The majority of people have sweet tooth, for some a meal is incomplete without sweet, and for others they can eat sweet any time in a day. Excessive sugar is extremely harmful to the body. It can lead to high blood pressure, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease. That does not mean that you should avoid sweet completely. Switch to natural sweeteners. They are healthy for your body and consume them in limitation. Today we will talk about few natural sweeteners which can replace sugar.
First one, dates
Dates are low calorie, high nutrient, sugar substitute. Dates are excellent source of fiber, minerals, and vitamins. But keep in mind that dates are highly sweet, so use them sparingly in your recipes. To prepare a date paste, blend a bowl of seedless dates, 1 cup warm water, and ¾ cup in a blender. This paste of dates can be kept as a chutney, and you could eat it with uttapam, dosas, and all other things. For a sweet taste, it can be used as a salad dressing.
Date energy ball as a ladoo is highly nutritious. Along with date, put roasted almond. That would be most tasty. There is one very sweet recipe. Take 1 cup of seedless dates, and add ½ cup of almonds, walnuts. You can add even seeds like pumpkin, sunflower, and all that, and make a ladoo out of it. In a blender, mix all these ingredients. Make small balls out of the mixture, and this can be eaten for breakfast or evening snack.
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Second, raisin
If you don’t have dates, you can use raisins or kishmish for paste. And this is quite beneficial for your health. Raisins are abundant with iron, which is healthy for heart. It also has vitamin C, which would help boosting your immunity. It has antioxidant, which helps in brain function. It has fibers for a better digestion. To prepare a thick and tasty raisin paste, simply take a cup of raisin, and a cup of hot water, and blend it well. You can have this raisin paste as a chutney with your food, and use it with your breakfast or cereals like oatmeals and such things.
Third, jaggery
Another great substitute for sugar is jaggery. Jaggery is high in iron, which helps in prevention of anemia, as well as improving immune function. It helps in glucose regulation, as well as weight management. Jaggery helps to stimulate the digestive enzyme in our body. Have a small piece of jaggery after meals to prevent constipation and improve digestion. You can snack on jaggery and roasted yellow chanas, grams, which is also very helpful when you have a cold. Add jaggery syrup with your herbal tea or different beverages for a good taste.
Fourth, honey
Honey is a natural sweetener. However, it contains more calories than the white sugar. Although it has a nutritional value, it should be consumed in moderation. Honey is rich in antioxidants, which can help body fight inflammation. Inflammation can cause several health problems, such as heart disease, autoimmune disorders, and cancer. Honey is also used for sore throat and is highly recommended for children.
Add a spoon of honey to the glass of warm water, peel little half a lemon, and drink it first in the morning for better digestion to prevent cold, cough, and respiratory problems. It builds warmth in your body and it is best consumed in winter season. Add a spoon of honey in your herbal tea or beverages in cold climate. If you have a sore throat, a spoon of honey with little turmeric will really help you to feel better.
Read more about Natural Sweeteners on, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-natural-sweeteners
The best sweeteners for people with diabetes
- Stevia
- Tagatose
- Sucralose
- Aspartame
- Acesulfame potassium
- Saccharin
- Neotame
- Allulose
There are many more natural sweeteners options in the market, such as coconut sugar, molasses, different varieties of jaggery, and honey mixed with many other things and so on. However, these things are highly processed and lack nutrition values. And so it becomes that it is just like consuming a refined sugar. Switch to these natural sweeteners and understand that moderation is the key to good health.