According to the World Health Organization, we eat three times more sugar than necessary. The risks linked to this overconsumption? Overweight, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Ideally, sugar should represent 10% of the total energy ration and come mainly from fruit. This means limiting yourself to two teaspoons of powdered sugar. So, not to give up pleasure, we bet on natural alternatives.
Sugars with a low glycemic index
Each food has a glycemic index (GI). The higher it is, the faster the glucose level rises in the blood. We risk the blood sugar spike, the transformation of unused sugar into fat and the tiredness that we think we will fill … with sugar! Priority therefore to low GI foods:
Agave syrup (Very low GI of 20), with a strong sweetening power, is recommended for diabetics. It looks like honey but its caloric intake is less (300 kcal / 100 g) and its taste, more neutral.
Coconut blossom sugar (Low GI from 25 to 35). The one in Java is the most common. Between flour and sugar, it is easy to use. Only problem: its high price.
Kitul sap (Low GI from 25 to 30), ideal for coating, looks like syrup. It consists of three sugars not stored by the body and provides less than 300 kcal / 100 g.
Black or raw molasses (Average GI of 60), with a pronounced taste of caramel and licorice, used sparingly. It is made up of 70% sugars. But its calorie intake remains quite low: 290 kcal / 100 g.
Naturally sweet fruits and vegetables
The fruits give the dishes a fresh and sweet taste.
Citrus fruits: to awaken the taste buds, they are caramelized with a little brown sugar.
The coconut : quite caloric because of its fat content, it is however not very sweet and very fragrant. Just add it, grated, to a recipe, to give it an exotic note.
Apple, grape or blueberry juice, after reduction, are a good alternative for coating desserts.
Naturally sweet vegetables, like carrots and beets, are used to discreetly flavor cakes!
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Spices and herbs
The sweet taste of fruit can be easily enhanced with spices or herbs: a pinch of cinnamon with apples, vanilla beans or a star anise with exotic fruits, basil or mint leaves with red fruits… In desserts, we think of replacing chocolate with cocoa, to which we add some ground grains of Sichuan pepper and fleur de sel.
Dairy products
Milk contains a low GI sugar: lactose. It is he who gives that touch of sweetness to yogurts.
Condensed milk, four times less fatty than crème fraîche, sugar desserts thanks to its lactose. It is used for ice cream, milkshakes, desserts, verrines and pies. It reduces the amount of sugar by a quarter.
Powdered milk serves as a binder. It replaces part of the flour, while adding a sweet note and more calcium. The texture of the desserts is firmer.
Do not forget that…
The more a food causes a rapid rise in blood sugar, the higher its glycemic index (GI). This influx of sugar triggers insulin secretion in the body, which is used to lower sugar. Thus, a high GI food (such as white bread) causes a shortage of sugar in the short term, therefore … a feeling of hunger. The same food can have its index vary depending on its preparation method: if 100 g of mashed potatoes have a GI of 95, the same quantity steamed with the skin shows a score of 65.
Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar found in fruits (2 to 11%), honey (over 40%) and vegetables (1%). But there are also some in juices, sodas and many industrial preparations. With a low glycemic index, it has long been considered a "healthy" sugar. However, it has been suspected for some time to increase cardiovascular risks, promote obesity by creating resistance to insulin and have an unfavorable action on the hormones of satiety. In the absence of sufficiently comprehensive studies, we opt for caution by not exceeding 50 g per day. We limit sodas and industrial preparations but we continue to eat fruits and honey, as part of a balanced diet.
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