White sugar, which is found in almost every food in daily life, is known as a refined substance that negatively affects health and prepares the ground for many diseases, especially diabetes and obesity in excessive use.
Therefore, if you want to switch to a healthy life, one of the important points you should pay attention to is to minimise the consumption of refined sugar or completely eliminate refined sugar from your life.
However, your diet and body, which is accustomed to sweet foods, may not welcome this, especially when you first start to move away from sugar.
Therefore, there are sugar alternatives that you can consume your favourite flavours in a healthier way. You can prepare healthier foods by using these alternatives in your foods.
In this way, you can switch to a new lifestyle without having to give up your favourite flavours while maintaining weight control.
Coconut Sugar!
It is true that this sugar obtained from the coconut palm tree is more nutritious and has a lower glycaemic index than sugar. Also known as coconut palm sugar, this substance is obtained from the sugary sap of the coconut plant.
White sugar and high fructose corn syrup are “empty” because they do not contain any nutrients. beyond providing calories. Coconut sugar contains a small amount of the nutrients found in this tree. In addition to iron, zinc, calcium and potassium, it also contains short-chain fatty acids, polyphenols and antioxidants with health benefits.
Coconut sugar is rich in zinc, potassium and B vitamins. Coconut sugar, which can be used as an alternative to refined sugar, gives desserts a light, vanilla flavour and fragrance.
This sugar, which you can use in all kinds of desserts and cakes, does not create the sharp taste of refined sugar, thus adding a lighter taste to your healthy snacks. If you prefer coconut oil as oil while preparing your healthy snacks, you can make the taste and smell of the snacks more pleasant.
Honey!
Honey has been used as a flavouring and preservative throughout human history. It is known that sweet is good for the mood, but honey has many more benefits than that.
Honey is formed when the slightly sweet liquid known as nectar in flowers enters the bee’s body and combines with various secretions and enzymes. Honey contains a large number of macro- and micronutrients, enzymes, probiotics, prebiotics, vitamins and minerals. After the bee secretes the transformation of the nectar in its body, it empties the honey into the honeycombs in the hive. Here the liquid evaporates and the honey takes its final form that we buy in the market when the worker bees in the hive close the mouth of the honeycomb.
Thanks to these features, natural and real honey is a food that will easily meet your daily sugar need. Thanks to its vitamin and protein supplements, honey is among the sugar alternatives that you can easily access.
Since its taste is quite similar to refined sugar, you can easily use honey in tea, coffee and milk, and you can also use it in dessert recipes.
Carob Extract!
Carob extract is a very useful sugar alternative with its structure similar to molasses but not as sharp as molasses and its contributions to the body.
Carob extract, which is obtained from the extract of carob fruit, is a unique food with its smell and taste, as well as being a powerful source of health as it contains almost all the minerals and many valuable vitamins necessary for humans. For Anatolian people, carob extract has been a unique flavour that they do not spare from their table in every season.
It is 3 times richer in calcium than milk and is also known to balance blood sugar and is good for anaemia. However, it is important to find the best carob extract. It should be preferred especially as cold pressed. In this way, the extract turns into a health store that contains all the nutritional values of carob.
But there is also a point to be considered when consuming carob extract: Carob extract has high calories. Therefore, excess consumption should be avoided.
Carob extract is also a cookable food, so you can easily use it in sweet healthy snacks, especially when you want to get a sugary and caramelised taste.
Molasses!
Molasses of different foods such as mulberry, carob, carob, carob, especially grape molasses can be made. Molasses types, which are very healthy, have different benefits to the body according to the food used in it.
Molasses is also among the healthy sugar alternatives. You can use molasses, which is especially high in iron, calcium and potassium content, in small amounts in your desserts or healthy foods.
Since it is high in calories, attention should be paid to the amount of molasses use, as excessive use may cause weight gain or sudden increase in blood sugar.