Healthier Alternatives to Sugar

Sugar, as we all know, can be quite a bad thing if you don’t keep it in moderation. Too much sugar can lead to weight gain. Too much can be bad for your blood sugar levels. And too much can cause other complications in general.

Does this mean we should cut out all sugar? Of course not. It just means we need to be more conscious of these sorts of things and monitor our intake of sugar a lot more than we’re accustomed to. While it can be a pain to look at those things all the time and have to keep track of what you’re eating, the health benefits will pay off once you notice the excess sugar you’re taking in from certain foods. From there, it’s as simple as cutting them out of your diet.

Anyway, let’s look at a few alternatives to table sugar that you can start using that are natural and have lower calories than what you’re used to.

Honey

Everyone knows honey is as natural a sweetener as they come. Honey tends to be better because it’s natural, but it’s also a very solid sweetener that you can use in hot drinks in the morning. Make sure not to overload your drink with honey, though. It’s still a bit higher in sugar content than you’d realize.

Agave nectar

Ahhh, one of my favorites. Agave nectar can be used if you’re vegan and don’t want to use animal byproducts. It may have a few more calories than table sugar, but it’s glycemic index is a lot better off than granulated sugar. You can use this in tea, you can use it in baking, and you can use it in your margaritas! (Fun fact: Did you know that agave nectar is used in margaritas for au natural margs? It compliments tequila quite well because, you know, they’re both from the same plant!)

Maple syrup

Last but not least, we have maple syrup. This is a very common substitute for sugar when baking sweet treats. Try not to get hung up on the notion that syrup is only used for pancakes and waffles. Instead, give it a try yourself and you’ll understand why it’s so often used in baking! In a pinch, it can be used in your hot drinks as well, though I’d recommend sticking to the above two items for that instead. Still, it’s another natural option to table sugar when you need it for various reasons.