“I am a Nutrition Editor at http://FOODPICKER.org – a website designed to help people with diabetes.” Check out the link above.
Question: What is the best sugar substitute to use for baking and daily use for diabetics?
Answer: Moderation is key. Just because most artificial sweeteners are non-caloric does not necessarily constitute them to be better for us. Many artificial sweeteners are restricted from other countries and are only used in the U.S. so it is important to understand what we are using on a daily basis. Have you ever wondered why our bodies don’t break down the artificial sweeteners? Anything my body don’t recognize then do I need it? Just because the FDA approved it does not mean it’s for you to use.
When we were babies we ate plenty without added sugar, but as most of us grew up we have became accustom to adding sugar to everything. For example, cereal, tea, coffee, rice, grits, spaghetti and so much more. I use to sweeten my tea with table sugar and notice I’ve been drinking my calories, so I tried unsweetened tea. It took me a while to get use to not adding sugar but now I can drink any tea without adding sugar. There are many teas which are naturally sweet and others that are delicate enough that don’t require sugar or artificial sweeteners. I now add fruit instead of syrup to my waffles. I stopped eating refined products and start eating whole grains. Give it a try; you may see artificial sweeteners aren’t needed. Moderation is still key, stay within your allotted carbohydrates.
I personally don’t recommend artificial anything but if you’re looking for something to substitute here is what’s available. Nutra-Sweet and Equal both are made from aspartame which losses its sweetness when exposed to high temperatures or long periods of heat. So these sweeteners would be the best for cookies and bars which don’t require long cooking times. Sweet N’low and SugarTwin are made from saccharin. These artificial sweeteners can also be used for cookies, bars, pies and cakes. But to make some baked goods like cakes the use of sugar is needed in the various recipes. Their website has various recipes available.
