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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 the news:
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.”
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.
Meloney says
I'm making it official! 2 adults and 3 kiddos for life! I really didn't think I'd be able to do this but I just started using honey instead of all the sugars a while ago and omitting it all together in a lot of my cooking. I only hesitated on signing up for this one because we did so horribly on last week's challenge. We're going to continue to work on not eating too much. :-/
Megan says
starting today... i have a very big sweet tooth (as does most of the US). i have been cutting back significantly though, but we'll see how the whole week goes without it!
April says
I made your recipe for Dark Chocolate Brownies last night but added sorghum flour, tapioca flour, and oats in place of the whole wheat flour because I have a sensative stomache when it comes to gluten. The brownie's turned out moist and very sweet. I was just reading the other comments and wondered about Sorghum Flour. I googled health benefits of Sorghum and read that studies have shown that it reduces the risk of certain kinds of cancer and helps with people with diabeties. My children and I have been doing the whole food challenge for 3 weeks now and have been doing very well and want to continue on this streak. What are your thoughts on using sorghum flour in baking?
Megan says
where is this brownie recipe?
100 Days of Real Food says
Megan - Here's the link: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/01/recipe-real-whole-wheat-brownies/
100 Days of Real Food says
Glad you enjoyed the brownies. As long as the sorghum is whole grain it's totally fine to use!
Wendy says
I watched Dr. Lustig's video on youtube.com about 3 weeks ago. Myself and two young children have done without any processed sugar. I even looked up the many different and extensive names of Sugar found in ingredients. I thought I'd post the list of the different names of Sugar in case some readers don't know already. A friend of mine has been without Sugar for almost 2- 1/2 years, and I, like her, I am never going back! I feel Awesome without Sugar! My teeth even feel cleaner by nighttime, and clean into the morning on the nights that I fall asleep without brushing.
barley malt
beet sugar
brown sugar
buttered syrup
cane-juice crystals
cane sugar
caramel
carob syrup
corn syrup
corn syrup solids
That's just a small taste of it. There are many, many more so read more
date sugar
dextran
dextrose
diatase
diastatic malt
ethyl maltol
fructose
fruit juice
fruit juice concentrate
glucose
glucose solids
golden sugar
golden syrup
grape sugar
high-fructose corn syrup
honey
invert sugar
lactose
malt syrup
maltodextrin
maltose
mannitol
molasses
raw sugar
refiner's syrup
sorbitol
sorghum syrup
sucrose
sugar
turbinado sugar
yellow sugar
Source
Bibiana says
I love your website! I am cutting out all refined sugar for Lent.
I was wondering: what would you recommend to endurance athletes as far as sugar intake is concerend? I like to go on long bike rides (100 miles in a day). I haven't tried this without refined sugar yet, but I usually drank Gatorade and ate Powerbars to keep up my energy. Not sure natural foods and juice would be sufficient, also as far as electrolytes are concerend.
100 Days of Real Food says
I am certainly no doctor or health expert, but our ancestors worked hard and survived for centuries without any of that stuff. I would look for a more natural replacement if you'd like, but I do not think Gatorade and such is necessary. Just eat plenty of whole foods ensuring you eat a big variety including plenty of vegetables. Good luck!
Lori Quinn says
Clever marketing has America and athletes convinced we need sugar, fefined carbs, and caffiene for energy. As a health coach to many athletes and an endurance athlete myself, nothing could be further from the truth! Refined sugar and caffiene are stimulants - what goes up must come down! Nature has provided ample useable carbs for athletes in whole grains and fruits. Lemons, apples, celery and coconut water are all amazing sources of electrolytes.
Mel H says
Forgive me, as I have not read every comment, but what are your thoughts about agave? I find it sweeter and lighter than honey or maple syrup and can get it organic for a good price at costco.
100 Days of Real Food says
We avoid agave and here's why: http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/
Michelle says
I try to watch the sugars in our diet, when I do use sugar I use organic sugar, at least I know it's not genetically modified.
Karen says
I agree with the prior poster on Stevia. I've grown it in flower pots and you can pluck a leaf to drop into your tea (no refining necessary). The only negative information out there came from the sugar industry....trying to ban it from the USA. It's been used in South America for centuries. The flavor takes some getting used to, but I've been using it in my coffee for years and love it.
Tip: Maple Sugar is a great resource add to mixes if you keep your own in the cupboard for quick baking.
Heidi says
I would do a bit more research before you completely rule out Stevia. I would love to see what resources you used in determining NOT to use it? I agree about being cautious with something that has only been recently approved for use, but I've done some research on it and turned up nothing negative. If you could share any research you have done on Stevia I would appreciate it.
100 Days of Real Food says
One of Michael Pollan's philosophies is "Innovation in food is bad." I think I need to put Stevia into two categories...the raw leaves that people process themselves and products like Truvia where the food industry is processing the stevia for you. The latter would be considered "innovation" and what I would recommend people staying away from.
Susan says
What about 'Ideal' brand sugar?
100 Days of Real Food says
The brand doesn't matter all that much...I just buy organic and use it very sparingly.
Stacie says
I realize this is an older blog post, but I am new to your site, and I LOVE it! Thank you for the info and inspiration to feed my family in a nourishing way. I do have a question for you though: what is your opinion of molasses?
100 Days of Real Food says
Molasses might be a little more processed than something like honey and a little less processed than something like sugar. What it really comes down to though is sugar is sugar (no matter how natural) and it should always be used in moderation!
Rosemary Evergreen says
We've been on an allergy elimination diet for nearly 2 months. During that time, we've used no honey or sugar. We went without maple syrup for about 5 weeks before testing it. I used a small amount of brown rice syrup but my primary sweetener during that time was dried fruit. Now that I've learned to do this, I don't want to go back to using sugar, ever!
Britney says
I live in El Salvador and Maple Syrup is unavailable. What do you think of dulce de panela? I have tried looking it up on the internet but can't find much information. Thanks!
100 Days of Real Food says
I am not familiar with Dulce de Panela...have not seen it here in the U.S. From what I read on the internet it sounds like it is a little less refined than regular sugar, but probably a little more processed than something like Maple Syrup. Honey is another good alternative if you can find that.
Wendy says
Maple sap turns to maple syrup when you boil it. If you boil it longer you crystallize the sap and it can be poured into molds and made into candy. Granulated maple sugar is just boiled a little more.
Honey will also crystallize in the jar. Just put the jar in a bowl of hot water and it will melt back into liquid honey.
Jan says
I use raw sugar, honey or agava syrup all the time. This one is reasonably easy. It is difficult to find juices without sugar though. I like peach tea, and peaches aren't in season yet.
goingoffthegrocerygrid says
We use honey all the time for a substitute in recipes and it works great! I make all my muffins, breads, you name it using honey instead of sugar! We use a bit of maple syrup to flavor our oatmeal and it works wonders! I can get honey and maple syrup locally so not only does it help our health it helps our local economy as well!
Gretchen says
Have you seen the movie Elf with Will Ferrel? Well that is what I felt like this morning as I sweetened my coffee with maple syrup. I couldn't help but laugh when I recalled Will Ferrel pouring obscene amounts of maple syrup in and on anything he consumed. hehe - if you haven't seen it - see it. My favorite Christmas (and Will Ferrel) movie.
100 Days of Real Food says
I forgot all about that scene LOL! And yes, funny movie...
Hayley says
I was making an Asian noodle dish the other day and since I was using unsweetened peanut butter, it needed a little something. As I found myself pouring maple syrup over whole wheat pasta, I couldn't help but picture Buddy the Elf! Laughed so hard I almost cried.
Barb says
I'm in. As for my family, I'm not so sure about. Well, no, they aren't in.
lakesidemama says
A quick question.....what do you think about maple sugar? I was at the farmers' market this weekend and the local maple syrup producer was selling granulated maple sugar. She said that they just boiled down the maple syrup until it became maple sugar. Would this be considered too processed or could I use it in addition to honey and maple syrup?
100 Days of Real Food says
I think it is okay although it does sound like it is slightly more processed than regular maple syrup.
Kelli says
I'm in. 1 adult. I switched to natural peanut butter last year and at Christmas I was doing baking and just bought the old name brand that I used to eat. I tasted it and thought it had gone bad! It tasted disgusting to me now that I am used to the natural kind w/o the sugar and added oils. It's funny how your taste buds can change (for the better). :)
Kasseopeia says
I am definitely in! Come to think of it, I should blog all about these mini-pledges I've been taking. Here in the sunny (or in today's case - stormy)islands of the Philippines, nobody is safe from sweeteners either. Locally-made prepared salad dressing has HFCS as the second or third ingredient! Argh, and I thought I was eating healthy too!
(jumped here from Carrie Vitt's)
Lindsey says
I am wondering why agave is listed as "don't use" and why stevia is not suggested at all. I have heard that there is not any benefit to agave (other than as a sweetener) and I know that since the FDA allowed stevia to be sold as a sugar substitute it has become fairly commercialized. I am not asking in any sort of as a challenge, I would just love to know more about your research and reasoning behind the use of honey and maple syrup, but not these other products that (I have heard) are fairly natural when purchased with some research and thoughtfulness.
Thank you!
P.S. I just read about you on CivilEats and I am excited to start following the blog!
100 Days of Real Food says
Welcome to the blog! I have added stevia to the list...I tried to name them all, but knew I would leave something out. The reason for stevia is because it was only fairly recently approved in the U.S. as a sweetener (in the 1980s) and it is still banned in some countries. My philosophy is when in doubt...leave it out. Michael Pollan says that we should be eating the foods that people have survived on for centuries and that innovation in food is bad. So I think that backs up our honey and maple syrup choices, which have obviously been around forever!
Michelle @ Turning Over a New Leaf says
Another idea perhaps is the fact that it's becoming more and more common to see stevia ("Reb-A" and "Rebiana")and agave in packaged/processed foods, and a big part of the challenge is to avoid having someone else sweeten your food for you.
When the week for this is over I'll not completely adhere to the challenge, but I think I'll add sucanat to my list of acceptable sweeteners for the fact that I've never seen "sucanat" listed as an ingredient in a packaged food. Oh and for the record, I don't consider "evaporated cane juice" or turbinado sugar to be the same as sucanat. I see those in packaged foods all the time.
sheri says
we have been trying to cut out refined sugar AND flour as much as possible...substituting honey, maple syrup, and whole wheat as often as we can. i make the majority of our breads, tortillas, snacks, and baked goods from scratch and even though there is sugar in many of the recipes i use i feel better knowing that i am in control of just how much i put in (or whether i find a substitute) and that i actually KNOW what is in the food we are eating (vs. not being able to pronounce something on an ingredient list!) i know we will not cut out sugar completely this week, but we will absolutely try to be more creative with honey and maple syrup...especially since you recommended maple syrup in coffee and i love it =) also, thank you for the recipes that include more natural ingredients! so nice to have a quick reference site when i'm looking for something different to try!
100 Days of Real Food says
Every little bit counts!
Stacie says
Seeing I get my favorite dessert on Mother's Day still, our whole household is on for the challenge. 1 adult and 2 children aiming for the whole week; 1 adult in for all but his work lunches.
Ellen says
I never was one to drink alot of soda, use sugar in my coffeem, tea or add it to food. My ds however is beginning his 2nd year of pastry/culinary school and is always baking and bringing stuff home. Tack on the blasted Dairy Bar and Junior's donuts and the temptations are all around. I will do my best to avoid refined sugar, and as for artificial sweeterners, YUCK never touched them.
Michelle says
I don't know if I can, but I am going to try to go sweetener-free for one week. Eek! This is going to be hard for me.
Monique says
I have done this before but "went off the wagon." I going to start again... I will also encourage others to do so as well:)
MountainHi says
Just a note - my NY's pledge was to add one healthy habit or change to my life every week until...
These updates have allowed me to be a little lazy finding ideas! I am careful with my sugar/carb intake due to a family history of diabetes, and wanted to limit the use of artificial sweeteners (kicked the diet soda habit as my first 2011 goal). I use maple syrup in cooking, but for coffee/tea is stevia compatible with this week's pledge? Honey and maple sugar are draining my bank account! Though I'm not 100% crazy about the taste of Stevia, it is touted to as beneficial in fighting diabetes.
100 Days of Real Food says
Stevia is not allowed...read some of the other comments for more of an explanation. If honey and maple syrup and getting expensive that's an even better reason to consume them in moderation!! I know not what you wanted to hear :)
lakesidemama says
I'm in. I ditched the aspartame habit a few months ago. I found it really difficult because I missed the super sweetness for so long! However, I persevered even through about a month of withdrawl headaches. Then I cut out sugar and brown sugar. I didn't miss sugar nearly so much. Because I love to cook I have been having fun finding recipes using natural sweeteners. Have a honey of a week everyone!
stacy forrest says
I'm in. Although I try to do this anyway, not slipping all week will be a challange.....but a good one!
Tiffany says
This one is going to be really hard!!! I will try to do this every other day - 1 adult!
Lyn @ Life Lyn Style says
I'm into my 3rd week for this part of real food. It feels good to pay attention to all of the ingredients.
Natalie says
What about Stevie...isn't it all natural and unrefined? Not" Truvia" I mean pure Stevia?
100 Days of Real Food says
No stevia allowed...I just added it to the list. It was only recently approved in the U.S. as a sweetener (in the 1980s) and is still banned in some countries. When in doubt leave it out!
KELLI UGARTE says
I am recently researching Stevia after being told by a personal trainer that it is natural and doesn't affect the body as sugar does. The more I read, the more I believe Stevia was banned by the US to protect the artificial sweetener companies here...basically political with lobbyist involved. So that has made me disregard the US "ban" as being legit. It's been highly used in Japan for decades.
I have a husband who is trying to make the switch but still needs a little help in this department. The good thing about it is that it is natural if you purchase it right. Some manufacturers add stuff so we are researching where to buy it. And there are studies that show if consumed in large quantities, it is bad for you, but what isn't? Everything in moderation. I haven't decided to start using it, but so far, all natural and doesn't affect the body as white sugar does? I think this deserves more research.
stacey says
i'm definitely joining in on this challenge! i've been struggling with sugar so much lately... i can't leave it alone!! i quit eating sugar almost entirely for two years and did very well at it. i felt great and knew i was doing the right thing for my body by not eating sugar. i'm not saying that's the right thing for everyone to do, but it was definitely the right thing for me.
long story short, i've totally let my sugar consumption get out of control again. perhaps it would still be considered moderate by some people's standards in comparison, but it's still too much for me. i can "feel" it.
thanks for the extra push in the right direction!
Laurin says
I was planning on doing this one next week anyways! So glad it's the pledge of the week!! I'm going to try extra hard :) I'm planning on making your banana bread recipe tomorrow actually! (your zucchini bread AND pumpkin bread have been a gigantic hit with my whole family INCLUDING my diabetic grandmother who can have a slice without a spike in blood sugar! yay!) Thanks so much for all you do! (p.s. Happy Early Mother's day!)
100 Days of Real Food says
Thank you!! Love to hear all that! :)
orchid says
putting sugar in oatmeal sounds disgusting to me. i've always had it with just cinnamon.
i almost never have sugar in anything except things i've baked myself. runner's world just had a recipe for a mango lassi that calls for sugar. i can't understand that--mangos are sweet!
Aron says
I'm going to give it my best effort :D I already use honey in my coffee, so that'll be easy. It'll be skipping the yogurt that will be hard for me.
100 Days of Real Food says
Try buying plain yogurt and mixing in this berry sauce. It doesn't have any high-fructose cory syrup or food dyes in it like some of the premade store-bought stuff!
https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/03/recipe-berry-sauce/
Tiff @ Love, Sweat & Beers says
Once you get in the habit of cutting out more sugar, food tastes better without it. Plain old-fashion oatmeal and yogurt used to be so gross to me, but now I love them both. I'm sure I still eat waaayyyyy too much sugar (cookies, anyone?), but it's amazing how little you actually need. Thanks for the helpful info and the reminder to steer clear when possible!
Michelle @ Turning Over a New Leaf says
Ooooooh my gosh. This is the week that's gonna kill me.
Kidding.
(Maybe)
I normally don't eat much food at home that contains refined sweeteners. Really just once a week when I serve dessert to guests on weekends. Though I don't exercise the same restraint when I'm out of the house and I'm offered a cupcake or something.
The artificial sweetener thing will be difficult too. While I don't keep artificial sweeteners in the house, I do still have a diet soda habit. It has gotten better in recent weeks, but I still average two or three 20-oz bottles of some sort of diet drink a week.
I haven't decided if this is going to be easier or harder than the refined grains thing.
Anyway, I'm in. At least, I'm going to try to be in!
Charity says
My husband and I read the "Is Sugar Toxic" article a couple weeks ago and it has been an eye opener! We are working on cutting refind sugar out of our diet (this week I made your recipe for granola cereal!). I am often shocked where I find sugar listed in an ingredient list. We are going to continue to work on cutting out refined sugar.
I wanted to point out that on this posting, your blog links for Main Ideas for Breakfast, Lunch, etc were not working when I tried them.
Also, I have a love for baking - do you have any ideas on how to substitute honey or maple syreup for white sugar when baking?
Thanks!