Let’s be honest – we all want to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. We're always on the hunt to improve our health, so any easy swaps we can make to reduce our sugar intake, up our vegetable portions and improve our diet are welcomed.
Unfortunately, one of the hardest elements of our diet to stay on top of is our sugar intake. This is because there are so many foods, even those that are marketed as healthy alternatives, that include a huge amount of processed and natural sugars. Some of these include:
- Medicines and vitamins
- Soft and sports drinks
- Fruit juices and smoothies
- Cereals and breakfast bars
Why do we need to avoid sugar?
Sugar is great. It sweetens our drinks, gives us energy and is a main ingredient in many of our favourite foods and meals. However, as with everything, sugar is only good for us in moderation. Excess sugar intake has some pretty nasty consequences on our health and normal body functioning.
- Can contribute to the development of Type-2 diabetes
- Worsens acne
- Increases tooth decay
- Thickens your arteries
- Places stress on the heart
- Contributes to high blood sugar
Healthy sugar alternatives
As a result of the prevalence of sugar in our everyday diets and food sources, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed at the prospect of cutting your levels of consumption. Don’t panic – there are plenty of sources that are most likely a part of your daily diet already, and many of these are a treat in themselves.
Add these as toppings to your breakfasts, sides to your dinners or ingredients in your baking. We’ve included a range of healthy sugar alternatives to get you well on your way to healthier sugar levels. Check out these swaps…
- Bananas
You may not know this, but bananas can actually be used as a sugar substitute in many baking recipes!
Take a ripe banana and mash the fruit in a bowl. Next, add a couple of spoonfuls of water to achieve a desired consistency. This water and banana mixture from just one banana can be used as a substitute for one cup of sugar in cakes and cookies.
- Dates
Similarly to the use of bananas, dates can also be used as a sugar alternative in baking. Puree one cup of dates (remember to pit them, first!) with a cup of warm or hot water, and use the mixture as a substitute for one cup of sugar in your favourite recipes.
- Honey
Honey is one of our favourite sugar substitutes due to the versatility (and deliciousness) of this option. It can be used in baking, on toast, in your tea or in your smoothies, and is a great way to cut down on granulated sugar. If you’re environmentally conscious, make sure to select bee-friendly honey and organic brands.
- Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is made from the sap of red and black maple trees. Just like honey, this is a great alternative in so many ways, but do be careful; the sugar content of this ingredient is still pretty high, too. Use sparingly or for a treat!
- Agave Nectar
The last of the syrup alternatives is agave nectar, a derivative of the blue agave plant. This means that this is a naturally occurring sweetener, making it vegan! Agave nectar is a particularly popular sugar alternative due to its dissolvability, making it a great addition to drinks and smoothies.
- Sweeteners
Healthy sweeteners are a great sugar alternative for all the tea and coffee lovers out there. These healthy sugar alternatives come in many forms. We particularly like the sweetener tablets, as these can be chucked in your backpack for use on the move.
We can’t get enough of the benefits of healthy sweeteners as a sugar alternative. So much so, we use the sucralose sweetener in our protein blends. We get into that a little more later on in this article, though. Stay tuned!
- Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar has many health benefits and is a derivative of coconut palm sap. This is a great sugar alternative because unlike table sugars, coconut sugar is not processed. Again, don’t over indulge, but this alternative is a great substitute.
Innermost sugar-free products
To combat unnecessary sugar intake, we prioritised the use of healthy sweeteners as a sugar alternative in our products. All our protein blends contain sucralose – a sweetener that adds to the delicious taste of the blend without contributing to the harmful effects of excess sugar.
We didn’t stop there with our sugar swaps. The Energy Booster also contains sucralose to help increase your energy levels, ensuring you're getting all the benefits from glucose and none of the bad stuff.
Summary
Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting you cut out sugar completely. The ingredient holds many benefits and is great in increasing our energy levels but should only be enjoyed as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Make the healthy choices where you can and start incorporating some of these great sugar swaps!
