Live Well
Updated: June 23, 2023
4 Healthier Sugar Alternatives for Christmas
“A Spoonful Of Sugar Helps The Medicine Go Down”
Ok, we’re not necessarily advocating this, but we’ve found some healthier sugar alternatives for your Christmas baking!
Each of these alternatives has pros and cons, so go with whichever best suits you and those who’ll be enjoying your sweet Christmas creations.
A great alternative to refined sugars. This fruit is sweet, chewy, and full of nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants.
They are however higher in calories (especially if they’re dried).
To use them in your baking, just make a thick paste from them using a food processor or blender (after you’ve pitted them). You can also add a couple of tablespoons of water to the mix if needed.
Again, this is another nutrient-rich alternative with loads of iron, zinc, calcium, and potassium. However, don’t go crazy with it as it’s high in calories (no real surprise there). When replacing white sugar in a recipe with it, the ratio is generally 1 for 1 and is quite similar to cooking with brown sugar.
Looking for a low-calorie alternative, you’ve found it! It has virtually no calories but not everyone loves the taste, so we suggest trying this before using it in your Christmas cooking. Since it’s about 30 times sweeter than regular sugar, a half teaspoon of stevia equals ¾ cup of sugar.
Again, like Stevia, natural monk fruit sweetener contains 0 calories and is 100-250 time sweeter than sugar, wow! Derived from the juice of monk fruit, it can have a bitter aftertaste (however less harsh than stevia), so it doesn’t taste exactly like sugar. As it’s quite a lot sweeter than sugar, there may be some trial and error when using it in baking.
The holidays can be healthier! Share these sugar alternatives with your friends and family and encourage them to Live Well this Christmas!
*We’re not experts, please speak with your healthcare professional before changing your diet.
