Sweeteners

Just for clarification (if you know me or have been reading my blog, this won't be anything new):  I adore sweets.  Especially chocolate.  I LOVE it!!!  I have done sugar elimination challenges before and all it does is make me want it even MORE.  What I have decided for my own sanity and for the well being and happiness of those around me, is that I will not give up sweets entirely, but rather I will eat them in moderation.  I just do better if I plan for a few treats a week.  That way I don't feel like I am totally depriving myself.  

I know a lot of people that have totally eliminating sugar from their diets.  I am in awe of them and impressed with their will power.  Part of me wishes that I could be more like them, and the other part of me wants to go make brownies.  

In my quest to improve my health and clean up my diet, I decided that I wanted more information on sugar.  I thought that it would be pretty simple.  I could just google sugar and poof, I would find a simple explanation.  That's not exactly what happened.  I found so much information and opinions, that my head started to spin.  

I decided that I would start off this quest by first looking into the different types of natural sweeteners available.  I'm not going to delve into artificial sweeteners at this time.  I try to avoid them and I believe that they are considered non-foods. 

It's important to remember that sugar is sugar, whether it is honey or the stuff you make sugar cookies with.  What is important to realize is that some sweeteners are more nutritious than others, have a lower glycemic index, and fewer calories.  

Sugarcane is a tropical grass that humans have used for thousands of years.  

REFINED SUGARS
  

Sugarcane
These include light and dark brown, powdered, and granulated white sugars.  These sugars are refined which means that the processing that they go through to go from the tropical grass to the actual sugar, strips away vitamins and minerals that naturally occur in the sugarcane plant.  The sugarcane stalks are basically pulverized, and water and lime are added to produce a juice. The juice is boiled until the sugar crystallizes. The crystals are run through a centrifuge, which separates the syrup. In the final stages, the sugar goes through the refining process, which involves washing, filtration and other purification methods to produce pure, white sugar crystals.

Sugar from Sugar Beets

Table sugar is extracted from the roots of sugar beets and the stalks of sugarcane. A beet is 17 percent sugar, so the task is to draw out this sugar from the sugar beet. The beets are sliced and placed in hot water, which produces a sugary juice. This juice then goes through several filtration, purification and concentration stages to isolate the sugars. The juice is also boiled so that it thickens and more crystals develop. The syrupy juice is then sent through a centrifuge to separate the crystals. The white crystals must then be granulated and packaged.  I grew up near a sugar beet factory and it was so stinky.  I was always amazed that sugar processing smelt so bad. 

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) comes from corn. Created in the 1960s, it is now a sweetener used in numerous processed foods including many sodas. The syrup has become popular for food makers because it's cheaper than white sugar. 

HFCS is classified as unnatural and artificial because the production process requires the addition of enzymes and altering the molecular arrangement of regular corn syrup, which makes it a GMO.  HFCS is high in fructose which is of concern since some research has linked high fructose intake to weight gain (especially around the abdominal area), high triglycerides, heart disease and insulin resistance.  Avoid HFCS because it has no nutritional value and it is easily and quickly processed by the body, which means that it goes straight to your muffin top.  

UNREFINED SUGARS

Blackstrap molasses is derived from sugarcane.  However, because it is less processed than refined sugar from sugarcane, it still contains significant amounts of vitamins and minerals. Sugarcane juice is boiled, cooled, and removed of its crystals, then it is boiled again (called second molasses) and then once more to produce Blackstrap molasses.  Through this third boiling process the most nutritious molasses is made, containing substantial amounts of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. When buying, consider choosing organic blackstrap molasses, as pesticides are more likely to be concentrated due to the production of molasses. 
Cooking notes: Blackstrap molasses has a very strong flavor, so it is best to just replace a small portion of sugar with molasses. 

Rapadurda is the Portuguese name for unrefined dried sugarcane juice. Probably the least refined of all sugarcane products, Rapadura is made simply by cooking juice that has been pressed from sugarcane until it is very concentrated, and then drying and granulating.  The only thing that is removed from the original sugarcane juice is the water.   Rapadura contains all of the vitamins and minerals that are normally found in sugarcane juice.  It has a similar taste and dark color to molasses.  

Sugar substitution: Rapadura replaces sugar 1:1.  Good for sugar substitutions in baked goods like brownies, coffee and black tea.

Sucanat stands for sugar-cane-natural, and is very similar to Rapadura. It is made by mechanically extracting sugarcane juice, which is then heated and cooled until tiny brown crystals form. It contains about 11% less sucrose than table sugar.  

Sugar substitution: Sucanat replaces sugar 1:1 and is also an accepted substitute for traditional brown sugar. Use it as you would rapadura (see above).

Turbinado sugar is often confused with sucanat, but the two are different. After the sugarcane is pressed to extract the juice, the juice is then boiled, cooled, and allowed to crystallize into granules (like sucanat, above). Next, these granules are refined to a light tan color by washing them in a centrifuge to remove impurities and surface molasses. Turbinado is lighter in color and contains less molasses than both rapadura and sucanat. A popular brand-name of turbinado sugar is Sugar in the Raw, which can be found in most natural food stores, and even in single-serve packets at coffee shops.  I buy it in the bulk foods section at Winco.

Sugar substitution: Replaces sugar 1:1. Turbinado is a great substitute for brown sugar, however, make sure that the granules "dissolve" before baking or you will end up with a bit of a crunch in your baked goods.  

Evaporated cane juice is essentially a finer, lighter-colored version of turbinado sugar. Still less refined than table sugar, it also contains some trace nutrients (that regular sugar does not), including vitamin B2. 
Cooking notes: Replaces sugar 1:1. Can be used in a wide variety of foods and recipes without adversely affecting color or flavor.

Agave nectar is produced from the juice of the core of the agave, a succulent plant native to Mexico. Far from a whole food, agave juice is extracted, filtered, heated and hydrolyzed into agave syrup. Vegans often use agave as a honey substitute, although it’s even sweeter and a little thinner than honey. It contains trace amounts of iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium.  Agave became popular because it has a low gylcemic index because of its low glucose content.  However, the fructose content of agave syrup is much higher than that of high fructose corn syrup.   High fructose corn syrup contains 55% fructose while agave nectar syrup contains 90%. Also there is a lot of controversy about how Agave is being produced.  Because of this, I don't use Agave very often.  I have a few paleo recipes that call for it, but I have started to replace it with honey instead. 
Cooking notes: To replace 1 cup of sugar, use 2/3 cup of agave nectar, reduce the quantity of liquids slightly, and reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit. It also makes a good sweetener in cold liquids, such as iced tea.

Brown rice syrup is made when white cooked rice is cultured with enzymes.  These enzymes break down the starch in the rice resulting in a liquid that is then cooked down to a thick, brown syrup. Cooking notes:  Brown rice syrup is about half as sweet as white sugar and has a mild butterscotch flavor. To replace one cup of sugar, use 1-1/3 cups brown rice syrup, and reduce liquid by about 1/4 cup and add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Brown rice syrup has the tendency to make food harder and crispier, so it’s great in crisps, granolas, and cookies. 

Honey, made by bees from the nectar of flowers, is a ready-made sweetener that contains traces of nutrients.  I usually use honey to replace sugar in the majority of my recipes.  I especially like the depth that it adds to breads.  I feel bad only discussing it for such a short paragraph since I do love it so much, but what more is there to say.  It's made by bees!!!
Cooking notes: To replace 1 cup sugar in baked goods, use about 3/4 cup of honey and lower the oven temperature 25 degrees Fahrenheit and reduce liquids by about 2 Tablespoons for each cup of honey.

Maple syrup comes from the sap of maple trees, which is collected, filtered, and boiled down to an extremely sweet syrup with a distinctive flavor. It contains fewer calories and a higher concentration of minerals (like manganese and zinc) than honey. Read the ingredients list on the nutrition label carefully, true maple syrup contains nothing but “maple syrup.”
Cooking notes: To replace 1 cup sugar in baking, use about 3/4 cup of maple syrup and lower the oven temperature 25 degrees Fahrenheit. For each cup of maple syrup, reduce liquids by about 2 tablespoons. 

Sweetener	Serving size	Calories	Carbs	Other nutrients of note
White (table) sugar	2 tsp	33	8 g	None*
Blackstrap molasses	2 tsp	32	8 g	Manganese (18% DV), copper (14% DV), iron (13% DV), calcium (12% DV), potassium (10% DV), magnesium (7%DV), vitamin B6 (5% DV), selenium (4% DV)
Rapadura	2 tsp	30	8 g	None*
Sucanat	2 tsp	30	8 g	None*
Turbinado sugar	2 tsp	30	8 g	None*
Evaporated cane juice	2 tsp	30	8 g	Riboflavin (3% DV), potassium (1% DV), manganese (1% DV), copper (1% DV), iron (1% DV)
Agave nectar syrup	2 tsp	40	8 g	None*
Brown rice syrup	2 tsp	40	10 g	None*
Honey	2 tsp	43	11 g	None*
Maple syrup	2 tsp	45	9 g	Manganese (22% DV), zinc (4% DV)

*Less than 0.5% DV of any vitamins or minerals
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