Natural Sugars
Apr-02-2013

What are natural sugars?
Sweeteners are deemed "natural" if they come from plants, leaves, bark, stem, or other natural sources, versus synthetic or man made sources.

How to buy:
Natural sweeteners are sold in boxes, jars, cartons in powders, liquid or syrup; all shelf stable up to 1 year if stored properly. Read package label for specific instructions.

What to look for on the label:
Check for variety and granular size, and calorie content as well as added ingredients. Depending on your specific needs or recipe you can choose what suits you best.

Choices:
Sugar comes granulated in various sizes and colors: white granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and brown sugar.

Sugar also comes in liquid forms: maple syrup, and various honey (flavored by the plants the bees pollinate i.e. lavender, clover, buckwheat, wildflower, orange); blackstrap molasses and molasses are dark viscous syrups made from either sugar cane or sugar beets.

Xylitol is a natural sweetener derived from birch trees, berries, fruit, and some vegetables. It is a sugar alcohol, and has 9.6 calories per tsp (sugar has 15-18 calories per tsp).

Stevia is a natural sugar from a chrysanthemum native to Paraguay and Brazil.

Natural sugars also include, rice syrup, coconut sugar, agave syrup, and more.

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Posted by Ken at 12:00 AM - Link to this entry  |  Share this entry  |  Print