What is refined sugar?

Sweet_Potato
Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My girlfriend is on a diet (for medical reasons) where she's forbidden from consuming refined sugar and artificial sweeteners. I understand that honey, maple syrup, and sugars occurring naturally in fruits and vegetables are not refined. But what about brown sugar? Agave nectar? Turbinado? I tried to Google this but the answers are all over the place.

Replies

  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    Anyone?
  • jfazio22
    jfazio22 Posts: 15
    I'm no expert, but from what I gathered any crystallized form of sugar is refined. None of what we get from a package labeled as sugar occurs naturally. What I mean is you can't just cut open a sugar fruit to find granulated sugar. Also none of the substitutes are any better so scratch those you listed too. Honey is the best, IMHO, but I suggest a detailed conversation be held with your GFs Dr. Almost every packaged food item on planet earth contains sugar or a sugar substitute. To really cut out refined sugar means to cut out almost all store bought bread, cereals, energy bars, pasta mixes... the complete list would probably be the length of a DNA strand. Her Dr. really should provide some guidance as to what this dietary restriction entails.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    To really cut out refined sugar means to cut out almost all store bought bread, cereals, energy bars, pasta mixes... the complete list would probably be the length of a DNA strand. Her Dr. really should provide some guidance as to what this dietary restriction entails.

    She's not supposed to have those things anyway; processed foods and gluten are also on the do-not-eat list (we never eat store bought bread, cereals, energy bars, or pasta mixes anyway so that's not a huge deal). He also says she's not supposed to eat honey if it's warm. I'd like to occasionally bake something sweet that fits into her restrictions, but maple syrup has a unique taste that isn't always appropriate and it doesn't behave the same way as granulated sugar would.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    I'm also looking for a substitute for vinegar and citrus, if anyone has suggestions!
  • NikoM5
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
    If your girlfriend's diet is honestly making a distinction between white table sugar and maple syrup or honey then the diet is bogus.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    For baking you could try using unsweetened apple sauce or mashed banana. It is amazing how sweet they taste once you have cut sugar.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    For baking you could try using unsweetened apple sauce or mashed banana. It is amazing how sweet they taste once you have cut sugar.

    Bananas aren't allowed either but the applesauce is a good suggestion! I'm also going to try making mock brownies with mashed dates.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    If your girlfriend's diet is honestly making a distinction between white table sugar and maple syrup or honey then the diet is bogus.

    It's not a fad diet but one that was prescribed by a medical doctor. Supposedly refined sugars are more difficult to digest.

    Edited to add: Even the natural sugars are to be consumed only occasionally, so it's not like I'm going to be drizzling honey on everything!
  • jfazio22
    jfazio22 Posts: 15
    He also says she's not supposed to eat honey if it's warm. I'd like to occasionally bake something sweet that fits into her restrictions, but maple syrup has a unique taste that isn't always appropriate and it doesn't behave the same way as granulated sugar would.

    Does he mean ever been heated over a certain temperature or to not consume it when its above room temperature? This diet sounds a lot like a GAPS diet with further acidic and fruit restrictions.

    How about something like this: http://zenbellyblog.com/2013/02/13/no-joke-dark-chocolate-cake/

    It has Maple Syrup and Honey. My wife made it a couple weeks ago and it was unbelievable. We cut the recipe in half since there are only two of us. This is a Paleo/Primal recipe so it is calorie and fat rich.
  • jfazio22
    jfazio22 Posts: 15
    I forgot to add, we've had lots of success with organic grade B maple syrup... it's pricey though.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    He also says she's not supposed to eat honey if it's warm. I'd like to occasionally bake something sweet that fits into her restrictions, but maple syrup has a unique taste that isn't always appropriate and it doesn't behave the same way as granulated sugar would.

    Does he mean ever been heated over a certain temperature or to not consume it when its above room temperature? This diet sounds a lot like a GAPS diet with further acidic and fruit restrictions.

    How about something like this: http://zenbellyblog.com/2013/02/13/no-joke-dark-chocolate-cake/

    It has Maple Syrup and Honey. My wife made it a couple weeks ago and it was unbelievable. We cut the recipe in half since there are only two of us. This is a Paleo/Primal recipe so it is calorie and fat rich.

    The literature from him just says no heated honey. I've never heard of the GAPS diet but it looks similar (though a lot less restrictive!).

    And that chocolate cake looks amazing! I would need to find chocolate chips that have no dairy or refined sugar, but I could probably improvise something with unsweetened chocolate or cocoa powder if I had to. On second thought, I could probably skip the frosting and ganache entirely since she prefers plain cakes!
  • jfazio22
    jfazio22 Posts: 15
    We found some at our local food coop but you could always lightly grind some unsweetened chocolate. We have talked about just making the cake and pureeing frozen bananas to top it, not something you could do but maybe a strawberry and blueberry blend instead.

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