There are many ways to sweeten recipes naturally, to prepare sugar-free desserts the healthiest alternatives are at least 5: let’s look at them together so as to be aware of the different benefits and the doses to use.
Sugar is an “empty” calorie food: rather than nourishing our body, if in excess, it weakens it: predisposing it not only to obesity but also to other important disorders.
Sugar consumption in the daily diet should be greatly reduced. And not just for the figure! Adopting a less “sweet” diet, in fact, is an act of prevention and protection against numerous diseases.
How to eat without sugar
First of all, it is important to start being aware of how much sugar we consume . Most of the sugars we ingest are hidden in the foods and drinks we consume regularly: from fruit juice to other unsuspecting foods such as canned legumes or some ready-made sauces. Careful reading of labels is essential in this sense .
It goes without saying that you should then stop adding sugar to drinks that are sugar-free such as tea, coffee and herbal teas and drastically limit the consumption of those rich in it by constitution. Remembering that fructose is also a sugar that causes glycemic spikes. And that raw cane sugar is healthier than refined beet sugar, because it provides more minerals, but it is still a sugar.
In addition to trying to replace refined sugar with other types of sugar, it is therefore a good idea to try to severely limit the consumption of any type of sugar by accustoming the palate to less sweet flavors.
How to reduce sugar
When you prepare a dessert do you usually use sugar? You can decide to take two different measures: you can simply reduce the quantity or you can prefer an alternative sweetener .
The amount of refined sugar added to recipes can be reduced with the wise use of other ingredients. Dark chocolate , for example, spices (cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, cloves) that while not always adding sweetness still add flavor to the preparation and fruit , both fresh and dried. What to use in particular? Apple , excellent for sugar-free jams , because it is rich in pectin, banana perfect for soft cakes, donuts and ice cream, but also dates , raisins , dried apricots .
Then keep in mind that there are ingredients, such as cinnamon , whose addition helps to limit the absorption of sugars in the blood ! A result that you can also obtain with the careful use of fats (good ones, mind you!) and wholemeal flours .
How to sweeten desserts without sugar
As for natural alternatives to sugar to sweeten desserts, you can choose between honey , agave syrup , maple syrup , stevia , malt .
Honey
When preparing cakes and biscuits or sweetening tea, coffee, infusions and herbal teas, honey is often chosen . A good solution from a nutritional point of view, since honey is rich in minerals and elements with antimicrobial action, a little less good as regards the glycemic impact: honey still has a high glycemic index.
What are sugar-free foods?
For those who want to start a sugar-free diet, the prospect initially seems depressing. In reality, sugar-free foods do exist: they are fresh and natural foods. Among those totally free of this substance we find vegetable oils, quinoa, red and white meat, fish and chia seeds . Others, however, contain very little , such as for example some legumes (peas, beans, lentils), lemons, avocado, certain types of vegetables (lettuce, cauliflower, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, courgettes, potatoes and peppers, to name a few), ginger and whole grains, but also eggs, low-fat cheeses, some types of dried fruit, mushrooms and berries.
