mean the “Maple syrup” many of us put on pancakes as a child.  I mean real Pure Organic Maple Syrup , like…  Pure Maple Syrup is high in Manganese and Zinc.  Use ¾ cup Pure Maple Syrup to 1 cup regular Sugar.

Stevia

This natural sweetener is commonly heard of.  It comes from the Stevia rebaudiana Plant and is said to have positive health effects.  May lower blood Pressure (no effect on normal blood pressure) and may lower blood sugar levels in diabetics (Check here for further information of these effects).  That is pretty profound.  Substitute 1 tsp Stevia to 1 cup regular sugar.  This may be the best natural sweetener option so experiment with Stevia and give it a chance, it may have to grow on you.  The benefits are worth it though.

While these are healthy alternatives, you still want to use any form of “sugar” in moderation.  Our bodies are not meant to process high amounts of Sugar.  I encourage you to test out these alternatives and find which ones work best in your kitchen.  Remember it is your Body, your Health and your Life…

You May also be Interested in

How to determine what is Best to Eat

DIY Immune Support

How to Keep Toxins out of Your Home