A few people recently have asked me about sweeteners and sugars which are good for you and which are bad. So I thought I would do a post about sweeteners.

Here is a list of good and not so good and at the bottom is a description of one’s you might not be so familiar with.

The NOT so  good:

sugar, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, acesulfame potassium or ace k, aspartame, saccharin (sweet n’ low), sucralose (splenda)

The better list (remember they still spike insulin and too much of anything isn’t good):

Agave, barley malt, brown rice syrup, date sugar, evaporated cane juice, honey, maple syrup, molasses, sucanat, turbinado

Some additional info:

- Brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses added in

- Chemical sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, sucralose are not good for you, they are a number of studies that prove it, just google (or read any health book)

- Agave nectar is sweeter than honey but less vicious and comes from the same plant as tequila. It can be used in any place where the recipe calls for a liquid type of sweetener (Keep in mind it is quite sweet so you may need less)

- Brown rice syrup is better for your blood sugar than most sweeteners (though you still have to be a bit careful). It also has loads of nutrients like brown rice does. It is a liquid, quite sticky and is excellent in homemade granola bars.

- Sucanat is pure dried cane juice so the most natural, it doesn’t dissolve well how is great if you are adding a sweet topping to anything.

- turbinado is natural brown sugar, like sucanat doesn’t always dissolve.

- Evaporated cane juice is processed but not as much as regular sugar. It retains more nutrients than regular sugar. It is a good alternative for baking.

Enjoy the healthy sweetness!