The time has come to cut out all refined sweeteners including sugar! And this particular challenge is actually what inspired me to start the mini-pledges in the first place. It all started when I was having lunch with my kindergartner one day at school. I was looking
around at what the other kids brought for their lunch and between the white bread, the flavored yogurt, the crackers, and the jelly every single meal I surveyed contained some sort of refined sugar and in most cases – lots of it.
As I’ve said before, it is not necessarily the sugar itself (yes, white sugar is technically “natural” albeit highly refined), but it is the quantity in which our society consumes sugar that concerns me. What have things come to if we can’t even have a cracker or a bowl of cereal or a beverage unless it has been sweetened? Come on, sugar is in almost everything these days even when you least expect it. So it is time to put our foot down and live one week of our entire lives without any refined sugar. Can you do it?
Mini-Pledge Week 9: May 9 – May 15 – No refined or artificial sweeteners including (but not limited to): white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, sucanat, splenda, stevia, agave, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and cane juice. Foods and beverages can only be sweetened with a moderate amount of honey or maple syrup.
I get so many questions about sweeteners especially from those wondering why we’ve chosen honey and maple syrup as our sweeteners of choice. The moral of the story is – and most experts would agree – sugar is sugar and no matter what form of sugar you choose always consume it in moderation. Whether it is white table sugar, raw sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or maple syrup they are all – for the most part – sugars. We selected honey and maple syrup as our sweeteners of choice because they are two of the least processed “sugars” out there, and they are also difficult to find in highly processed foods. Honey and maple syrup also have slightly more nutrients than highly refined sweeteners like white table sugar, although – once again – all sweeteners are similar in the fact that overall they are high in calories and low in nutrients.
During our 100 Days of Real Food pledge, when we were restricted to honey and maple syrup as well as nothing out of a package with more than 5 ingredients, we ended up having to make all the “sweetened” foods we ate ourselves. I could not find any store-bought “sweet treats” that followed all of our rules – and trust me I looked! Since this sweetener restriction forces you to make sweetened foods from scratch you can see and control how much sweetener is being added. And chances are you will use a lot less sweetener than some factory. So back to how Americans are consuming sugar in overwhelming amounts these days…I saw an interesting statistic highlighted on foxnews.com:
Health experts recommend we eat no more than eight teaspoons of sugar a day. But on average, Americans consume four times that much.
In case you are challenged with simple math (like me) that means we are, on average, consuming 32 teaspoons a day! Also how about this for “food for thought” from New York Times Magazine article “Is Sugar Toxic?”:
Sugar is likely the “dietary cause of several other chronic ailments widely considered to be diseases of Western lifestyles — heart disease, hypertension and many common cancers among them.”
Assuming you are now convinced that reducing sugar intake is a good idea, I don’t want to leave you hanging. So next you will find everything from detailed meal plans to recipes to school lunch ideas that will help you successfully complete this pledge. You pretty much won’t find anything on this blog that calls for refined sweeteners so there are plenty of ideas to choose from. Here are some to get you started:
Resources for Meals without Refined Sweeteners
- Complete Meals Plans including Recipes
- Meal Ideas for: Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks, Dinner, Dessert
- School Lunch Ideas: Post I, Post II
- Store-bought Snacks: Post I, Post II
In closing, there are two key takeaways when it comes to sweeteners. Never choose an imitation sweetener (like splenda) over the real thing and no matter what sweetener you choose always consume it in moderation. We hope that restricting you to honey and maple syrup next week will help you accomplish both of those things!
To take the pledge: Please leave a comment below with the number of adults and kids in your household that will participate, and also share if you will do it for one meal, one day, or for the entire week. Put it in writing and make it official!
Good luck!
Hello,
My sister just told me about your web site. We do NOT eat what we need to be eating. Lots of refined and processed junk. I found the bread store you recommended 1 hour away from us, so I plan to go there. I know you recommended honey and maple syrup. If used in small amounts, can you eat raw sugar and do grocery stores carry that or do you have to go to a specialty store ? I need all the help I can get! Thanks !!
Hi Brenda. No, the raw sugar is not allowed on the 100 day pledge. Beyond that, you will need to decide what is right for you and your family. I might suggest the coconut palm sugar, though, if you are going to use it beyond the pledge. Here is some info on it from The Food Babe’s blog (www.foodbabe.org)…”Organic Coconut Palm Sugar…is…completely unrefined and not bleached like typical refined white sugar, helping to preserve all of its teeming vitamins and minerals. It is naturally high in amino acids – has 10,000 times more potassium, 20 times more magnesium and 20 times more iron than conventional sugar. Converting to this type of sugar could also, lower your risk of developing diabetes because it’s glycemic index is half of that compared to sugar.” Good luck. Jill
Thank you for this, I didn’t know what to use in place of my Truvia. I just ordered Organic Coconut Palm Sugar and cant wait to try it.
Starting the pledge. First week, no added sugar, (will be eating what we already have in our kitchen, but not add any sugar)
This is one “New Year’s Resolution” I don’t want to quit!
I think small changes are better for the long haul and so far my family (2 adults and a picky 10 yr old) is not really onboard.
Hi Lisa, I was shopping today, and found something I hadn’t seen before. Organic Whole Cane Sugar. It is made by a company called Rapunzel, and it is unrefined and unbleached. I bought a bag, because it has been ridiculously hard for us to cut out sugar! Our holiday treats did not taste the same. It’s the one thing that has been hardest to cut back on. Did you struggle with any one thing in particular?
I am glad you found an alternative, but it’s important to remember that “sugar is sugar” and all types should be consumed in moderation. One of my biggest challenges was chocolate and luckily this recipe helped a great deal: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/07/17/recipe-chocolate-torte-with-whipped-cream-and-chocolate-sauce/
So if its organic, unrefined and unbleached, is it considered a real food? I understand about using it in moderation, but in moderation, is it an okay sugar?
Hi Crystal. If you are talking about doing the the 10 or 100 day pledge, then it does not fall with in the rules: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-defined-a-k-a-the-rules/. We stick with honey, maple syrup, and condensed fruit juices. Coconut palm sugar might be a good option if you are talking about a sweetener to use outside of the pledge. This information comes directly from the Food Babe’s blog: “Organic Coconut Palm Sugar – This type of sugar is a perfect 1 to 1 substitute for any recipe that calls for regular old sugar. One of the big pluses of coconut palm sugar – it’s completely unrefined and not bleached like typical refined white sugar, helping to preserve all of its teeming vitamins and minerals. It is naturally high in amino acids – has 10,000 times more potassium, 20 times more magnesium and 20 times more iron than conventional sugar. Converting to this type of sugar could also, lower your risk of developing diabetes because it’s glycemic index is half of that compared to sugar.” Regardless of form, remember sugar is sugar. Hope this is helpful. ~Amy
Thanks so much!
I don’t understand how one minute you’re saying how bad sugar is but then you’re listing recipes like “whole wheat sugar cookies”. You contrdict yourself here.
Hi Dave. Yes, during the strict 100 day pledge, Lisa and her family did not have any refined sugar. But, beyond that they do allow themselves a treat every once in a while. The recipe you refer to is just that, a “treat”. Everything in moderation is the key. Jill
I’ve looked at every comment, other posts and I can’t find a denite answer about RAW agave. I’ve done a quick google search and come accros articles saying raw blue agave is ok because it’s not processed, it’s well, raw. Please let me know what you think of raw blue agave sweetener–I find it at Trader Joe’s. Thanks!
Hi Steph. No, we do not use agave and here is an article as to why…http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/. Jill
[...] Week 7: No refined sweeteners – No refined or artificial sweeteners including (but not limited to): white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, sucanat, splenda, stevia, agave, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and cane juice. Foods and beverages can only be sweetened with a moderate amount of honey or maple syrup. [...]
What are your thoughts on coconut sugar. It claims to be unrefined. I have had 18 friends join me on the weekly pledges as part of our New Year’s Resolution. We are there to support one another and share stories/information. Thank you so much for sharing everything that you did to change your “diet.” I, like you, was finding myself lying awake at night sick to my stomach thinking of the junk that is put into our foods and food supply. I have been making little changes for almost a year, and have decided to complete this path and only eat real foods! Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Rysa. Coconut palm sugar is a great option. Here is some information about it from the Food Babe (http://foodbabe.com/2011/12/19/ditch-refined-sugar/). Keep in mind it would still not be allowed under “the rules”. Jill
I’d like for you guys to consider the following post by Tropical Traditions on why they do not produce coconut sugar, while it may be a yummy refined sugar alternative there are ecological considerations to take into account.
http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/coconut_palm_sugar.htm
Lisa,
Love this website! It has inspired me to try and limit processed foods. My children love syrup on breakfast items. I was surprised how easily they switched to pure maple syrup!
I have not had any sugar or sweeteners since May of 2012. I don’t drink soda pop of any kind. I have lost 55 pounds and I feel great! I cannot agree with you more about all of the hidden sugar in processed foods! The end result of this decision of mine has been that I eat ‘real food’ and whole food that I can prepare myself. I know some still probably sneaks in, but being aware makes a big difference!
I love to follow your blog, and I appreciate you!
Why is Stevia bad? I’ve always heard that it is a natural sweetner?
Hi Kelsey. It is natural, the problem is that the form in which it is sold to consumers is highly processed to get it to the white powdery form (it should be green if unprocessed). Jill
What about stevia?
Hi Anne. While stevia is from the stevia plant, the form in which it sold in the stores is very processed. Unprocessed stevia should be green, not the white powder that you see. Jill
I think you need to take a closer look at stevia. It’s a natural plant extract that was actually sold as a diet supplement here in the States because of its health benefits (with a long history of medicinal use in Paraguay and Brazil, where I’m from). It should definitely NOT be placed in the same category as sucrose, aspartame, etc!
Hi Deb. Yes, it is a natural plant extract. The problem is, that the form in which it is sold to consumers (white powder) is far from the natural plant extract and processed. In it’s natural state, yes, I would agree, it is not processed. Jill
What about the liquid stevia sold as an herbal supplement?
Why is coconut sugar not allowed under the pledge rules? Is it just because Lisa and her family only did honey and maple syrup as sweeteners or is it because there is some processing involved with the coconut sugar? I’ve just discovered this product and I am trying to understand the pros and cons as best I can. I have read the Food Babe article.
Thanks!
Hi Ellen. Yes, it’s only because that’s what Lisa and her family chose to use. I agree though, beyond the pledge, coconut palm sugar is a great option. Jill
Can you please give me a little more info on Sucanat? My family has been trying to use only maple syrup and honey as sweeteners, but in some recipes they just don’t work out quite right. I though Sucanat is simply dehydrated, freshly squeezed sugar cane juice? And I have read that it is also a good source of iron, calcium, potassium, B vitamins and chromium. If I only use Organic Sucanat (so I know for sure it is NOT genetically modified) is it considered a REAL food? We are not on the pledge, just trying to find another REAL food option for a sweetener (when we actually eat sweets as a treat). Thanks!!!!
Can you please give me a little more info on Sucanat? My family has been trying to use only maple syrup and honey as sweeteners, but in some recipes they just don’t work out quite right. I though Sucanat is simply dehydrated, freshly squeezed sugar cane juice? And I have read that it is also a good source of iron, calcium, potassium, B vitamins and chromium. If I only use Organic Sucanat (so I know for sure it is NOT genetically modified) is it considered a REAL food? We are not on the pledge, just trying to find another REAL food option for a sweetener (when we actually eat sweets as a treat). Love your site!!!! Thanks!!!!
Hi Jessica. Welcome! Outside of the pledge, sucanat is a better choice for the (occasional use) replacement for white sugar. The Food Renegade addresses sucanat here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/my-natural-sweeteners-of-choice/. ~Amy
I could be on your site all day! I am a student taking holistic nutrition and there is SOOO many things that people don’t take that time to realize that is potentially harming them in just foods that they consume! I will admit that as I go all natural and organic as possible, not easy for a student budget, I have to admit that I DO drink Crystal Light Lemonade. I KNOW I shouldn’t, but, because I have to drink Lemonade for an ulcer, I use the Crystal Light because it isn’t so full of sugar, or at least I hope not. I have tried the Lemon Water, but do not seems to be acquiring a taste for it. With the Crystal Light,it doesn’t have calories, yet isn’t really a nutritious “anything”…but, I guess I feel that for now, it’s the only item that I have in my body that is “processed.” I have come a long way…lol
What about the liquid form of Stevia? I buy it in the bottle with an eyedropper… the powdery kind has an aftertaste. Is there a difference?
Hi Leslie. The liquid form of stevia you find in grocery and health food stores is usually the processed extract. Real whole leaf stevia would be green in any form. You can find raw stevia powder but it is rather pricey. Hope that helps. ~Amy
[...] packed full of calories, so you should ration its use as well! If you want more on the subject read this article on “100 Days of Real [...]
Hi I saw a picture of you and Food Babe it looked like in a kitchen with the Krfaft Mac n cheese. I saw a refrigerator in the background and am looking for a new refrigerator for our new home we are building. I really like that refrigerator! I have been looking for one like that. Is that yours and if it is what kind is it?
I love your blog! I have taken a lot of processed foods out of our diet! I love seeing what you put in your girl’s lunch. It helps me to pack my girl’s lunch!
Thanks for your help’
Ann Wensel
What about molasses? Is it a real food?
Hi Chris. Molasses is probably fine outside of the pledge. Just remember that sugar is sugar regardless of form and should be consumed in moderation. ~Amy
[...] when all else fails, choose a suitable alternative and forget stevia altogether. Lisa uses honey and pure maple syrup, and I personally prefer coconut palm sugar, since it is low glycemic (making it more diabetic [...]