WHAT TO DRINK WHEN YOU WANT A GREAT PICK ME UP, BUT NEED AN ALTERNATIVE TO SUGAR IN COFFEE
Are you trying to reduce your intake of sugary substances and looking for a replacement to add to your coffee? Join the crowd. Passing on a piece of cheesecake following a meal or avoiding an extra helping of candied yams is not an insurmountable task. What is the best way to select a sensible substitute for sugar in coffee if you have been drinking it this way for a long time, without compromising the taste or texture? There is hope!
On the flip side of the sugar frenzy is a variety of recipes to restore your energetic attitude. No matter what kind of changes you’d like to make or what taste you’d like to obtain, we’ve got you taken care of. There are lots of simple recipes that you can use which feature a different kind of sweetener to put in your coffee, some suggestions if you want something different instead of sugar, some vegan varieties, and even suggestions if you don’t want your coffee to be sweet.
ARE SUGAR ALTERNATIVES BETTER FOR YOU?
The planet is vast, and the diversity of individuals equates to a variety of motivations. Some people opt to discontinue consumption of processed sweeteners, and others decide to cut out all types of sweeteners. This could be for health reasons. Reducing sugar for dietary requirements is the most usual explanation, which may have to do with either weight reduction or increase, diabetes or hypoglycemia related to insulin, or those who wish to make alterations to the way their body processes food into energy.
The glycemic index is a way to assess how swiftly a food item can cause a raise in one’s blood sugar levels. Fruits like strawberries and watermelon will gradually raise your blood sugar levels, whereas drinking a coffee with five pumps of syrup, sweetened cream, and caramel sauce on top is like directly injecting an excessive amount of sugar into your body. A surge of energy and a sudden plunge in alertness shortly after, would make anyone want to look for a different option for their drink; or perhaps, for something else than sugar in their coffee.
Let’s be clear here. There’s no such thing as “bad” food, including sugar. But too much of anything can cause a problem. A medium-sized coffee beverage from a well-known chain contains an average of 20g of sugar in one single serving. That’s like eating a candy bar! Many people find it beneficial to reduce their intake of coffee sweeteners to be more conscious of what they consume.
At the beginning, nobody said you had to give up adding sugar to your coffee. If you want to add a healthy alternative to sugar to your coffee but still satisfy your sweet tooth, there are lots of choices. For example, have you ever heard of monkfruit? Monkfruit, or Swingle fruit, is a kind of gourd. This fruit yields an exceptionally sugary juice, but it is calorie-free and does not contribute any carbohydrates to your diet or affect your glycemic index. Even better – it’s completely all-natural.
There are many replacements for sugar that you can consider such as Stevia, sugar alcohols including erythritol and xylitol, coconut sugar, agave syrup… and condensed milk. It’s true that the last method wasn’t entirely legitimate, but if you are looking for a gradual approach don’t be so disagreeable with sweetening agents such as sucralose or dextrose. They have been judged unfairly due to a disproved study from three decades ago, yet if wanting to reduce sugar intake is your ambition, they can be used as a temporary fix.
MAPLE VANILLA LATTE
Making the switch to using maple syrup as a healthy, natural alternative to sugar in coffee is a great decision. Sure, you could substitute the sugar with maple syrup to get a standard maple syrup iced coffee, or you can come up with a completely different one. Amaple vanilla latte sounds so much yummier! To make a tasty maple coffee flavor, prepare a latte as you normally would, and afterward incorporate some maple syrup, vanilla extract and a pinch of spices such as nutmeg or ginger. It will result in an unexpectedly strong and delightful flavor.
CAFÉ CON MIEL
Perhaps you’ve heard of acafe con miel. Is that a no? It means “coffee with honey” and it is just that – coffee and honey. Grab your preferred tall cup, and spoon a generous measure of honey at the base. Add vanilla extract and your espresso and stir. Employ a handheld milk foamer to make your milk light and airy before pouring it into your coffee cup. Top with cinnamon and enjoy!
TURKISH COFFEE
Consider a Turkish coffee if you are craving a more exotic flavor. Reserving an airline ticket for a journey to the Middle East would be awesome, but it might be simpler to take this vacation domestically. This recipe is easy, due to the few items you likely possess, and it should only take a small amount of time to prepare. The key is to substitute normal sugar with monkfruit. For each cup, bring a quarter of a cup of water and one tablespoon of monkfruit to a boiling point. Reduce the heat and then add 2 tablespoons of coffee and 1 tablespoon of cardamom powder. Heat the coffee again until it is steaming, then let it sit for a few minutes to cool. Repeat several times then pour into an espresso cup. Drink slowly because this small cup of Turkish coffee is an amazing and strong treat! If you find the sweetness level to be unsuitable, reduce the proportion of monkfruit to sugar by half.
Healthiest Sugar Substitutes
What is the healthiest sugar substitute to use? Some specialists think that fruit is the optimum choice due to the lack of hollow calories and the fact that the sugar it contains is all-natural, however it generally depends on the personal preference and health requirements of the person.
Are sugar substitutes bad for you? It depends a lot on the specific type.
Advantages of sugar replacement differ, yet something they all are connected by is that they originate from the natural environment.
Substances that may or may not contain calories and potentially provide certain nutrients are referred to as natural sweeteners. For instance, honey, maple syrup, and molasses all possess advantageous constituents like enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates that the human body is capable of dealing with.
Certain types of natural sweeteners, as identified by the United States Department of Agriculture, have the potential to promote healthy blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and negate potential risks of cardiovascular disease due to the fiber they contain. Examples of such sweeteners include banana puree and date paste.
1. Raw Honey
Unpasteurized honey is a really nutritious food and one of the most excellent natural alternatives to sugar. It has an abundance of enzymes, molecules that fight off damage from free radicals, iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, vitamin B6, riboflavin and niacin.
These nutrients are important for aiding in the neutralization of free radicals and encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal system.
A tablespoon of raw honey has a lower impact on a person’s glycemic index than a banana does. Make sure to seek out raw honey, preferably local, at farmers markets or directly from beekeepers in order to get the most out of its benefits as pasteurized honey has many of its advantages lost.
The deeper the color of the honey, the more intense the taste and the more nutritional advantages it offers.
How to use raw honey:
Don’t cook or bake with raw honey. Add a light coating of it to your morning bowl of cereal, sprinkle it over whole-grain toast, top off your Greek yogurt with it, or use it to make a tasty salad dressing.
In the event that you do not enjoy molasses or do not have it available, raw honey can be an excellent alternative.
Some might just regard honey as a sweetener for tea, but it is one of the greatest natural additions to coffee as well. Take into account that if you prefer honey in your tea or coffee, let the beverage cool to a drinkable temperature and then add honey to your liking.
2. Stevia
Stevia is indigenous to South America and for the last several centuries, it has been utilized to improve blood sugar control and facilitate slimming.
The compound Stevioside is present in Stevia leaves and is what makes them up to 200 times sweeter than sugar. It exists in the form of liquid drops, envelopes, dissolvable tablets, and mixes for baking.
There are no calories, no carbs, and no undesirable results from using synthetic sweeteners.
Stevia is in the same family as the sunflower, and some people can detect a hint of metal in the aftertaste. If your prior experience with stevia did not meet your expectations, then you might want to use a product that contains a higher concentration of steviosides.
If you are a diabetic needing something sweet, the American Diabetes Association recommends stevia as a suitable sugar substitute. Those on a keto diet may be advised to use stevia and erythritol as sugar replacements.
Be careful to read the labels of what you are buying, for some stevia products may also contain erythritol, which could lead to a stomachache for some people.
How to use stevia:
You can use stevia in any recipe or approach as it will not lose its potency with heating like raw honey. You should keep in mind that this item is two hundred times more sugary than sugar, thus don’t use it in equal ratios.
To compensate for the decrease in volume when substituting stevia for sugar in baked goods, add 1/2 cup of one of the following bulking ingredients: freshly pureed fruit, yogurt, roasted squash, two beaten egg whites, or one to two tablespoons of coconut flour.
3. Dates
Dates possess substantial amounts of potassium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, and vitamin B6. The date palm tree yields fruit which can be readily absorbed by the body, aiding the metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
Studies indicate that consuming dates can lower LDL cholesterol levels in the blood and could reduce the likelihood of having a stroke.
How to use dates:
The first step is to make a paste. Date paste is a much more viable replacement for sugar than stevia as it can be used one-to-one in recipes and it adds extra bulk when baking.
Soak Medjool dates in hot water until soft. If the water has cooled off to the temperature of the room and the dates are still too firm, put them back in hot water for more soaking.
Save the water you soaked in, as it’s crucial to making a successful paste. Put the dates that have been soaking in a food processor accompanied by one tablespoon of the liquid they were soaked in.
Blend until smooth. Mix in more liquid until the mixture is a thick and dense paste.
You are looking for the consistency of peanut butter. Incorporate into your most beloved cookie or cake recipe to exclude refined sugar and increase the nutritional value.
You can also sweeten your beloved muffins and pies with date paste. To make fruit pies, combine 1-1.5 cups of fruit puree and four cups of the desired fruit and then proceed to baking them as usual.
It may be necessary to use a thickening agent such as tapioca if the fruit has a high level of moisture content.
4. Coconut Sugar
Many people know the advantages of using coconut water, milk, flour, and fresh coconut. An increasing number of individuals are opting for coconut sugar as a healthier sweetener, due to its low glycemic index and abundance of beneficial minerals.
Coconut sugar is loaded with polyphenols, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, antioxidants, phosphorous, and many more helpful phytonutrients, making it a great choice for many recipes, and it can be easily found in stores.
The sap from the blossom of the coconut is drawn out and then heated to produce coconut sugar. Next, through evaporation, we get coconut sugar.
Sugars derived from dates and coconuts can be utilized in the same recipes as they possess a comparable taste. Both are great sugar substitutes for baking.
How to use coconut sugar:
You can replace traditional sugar with coconut sugar in any dish of your choice. It functions and measures the same as normal sugar. It’s not as fine as regular sugar, but that’s alright.
Put the amount of sugar described in the recipe into your food processor and turn it on until the texture is what you’re looking for.
It is possible to easily create a sugar substitution that is similar to confectioner’s sugar by using coconut sugar. For every cup of coconut sugar, mix in one tablespoon of arrowroot powder, employing a clean coffee grinder or high-powered food processor, until a consistent texture is achieved.
5. Maple Syrup
Originating from North America, maple syrup exists in two types, Grade A and Grade B. Making maple syrup is a lengthy process, but still only involves four stages: drilling a hole in the tree, attaching a bucket to collect the sap, boiling to take out the water, and sifting out any impurities.
Maple syrup is an excellent natural sweetener since it includes a huge amount of manganese and also boasts calcium, potassium, and zinc. This natural sweetener is loaded with antioxidants, which help battle free radicals and minimize any harm from oxidation.
Go for grade B maple syrups that have a darker hue, as they are packed full of healthy antioxidants more so than the lighter ones.