Natural sugar alternatives
If you're sugar-free, or trying to reduce your sugar intake then you might be on the search for a healthier alternative. Most people will turn to artificial sweeteners, but these can build up the calories of a meal by a lot.
The British Heart Foundation advises that adults should eat a maximum of 30g of 'free' sugars per day. These 'free' sugars are sugar that does not naturally occur in the food's structure - it's added sugar.
Here are 10 natural sugar alternatives that you might want to consider instead:
1. Agave Nectar
Agave is a naturally occurring syrup, found in Mexican and South American plants. It actually comes from the same plant as tequila! This sugar alternative comes in a thin liquid form, and dissolves easily so it is very easy to add to smoothies or to pour over a dessert such as waffles or pancakes.
2. Honey
Using honey as an alternative to sugar can help save the bees, it has helpful antioxidants which are linked to preventing cancers, can help with pollen allergies, and can soothe a sore throat. Plus, it's super easy to find and not expensive!
3. Maple Syrup
Many of us use maple syrup as a delicious topping for pancakes, but this creates a perfect and natural alternative to sugar. It comes from the sap produced by the maple tree, but did you also know that maple syrup contains over 50 antioxidants? Making it an excellent alternative to sugar.
4. Raisins
When baking, add some raisins for an extra sweet kick to your bake. You can even blend a cup of raisins in a food processor and add it to your baking mixture. Raisins have a very healthy dosage of fibre too.
5. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a sweet spice that you can sprinkle into coffee or tea to give your sweet tooth a little relief. It's calorie free too, and has been proven to aid digestion.
6. Cocoa powder
Add some cocoa powder to your baking for some extra sweetness, or if you're looking for a sweet fix fast you can mix some cocoa powder and a glass of warm milk. It makes a nice hot chocolate, but without all of the sugar.
7. Coconut sugar
Sourced from coconut palm trees and made into granulated sugar or paste form, coconut sugar creates a delicious, organic and natural alternative to sugar. You can use it in the exact same way that you would use sugar or sweetener, so add it to your tea, or put it in your baking recipes, or sprinkle it over some cornflakes. You can find it at Holland & Barrett and some other health food stores.
8. Pureed banana
If you're looking for something really simple, or have some over-ripe bananas that you don't know what to do with then consider pureeing them in a food processor and adding it to your bakes. There's no need for extra sugar; and you can find some really easy banana loaf recipes online too!
9. Lime juice
Lime juice comes in handy when looking for something sweet to drink on a hot day. For a sweet and tart thirst quencher simply add some lime juice to sparkling water with ice - you can even put in a shot of a spirit of your choice. It's five o'clock somewhere!
10. Orange juice
Did you know you can swap out the sugar in a recipe for homemade bread? It provides the acid needed in a bread recipe, and of course adds some sweet flavouring. It's also one of the best ways to get in your Vitamin C.
