Whenever I talk or write about food, I try never to use the words “good” and “bad.” They tend to fill people up with unnecessary fears and anxieties about eating, which is an act of pleasure, as well as a chance to be nutritious. Instead, I like to use the words “worst,” “better,” and “best,” which suggest that eating healthily isn’t orthodoxy: it’s a series of reasonable choices. Some will be better than others, but it’s the overall pattern that matters most.
Each time we pick out a food or ingredient, we face options, some of which are more ideal for our bodies than others.
Take sweeteners: we’ve all heard about the dangers of sugar, particularly processed sugar in our diets. We’ve also heard about the dangers of too many artificial sweeteners, though many of us remain attached to diet soda! Today, I’m giving you a quick run down of sweeteners: worst, better, and best.
Worst: Refined Sugar / Artificial sweeteners
Refined sugar is sugar that has been distilled from brown sugar, which is in turn distilled from sugar cane. That’s two degrees of heavy processing. It also includes high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, and dextrose.
These sugars make our blood sugar spike rapidly, which lead to energy crashes and food cravings, and they’ve been linked directly to obesity in lab studies. They hide everywhere, from ketchup to breakfast cereals, so the trick to avoiding them is to read food labels carefully.
You may think that artificial sweeteners like Nutrasweet © and Splenda © are the best alternative to refined sugar. You’d be wrong.
These sweeteners have been linked to gastric distress, and they’ve yet to be researched thoroughly. Until we know more, it’s best to seek out more natural options.
Better: Unrefined (Natural) Sweeteners
Unrefined sweeteners include pure maple syrup, molasses, agave nectar, dehydrated cane sugar juice, yacon syrup, date paste, and raw honey.
While these sweeteners are still high in sugar—thus not ideal for diabetics or people who are sensitive to sweet foods—they won’t cause your blood sugar to spike too much. Used sensibly, they’re a nice alternative for healthy people who are seeking out a more wholesome alternative to refined sugar.
Best: Stevia
Haven’t heard of stevia yet? You will. Extracted from a subtropical plant, stevia is a zero calorie, low-carb alternative to sugar, which makes it ideal for diabetics and people who need to be conscious of their sugar intake.
Stevia isn’t necessary for healthy adults who can consume sugar in moderation—for them, it’s fine to use small amounts of the natural sweeteners mentioned above. But it’s great for anyone who needs to reduce his or her sugar intake drastically without resorting to processed substances.
It’s hard to navigate food choices, and it demands an informed perspective. This is especially true of sweeteners, which are commonplace, but insufficiently researched. Ultimately, plain old common sense—use sweeteners moderately, and in as natural a form as possible—combined with discerning shopping habits is the key to keeping your kitchen sweet and natural!
Gena Hamshaw is a certified clinical nutritionist with an emphasis on plant-based nutrition. She writes about body image, green living, and a plant-based lifestyle on her popular blog, ChoosingRaw.com.
