Many people like to make their own healthy treats; however, items such as baked goods or protein shakes require some sort of sweetening agent. A lot of people tend to stay away from sugar and with just cause. Normal sugar carries about 4 calories per gram and at 12 grams per tablespoon; you are looking at approximately 48 calories per serving. You may not even notice the actual amount of sugar that you add into your morning coffee or into your whole wheat waffle mix.
Here are a list of substitutes that you can use in place of sugar to achieve a sweet taste.
Stevia:
Stevia is a natural herb that originated in South Africa. Leaves of this herb are dried to produce a sweetener that is roughly 30 times sweeter than regular sugar. The body does not metabolize Stevia which means that it has no caloric value and will not affect blood sugar levels as a result. This means it can be a great addition for someone who is looking to decrease their sugar intake, such as a diabetic.
Stevia is sold in stores under the names Sweet Leaf and Truvia and are generally considered safe alternatives to sugar substitutes such as aspartame or saccharin.
Xylitol:
Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that can be found in fruits and vegetables such as berries, mushrooms and oats. It is roughly 600 times sweeter than sugar, but it has just 40% of the calories.
Currently, xylitol is a usually used as an additive to oral health products. It can help restore the correct pH balance in the mouth and correct issues of bad breath.
Agave Nectar:
Agave nectar or agave syrup is a sweetener that is produced from the juice in the core of an agave plant. The juice is filtered and then heated to turn it into simple sugars. The nectar that is produced is slightly thinner than honey and can range in color from light to dark. It is roughly twice as sweet as sugar and is a popular substitute for sugar or honey in most recipes, especially those requiring a mix into a cold liquid, such as iced tea.
Agave nectar is prepared using temperatures below 118'F to protect natural enzymes, and as such is a perfect sweetener of choice for those on raw food diets.