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February 16, 2011

"Whole Living" Taste Test: Six All-Natural Alternatives to Refined Sugar

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Today we tasted six all-natural alternatives to refined cane sugar, each with a different flavor, texture, and nutritional bonus.

1 Today we tasted six all-natural alternatives to refined cane sugar, each with a different flavor, texture, and nutritional bonus.

Terri tasted them blind on the air, with a tub of refined white sugar thrown in just to see if she'd detect it - she did!

2 Terri tasted them blind on the air, with a tub of refined white sugar thrown in just to see if she'd detect it - she did!

Cane syrup, extracted by boiling cane juice over open flame, is thick and has a taste between maple syrup and molasses.

3 Cane syrup, extracted by boiling cane juice over open flame, is thick and has a taste between maple syrup and molasses.

Rich, flavorful, and mineral, it initially stumped Terri in our taste test but emerged as her favorite discovery of the bunch.

4 Rich, flavorful, and mineral, it initially stumped Terri in our taste test but emerged as her favorite discovery of the bunch.

Palm sugar is made from the the nectar of the coconut palm, collected and kettle-boiled into a thick caramel, then dried and ground into powder.

5 Palm sugar is made from the the nectar of the coconut palm, collected and kettle-boiled into a thick caramel, then dried and ground into powder.

Terri detected a distinct fruity note in the palm sugar, and guessed its identity correctly. It's great for baking as it replaces refined sugar 1 to 1.

6 Terri detected a distinct fruity note in the palm sugar, and guessed its identity correctly. It's great for baking as it replaces refined sugar 1 to 1.

Honey is already a kitchen staple for many of us, the natural product of bees digesting flower pollen.

7 Honey is already a kitchen staple for many of us, the natural product of bees digesting flower pollen.

For maximum taste and nutrition, buy local honey at your farmers' market or choose brands that identify their bees' pollen source. You'll be surprised at how different honeys can taste from one another.

8 For maximum taste and nutrition, buy local honey at your farmers' market or choose brands that identify their bees' pollen source. You'll be surprised at how different honeys can taste from one another.

Maple syrup emerges from the tree, gets boiled down, and it's ready to eat. Don't buy anything but 100% pure, or you might be eating corn syrup with artificial maple flavor.

9 Maple syrup emerges from the tree, gets boiled down, and it's ready to eat. Don't buy anything but 100% pure, or you might be eating corn syrup with artificial maple flavor.

Terri immediately noted the caramel and

10 Terri immediately noted the caramel and "flan" notes here, quickly realizing it was the old pancake favorite. I love the taste so much that maple syrup pie is one of my go-to winter desserts.

Tequila comes from the very same source, the blue agave plant. This sweetener will not get you drunk though, no worries. It's thinner than honey, sweeter than sugar, and boasts a low glycemic index.

11 Tequila comes from the very same source, the blue agave plant. This sweetener will not get you drunk though, no worries. It's thinner than honey, sweeter than sugar, and boasts a low glycemic index.

Agave has a neutral taste, making it perfect for sweetening beverages without changing their flavor, but impossible for Terri to guess its identity.

12 Agave has a neutral taste, making it perfect for sweetening beverages without changing their flavor, but impossible for Terri to guess its identity.

Yacon is a South American tuber that resembles jicama but tastes like apple. Dark, thick syrup is extracted from its roots.

13 Yacon is a South American tuber that resembles jicama but tastes like apple. Dark, thick syrup is extracted from its roots.

Terri guessed this was a tangy version of the blackstrap molasses she likes to use at home, but yacon syrup is even healthier for being very low in calories.

14 Terri guessed this was a tangy version of the blackstrap molasses she likes to use at home, but yacon syrup is even healthier for being very low in calories.

You want to cut down on your sugar intake, but you like some sweet in your day, and the idea of downing packets of chemicals in your coffee just isn't your style. Us too, so we tasted six all-natural alternatives for cooking, baking, and sweetening our beverages, then compared them in terms of their calorie count and overall nutritional impact. Check them out in the slideshow above and then consider the cold hard facts below, with the sweeteners listed in order of highest calories to lowest.

  • 1 tb of granulated sugar (white, brown, pure cane, organic, etc.) = 54 cal, no nutritional value
  • 1 tb of natural honey = 43 cal, trace amounts of B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc, slightly sweeter than sugar so you use less
  • 1 tb of organic raw agave nectar = 40 cal, half the glycemic index of refined sugar, 1.5x sweeter than sugar so you use less
  • 1 tb of cane syrup = 39 cal, iron and a small amount of calcium
  • 1 tb of 100% pure maple syrup = 36 cal, significant manganese and zinc plus trace amounts of iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium, 3x sweeter than sugar so you use less
  • 1 tb of organic palm sugar = 30 cal, half the glycemic index of refined sugar, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and iron
  • 1 tb of organic yacon syrup = 20 cal, a high concentration of the indigestible sugar inulin is makes it a prebiotic – undigested sugars feed the "friendly" bacteria in your gut to help you absorb more vitamins and minerals and improve your overall digestion

Posted by MSLO Blogger on February 16, 2011 in Food, Healthy Living, Photos, Whole Living

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