An Alternative to High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Main Image
It seems as more consumers are realizing that high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is bad for them, food production companies are taking it out of their products. This is great news. But how are manufacturers going to replicate that sweet flavor that got so many Americans hooked in the first place?
Snapple recently announced its decision to replace HFCS with sugar to lower the calorie content. The ingredients will now read: water, sugar, citric acid, tea and natural flavors. Is this really better? Sugar is still a refined product that contributes to many of the preventable diseases Americans suffer from today.
Since Snapple teas are known for their sweet flavors, it would be hard for them to take out the sweet factor, but what about a healthier alternative?
Here are a few sugar alternatives:
Agave Nectar is made from the juice of agave cactus and is 1.4 times sweeter than refined sugar, but does not create a sugar rush.
Date Sugar consists of finely ground, dehydrated dates and comes in a granulated form.
Brown Rice Syrup consists of brown rice that has been ground and cooked, converting the starches to maltose. You may need to use up to 50% more brown rice syrup than the amount of sugar you would normally need.
Do you have a favorite alternative sweetener?
About the author
Joshua Rosenthal is the Founder and Director of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. He has worked in the nutrition field for more than 25 years, teaching at the school alongside health leaders including Andrew Weil, Deepak Chopra and Barry Sears. At Integrative Nutrition students are trained as Health Coaches, receiving the holistic nutrition education necessary for them go out into the world and help others improve their health and happiness.
Most Popular
