Sugar is one of the major culprits behind our growing waistlines. It’s not the teaspoon of sugar you add to your cuppa that’s necessarily the problem, it’s the truckloads of sugar that are added to our processed foods.
Of course, there are the obvious sources, such as soft drinks and confectionery. But the unexpected sources are probably just as damaging, because we don’t realise how much we’re eating. Tomato sauce, mustard, yoghurt, bread, mayonnaise, cereal, dressing, soup – these supposedly savoury foods are often loaded with sugar. It’s one reason processed food is emerging as a far bigger problem than any particular nutrient in our diet.
When it comes to sugar, how much is too much? The World Health Organization recommends that we keep our daily intake to below roughly 12 teaspoons a day. However, it also says reducing our intake further – to below six teaspoons a day – provides additional health benefits. Importantly, this quantity doesn’t include sugars naturally present in fruit, vegetables and milk. It only applies to sugars added by food manufacturers and cooks (including home cooks), as well as sugars from honey, syrups and fruit juices. When thinking about your sugar consumption, it’s helpful to know that four grams of sugar equal one teaspoon. So, if you notice that there are 20 grams of sugar in your bottle of apple juice, that’s five teaspoons you’re drinking.
It’s dangerous to think of any added sugar as a healthy option. Whether it’s mainly made up of fructose (such as honey) or glucose (such as rice syrup), all added sugars can contribute to weight gain and dental decay. However, some sweeteners definitely rate better in the health stakes than others. Alternative non-sugar sweeteners also have their drawbacks, although using them in moderation can help you to reduce the sugar in your diet.
Using fruit or vegetables to sweeten baking – whether it’s apples, bananas, berries, carrots, sweet potatoes or fresh dates – is the least refined choice you can make. The major benefit is that you get a whole lot of goodness packaged with the natural sugars, including fibre and a range of different vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. For any fussy eaters in the family who don’t like a particular fruit, there’s the added benefit that they’ll be gently exposed to a new taste, which can gradually help them accept it.
Dried fruit is also a natural, nutrient-dense option. However, it tends to be much sweeter than its fresh counterpart, so use it cautiously. If you can source it, try to buy organic, unsweetened dried fruit that’s preservative-free.
There are many different versions of cane sugars commercially available. The least refined is rapadura sugar (also known as panela), which is simply evaporated cane juice. It’s not as sweet as other cane sugars and, because the molasses content is never removed, it retains more of its natural nutrients, such as small amounts of iron, calcium and potassium. One downside of rapadura is that it tends to be imported, which adds to the food miles in your meal.
Brown sugar typically has the molasses stripped out of it and then some is added back in. Nutritionally, it’s not immensely different from rapadura – it also contains small quantities of some minerals – but it’s certainly a more refined and sweeter option. The upside is that it is locally produced and it’s more affordable than rapadura.
Raw sugar has a lower molasses content than brown sugar, resulting in a lower mineral content. However, in some cases it’s also less refined, with some of the original molasses still intact following processing. Ultimately, while these other sugars are somewhat healthier than white sugar, the difference is marginal and it would be a mistake to regard any of them as a health food. Just like white sugar, they can still contribute to excess weight.
Remember that sugar plays a more important role in baking than just providing sweetness. It helps to produce a tender texture and create an even crumb, it provides colour, it stabilises egg white foams, it adds crispness to biscuits and it helps prevent custards from curdling. It’s because of this structural and functional role that it can’t always be substituted for something else.
Coconut sugar does not come from the coconut itself, but rather from the sap of the flower buds of coconut palms. It has a lower glycemic index than cane sugar. Like rapadura and brown sugar, it tends to have a higher mineral content than white sugar and it’s also less sweet. Despite these benefits, it’s more expensive and it’s also imported, so this may deter you from using it.
From the sap of the maple tree, pure maple syrup is one sweetener I generally always have on hand, mainly because I love its flavour. Maple syrup is a source of manganese, potassium, zinc, iron and calcium. When buying maple syrup, make sure you choose a 100 per cent pure product, not an imitation, which might be made from corn syrup and artificial colours and flavours – a far cry from the real thing. As lovely as real maple syrup is, it’s still another form of sugar and it counts towards your daily tally.
Honey has roughly equal amounts of fructose and glucose, and has been found to have antibacterial, antiviral and other medicinal properties. The research on how these properties function inside our bodies is still unfolding, so it’s the lovely fragrant taste of honey, as well as the fact that it’s minimally processed and locally produced, that makes it a preferred sweetener for me at this stage. I tend to keep local apiarist honey and high-grade manuka honey in my pantry.
One potential concern with using large quantities of honey is the presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, toxic chemicals that may increase cancer risk. These alkaloids are naturally present in some plants that Australian bees forage from, including Patterson’s Curse (Salvation Jane). For the average consumer, the risk is low. But, it’s yet another reason why you might prefer some variety, occasionally switching out honey for maple syrup, fruit or an alternative sweetener.
Rice syrup (also known as rice malt syrup and brown rice syrup) is fructose free, making it a better choice for anyone on a low-fructose diet. It’s not as sweet as honey, so if you’re using it as a honey substitute, remember that the outcome will be different. One downside of rice syrup is that it’s still a highly processed product, which you might wish to avoid – certainly it’s a very different creature from the brown rice it came from. Another is that it has a very high glycemic index of 98 (much higher than that of plain white sugar), so it will cause more of a spike in your blood sugar levels than other sweeteners. Diabetics should definitely steer clear.
Stevia is a leafy green plant that’s been used for centuries in South America. In its pure extract form, it has zero calories and zero impact on blood sugar levels. It’s also available in a granulated (sugar-like) form where it’s typically mixed with a sugar alcohol such as erythritol. It’s generally regarded as safe and may even have therapeutic potential.
If you’re using the white extract form, remember that it’s significantly sweeter than the granulated form. Depending on the brand of extract you use, you may only need 1/35th of a teaspoon of powder extract or a few drops of liquid extract as a substitute for 1 teaspoon of sugar. However, with the granulated forms, the substitution is usually half or one teaspoon to match a teaspoon of sugar. In short, read the packet carefully.
For me, the major downside of stevia is the taste. I find the intense sweetness and the slightly bitter aftertaste generally don’t do justice to my favourite recipes. How I most like to use stevia is alongside some sugar. Adding a little stevia allows me to reduce the sugar content of the recipe and achieve an overall better taste and texture outcome.
The other downside is that most forms of stevia are highly processed, with a range of chemicals used to extract the sweet glycosides from the leaves. You can also buy green stevia powder, which is simply the dried green leaf crushed into a powder. However, this is not always the easiest product to use in baking. The sweetness is variable and the taste tends to be quite bitter, however, you might like to give it a try as a more natural alternative to the extract forms.
If the bitterness of the stevia leaf doesn’t bother you, another option is to keep a stevia plant in your garden. They’re available from many nurseries and my personal experience has been that they’re quite easy to grow and maintain. I pick the fresh leaves to add to the occasional herbal tea or smoothie. You can also dry the leaves and crush them yourself.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol in the same group as sorbitol and erythritol. It’s naturally found in birch trees and corn cobs, from which it is typically extracted. Its key benefits are that it doesn’t cause tooth decay (to the contrary it’s been found to improve dental health) and that it has a very low glycemic index. It’s also less calorie-dense than sugar, with about 15 per cent fewer calories than white sugar.
One downside is that it can cause digestive problems in some people (such as bloating or diarrhoea) when consumed in large quantities. Another is that, like many sweeteners, there’s a fair amount of processing involved to make the final granulated product. As with stevia and rice syrup, it’s a long way from the original plant used to make it.
All of the sweeteners outlined above, to a lesser or greater degree, come from a natural source. For me, this makes them preferable to artificial sweeteners like aspartame or saccharin, which are entirely synthetic. Although these zero-calorie options are broadly regarded as safe, scientists haven’t been able to completely rule out possible links with cancer and other health problems. Personally, I prefer to give them a wide berth.
If plain wheat flour sits alone in your cupboard, it’s time to give it some roommates. By keeping alternatives on hand – wholemeal flour, spelt flour, almond meal, millet flour, coconut flour, quinoa flour, hazelnut meal – and regularly using them in place of plain, you’ll be getting a fibre boost and broader nutrient diversity.
It’s so often dusted mindlessly over desserts, just adding empty calories to your meal.
If you still want a pretty dusted look, try maca powder or raw cacao powder instead.
Refined vegetable oils are typically produced with harsh chemical solvents. Switch to cold-pressed, extra virgin oils or fresh avocado, and perhaps some grass-fed butter from time to time, for more natural, nutrient-rich sources of fat.
If white caster sugar is your main baking companion, try swapping it with less-refined options. Mashed banana, pure maple syrup, apple purée, chopped dates, raw honey – in moderation, they all make good substitutes. Or you might like to add in some stevia so you can cut the sugar right down.
You may think it’s healthy, but one cup of (unsweetened!) store-bought fruit juice contains about five teaspoons of sugar. Blend your own fruit and vegetable juice without straining out any of the pulp, and you’ll be getting all the fibre and goodness that comes from using the whole ingredient and drinking it fresh.
If you’re happy to eat dairy foods, regular cow’s milk has plenty to recommend it. But with diversity in mind, you might like to switch it with probiotic-rich kefir (your gut will thank you) or an unsweetened nut milk from time to time.
Your kids might love them, but highly processed cupcake decorations definitely don’t love your kids back. Edible flowers, desiccated coconut or matcha powder look just as pretty without all the artificial additives.
If you’re buying a regular commercial brand of peanut butter, it’s time to upgrade. Instead go for one made from 100 per cent nuts, and you’ll skip all the added sugars and refined oils. Better still, make your own mixed nut or seed butter (see page 206, for an example) for broader nutrient diversity and a fresher product.
Supermarket brands of milk chocolate can have four times the sugar of a good dark chocolate. Go for quality, pay a little more and eat less of it.
'IT’S DANGEROUS TO THINK OF ANY ADDED SUGAR AS A HEALTHY OPTION. HOWEVER, SOME SWEETENERS DEFINITELY RATE BETTER IN THE HEALTH STAKES THAN OTHERS'
1 World Health Organization, Fact Sheet on Overweight and Obesity , updated June 2016. Available from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/
2 Michael Pollan, Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual , Penguin Books, 2009.
3 Fardet A, Rock E, Bassama J, et al. ‘Current food classifications in epidemiological studies do not enable solid nutritional recommendations for preventing diet-related chronic diseases: the impact of food processing’, Advances in Nutrition. 2015 Nov 13; 6(6): 629-38.
4 Hooper L, Martin N, Abdelhamid A, Davey Smith G. ‘Reduction in saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease’, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015, Issue 6.
5 de Souza Russell J, Mente Andrew, Maroleanu Adriana, Cozma Adrian I, Ha Vanessa, Kishibe Teruko et al. ‘Intake of saturated and trans unsaturated fatty acids and risk of all cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies’ The BMJ, 2015; 351: h3978.
6 Chowdhury R, Warnakula S, Kunutsor S, Crowe F, Ward HA, Johnson L, et al. ‘Association of dietary, circulating, and supplement fatty acids with coronary risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis’, Annals of Internal Medicine. 2014; 160: 398-406.