Health Tricks for Sweet Treats
Sweet Options & Glycemic Guidance
From the time we are born, we are attracted to the sensory sensation known as sweet. Once thought
to occupy only a small area on the tongue, we now know that sweet receptors are prevalent throughout
the surface area of the tongue and help to explain our strong desire for this substance. Michael Moss,
author of “Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us” writes about how food manufacturers
precisely assess and deliver the amount of sugar in a food that taunts our addictive drive for more.
To help you better understand why you can’t get your hand out of the Halloween candy this month, we
have summarized information about the variety of sweeteners that are available and given you some
sweet solutions for a sticky topic.
Sweets Debriefed
Natural Sugars (~ 4 calories per gram or 15 calories per teaspoon)
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
Regular/White. This is the type of sugar found in their sugar bowl
at home and most commonly used in home food preparation. White
sugar is the sugar called for in most cookbook recipes.
Confectioner’s/Powdered. This sugar is granulated sugar that is
ground into a smooth powder and then sifted. It contains ~ 3% cornstarch
to prevent caking. The confectioners’ sugar available in supermarkets is used in icings, confections
and whipping cream.
Turbinado. This sugar is raw sugar which has been partially processed, where only the surface
molasses has been washed off. It has a blond color and mild brown sugar flavor and is often used in
tea and other beverages.
Evaporated Cane Juice. Evaporated cane juice is produced directly from milled cane. The filtered,
clarified juice is evaporated into syrup, crystallized and cured. This free flowing sweetener has a
light golden color and retains a hint of molasses flavor.
Brown sugar (light and dark). Brown sugar retains some molasses syrup. Dark brown sugar has a
deeper color and stronger molasses flavor than light brown sugar. Lighter types are generally used
in baking and making butterscotch, condiments and glazes. The rich, full flavor of dark brown sugar
makes it good for gingerbread, mincemeat, baked beans, and other full flavored foods. Brown sugar
tends to clump because it contains more moisture than white sugar.
Honey. A sweet brown fluid made by bees and other insects from nectar collected from flowers.
Stevia. An herb plant whose leaves impart a sweet flavor.
Artificial/Sugar-substitutes (0-few calories)
Artificial sweeteners, also known as sugar substitutes, can be used instead of sugar to sweeten foods
and drinks and are generally made from chemicals. They contain no or very few calories compared to
sugar. People use sugar substitutes to limit their sugar consumption, lose weight, control blood sugar or
to avoid dental cavities. While health professionals do not agree on the safety of artificial sweeteners,
the Food & Drug Administration has labeled them as safe for consumption.
The most common sugar substitutes are:
�
�
�
�
Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet) People who have phenylketonuria (PKU) should avoid foods and
drinks that have aspartame, which contains phenylalanine.
Saccharin (Sweet'N Low, Sugar Twin)
Sucralose (Splenda)
Acesulfame K (Sunett)
Sugar Alcohols (0-3 calories per gram)
Sugar alcohols such as mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol are often present in foods marketed to people with
diabetes or that promote a low net carbohydrate content. Sugar alcohols tend to cause diarrhea,
bloating, and intestinal upset so caution should be exercised when consuming these foods.
A word of caution when consuming foods or beverages that contain artificial sweeteners or sugar
alcohols - if weight loss is your goal, remember that even though a food is sugar-free, it can still
have carbohydrates, fats and calories.
Glycemic Guidance & Sweet Solutions
The glycemic index (GI) is a relative rating given to a particular food based on how much it increases
blood sugar after ingestion of 50 grams of carbohydrate from the test food. However, since most
people do not consume standardized quantities of food, the GI has limitations with regard to its
usefulness. As a result, glycemic load (GL) provides a more practical application of the glycemic index
data as it reflects the total carbohydrate in a serving of food.
Evaluating the blood sugar response to specific amounts of carbohydrates can be a useful tool in
choosing the best types of carbohydrates and managing health issues such as insulin resistance and
diabetes. Lowering the glycemic response of one’s eating can help improve insulin sensitivity, blood
lipid profiles, hemoglobin A1c and symptoms of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Additionally, lower
glycemic diets can help with weight control since they tend to be more satisfying and do not result in
large fluctuations in blood sugar, which may stimulate food cravings.
Food choices should not be based solely upon their glycemic rating. The glycemic rating provides
information on how a food potentially affects blood sugar. For example, consuming a glass of carrot
juice will definitely impact blood sugar but it is also contains beta-carotene and is a healthy alternative
to soda.
Health issues related to blood sugar control and insulin can be better managed by:
� Limiting portions of high GI/GL food.
� When eating higher-glycemic foods, combine them with lower-glycemic foods.
� Substituting low-glycemic, high-fiber foods, such as vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains for
higher-glycemic options
o Foods with the lowest GI/GL include: most legumes (beans, peas and lentils), peanuts,
carrots, cashews, grapefruit, apricots, skim milk, low-fat yogurt, pears, apples, strawberries,
oranges, peaches, soy milk, grapes and prunes
o Foods with the highest GI/GL include: white bagels, corn flakes, white potatoes and dates
� Balancing meals with lean protein and healthy fats as they decrease the glycemic response.
To learn more about the GI of specific foods go to:
www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/the-glycemic-index-of-foods.html
Sweet Satisfaction
As previously noted, it is rare to find a person who prefers a trick over a treat. Yet, even though we
have a natural desire for sweet, we can gradually train our palette to be satisfied with a lower level of
sweetness. If you continuously eat or drink very sweet foods and beverages you will crave that same
level of sweetness making the natural sweetness in fruit seem dull. Gradually decreasing the amount
and intensity of sweet foods you consume can help minimize cravings and give fresh seasonal fruit an
opportunity to please you.
Because sugar-laden treasures provide many calories and often very little nutritional value, assess
where you land on the sweet craving continuum. After evaluating where you are, decide where you can
taper your tastes and save your indulgences for special occasions and recipes.
For more information contact us at [email protected]