Sugar Substitutes in Diabetic Cooking
If you have diabetes or prepare meals for someone who does, you will need to
switch to sugar free cooking.
Thanks to all the sugar substitutes on the market today it really isn't all that
difficult. Plus you will find many diabetic recipes that were created
specifically for particular artificial sweeteners so you don't have to worry
about doing the conversions yourself.
The main drawback to cooking without sugar
is that sugar is often needed in recipes to perform other functions besides
sweetening. Sugar also affects the chemistry of what you are cooking and adds
volume and moisture. Diabetic recipes have already accounted for this, but if
you are trying to convert the recipes yourself, remember to take the above into
consideration.
If you want to simply avoid white sugar then you can substitute brown sugar
which reportedly is somewhat healthier since its vitamins and minerals are
removed when it is polished into white sugar. However as a diabetic, you are
probably aiming to avoid sugar all together. If that is your goal, consider
these sweeteners -
Splenda - Splenda is extremely popular with diabetics because it closely
resembles sugar when cooking. It can be used for baking, sweetening beverages,
making sauces and just about anything else you would normally use sugar for.
Splenda is made from sucralose which is a form of sugar but the body doesn't
recognize it as a carbohydrate so it doesn't have an effect upon blood sugar to
the same degree as regular white sugar does.
Saccharin - Saccharin was originally isolated from grapes and is reported
to be over 100 times sweeter than sugar so a tiny amount goes a very long way.
Its use is limited however. It does not add the other chemical actions like
regular sugar does so it cannot be used in baking. It also has a strong
aftertaste so it is difficult to use as a sweetener for drinks.
Aspartame - Aspartame is another artificial sweetener which is super
sweet, again it is claimed to be 100 times sweeter than sugar. It too is not
suitable for baking because when it is heated it loses its sweetness. Aspartame
is popular as a sweetener for beverages.
Honey - Honey is a sugar substitute but not an artificial one. It can
however be used as a substitute in certain kinds of cooking and can be used to
sweeten beverages if one can become accustomed to the taste which differs
greatly from sugar. Honey does have more calories and carbohydrates than sugar
however so be aware of that fact if you use it as a sugar substitute.
With a little creativity you can create recipes that are unique and tasty
without having to rely on sugar. You can use the artificial sweeteners mentioned
above or rely on natural ingredients such as applesauce or honey for sugar
substitutes.