Sugar Substitues

seashell709

I"m wanting to try different sugar substitutes but i don't want any of the fake sweeteners because they give me headaches. Which ones do you use, why do you like them and how much do you use instead of regular sugar?

ninerbuff

I"m wanting to try different sugar substitutes but i don't want any of the fake sweeteners because they give me headaches. Which ones do you use, why do you like them and how much do you use instead of regular sugar?

Unfortunately ALL sugar substitutes are "fake sugar" or else they would be sugar. Which ones have you tried that give you headaches?

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misskariw

Maybe try Stevia since it's actually a different type of sweet plant instead of a chemical sugar substitute..or...you could use dates and other fruits for sweetening foods and honey for hot drinks. If you're hankering for a sweet tea...I'd go with the fruit, there, too.

seashell709

splenda and nutrasweet or the ones that i have tried. anything with aspartame is bad for me as well. I'm looking on how to cut back on using sugar in my baking. I dont use sugar in my drinks. Mostly black coffee and water

ninerbuff

splenda and nutrasweet or the ones that i have tried. anything with aspartame is bad for me as well. I'm looking on how to cut back on using sugar in my baking. I dont use sugar in my drinks. Mostly black coffee and water

Well you've named 3 of the 4 sugar substitutes that are out there. Maybe give Stevia a try, but if it doesn't work, then you may just have to reduce the amount of sugar in your baking.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

jillomahony

What about agave, maple syrup ect in your baking?

paperfiish

I've been doing some research into sugar substitutes as well. I'm thinking of trying brown rice syrup (Suzanne's Specialties is guaranteed organic from an arsenic-free region, jic you run across any arsenic stories about it and get worried) . I've been using raw honey for years and love it but it still causes a pretty big sugar rush, so it's not great in much quantity if you're trying to stabilize your blood sugar over the day like me. Haven't tried agave but I have friends who love it, though ultimately it doesn't seem very sustainable.

There's also sucanat, maple syrup, or in baking specifically you can replace certain things in recipes with apple sauce, carrots, sweet potatoes, or other fruits/sweet vegetables-- still has fructose but it's accompanied by all the nutrients that get stripped in the refining process. I personally prefer doing this, since I'd rather get my sweetness from an actual nutrient-rich source than try to replicate sugar with something else equally as questionable (even if fruit/veggies not always the EXACT same taste or texture as with refined sugar). I think the type you use depends on what your goal for it's use is, so any one single substitute probably won't cover everything you'd normally use sugar for.

MichelleLaree13

For baking you can try applesauce and bananas.

MissBabyJane

Honey, maybe? It's not a sugar substitues, but it's healthier

SezxyStef

Xylitol...nuff said.

I tried stevia, truvia etc and found they have that same bad aftertaste as all the others.

Xylitol is made from trees (birch and maple) and looks like sugar (bigger crystals) tastes like sugar no gmo's, no additives and has been used for centuries.

One caveat...it's a laxative...takes a while for your body to get used to it...but even that isn't that bad...

msf74

I'm looking on how to cut back on using sugar in my baking.

May I ask why you feel the need to do so?

If it's for baking I don't think there are any good substitutes. For me I would rather have a smaller slice of cake for example made with sugar than a slightly bigger slice made with a substitute.

stuffinmuffin

I just use honey if I need it. I try and avoid sweets/puddings anyway (fortunate to prefer cheese to cake!)

kiramaniac

I follow a low carb plan, so don't use sugar. I like Z Sweet for my low carb baking. Z Sweet is Erythritol blended with Stevia extract. I think it has a very "clean" flavor, without any unpleasant aftertaste. The only sweeteners that I've found to work well are:

- Z Sweet (Erythritol / Stevia)
- Swerve (Erythritol / Oligiosaccharides)
- Xylitol

Z Sweet is my go-to, in large part because my local grocery store carries it. All of these measure in a 1:1 ratio to sugar in recipes.

Good Luck!

ninerbuff

What about agave, maple syrup ect in your baking?

Those are still sugar just in a "natural" form.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

mom2rpkp

I reduce the sugar by about 1/4 in any recipe, then, for what remains, use a combination of regular sugar and LIQUID alcohol-free stevia. I find that combination gives great taste and texture with no aftertaste. For example, my muffin recipe calls for 1/3 cup of sugar. That's a little over 5 tablespoons. I use 3 tablespoons of real sugar and 10 drops of stevia. In teas, I use a LITTLE honey, and in coffee, 3 drops of liquid stevia. Tomato -based sauces get 1/2 TBSP of real sugar and 5 drops stevia if I use canned tomatoes. I don't use sugar in anything else. Hope that helps. You'll get a lot of advice demonizing certain items and praising others - you will find what works for YOU. I have been successful in using moderation except for those foods I find hard to stop eating. For me, those are sugar and foods with a lot of additives, so, for those, I am attentive to quantity and quality.