The average American consumes a whopping 20 teaspoons of sugar per day—more than twice the USDA-recommended amount. The next time a recipe calls for white cane sugar, consider one of these low-glycemic alternatives.
| Erythritol | Powder derived from the sugar alcohol in pears, grapes, and melons. | - Low cal (0.2 calories per gram)
- FDA approved as a sweetener
| - High doses can cause stomach upset
| - Use an equal amount to replace sugar in any recipe
- Look for it as Zsweet
| | Stevia | Powder or liquid extract from the leaves of the South American stevia (Stevia rebaudiana bertoni) plant. | - Calorie-free
- Heat stable
- 200 times sweeter than cane sugar
| - Can have a bitter aftertaste
- FDA-approved as a dietary supplement only
| - Great for baking; try it in brownies and fudge
- 1 teaspoon pure stevia extract is as sweet as 1 cup of sugar
| | Xylitol | Powder derived from the sugar alcohol in plums, strawberries, and raspberries. | - Helps prevent tooth decay by inhibiting bacteria
- 40 percent fewer calories than sugar; same sweetness
| - High doses (30 grams per day) may cause stomachaches
| - Use an equal amount of xylitol as you would sugar
- Look for it as Xylosweet
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