I have a love affair with sugar, I’ll be the first to admit it. If you look deep in my pantry and cabinets you’ll find my secret stashes. Some of my favorite things like chocolate are loaded with it. Generally speaking, if it’s sweet it taste good to me.

Since the beginning of the year I have been trying to make healthier choices for myself and my family. This includes cutting back on the sugar. So now when I bake or cook, I’ve been looking for ways to cut back the sugar or substitute it in my recipes. I’ve been surprised at how many sugar substitutes there are an thought I would share them with you. You might be surprised at the options too.

Option 1: Saccharin – You’ve probably heard of saccharin. It’s artificial sweetener and has been around for awhile. It can taste pretty sweet. It may taste 200 – 700 times sweeter than sugar. It’s great for baking, cooking and sweeting drinks.

Option 2: Aspartame – This is another artificial sweetener it is often found in things like diet soda. On the sweet scale it ranges anywhere from 180 – 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is a good choice for sweeting and cooking but not the best option for baking because the sweet taste of it is destroyed when exposed to high temperatures for an extended period of time. There also have been many studies that say aspartame may be bad for you but the nutritionists I spoke with said there is not enough evidence to cut it completely out of your diet.

Option 3: Sucralose – Another artificial sweetener that is super sweet. On the sweet scale it is about 600 times sweeter than sugar. It is also said to be great for baking, cooking and sweetening.

The first three are artificial sweeteners and I am not a huge fan of consuming large quantities of artificial products but I think all things in moderation. Choose an option that works for you.

Then onto the natural options.

Option 4: Stevia – This low calorie natural sweetener is about 250 – 300 times sweeter than sugar so it’s pretty sweet. It’s a good option for baking, cooking and sweeting food and drinks. My son has found a soda made with Stevia that he really enjoys. You can find it on the health food isle at your local grocery store and it only has 5 carbs for the whole drink.

Option 5: Agave Nectar – This is also a natural sweetener that is just about the same as sugar. It’s a good choice for cooking and sweetening but it is a little tougher to bake with since it is a syrup like liquid and you need to follow the directions until you get used to the substitution measurements. Another benefit to agave nectar is it is low on the glycemic index, it’s really a good option if your watching your blood sugar.

It’s really sweet 😉 how many options of sugar substitutes there are to choose from if your trying to watch the amount of sugar your consuming. I hope you find this information as helpful as I have. 🙂