By Assia Mortensen
American adults consume about 22 teaspoons of sugar daily; teens consume even more — a whopping 34 teaspoons per day. The most popular sugary foods are sodas, candy, cakes, cookies and pies. According to the Mayo Clinic, American women should limit sugar intake to less than 100 calories per day; American men should consume no more than 150 calories of sugar per day. Given this info, the more we can find ways to substitute sugar and/or corn syrup in our food and our recipes with healthier alternatives, the better.
Cooking Alternatives:
Honey
Use the same amount of honey as you would corn syrup in recipes. Add 1 tsp. of water if the honey is too thick. Honey is easier for the body to assimilate than corn syrup and it contains enzymes that allow the body to break it down.
Stevia
Stevia comes from the leaves of the stevia rebaudiana plant, native to South America. It’s a natural and healthy sweetener that is much more potent than cane sugar. Use 1/2 tsp. stevia for each cup of sugar.
Golden Syrup
Golden syrup is an amber-colored sweetener made from evaporated cane juice. It is sometimes called cane syrup and is popular among British, Caribbean and Creole cooks. Use the same amount of golden syrup as you would either dark or light corn syrup.
Molasses
Use one part molasses and two parts of honey in order to replace dark corn syrup. For example, if your pie recipe calls for 1 cup of dark corn syrup, use 2/3 cup of honey and 1/3 cup of molasses. Molasses contains calcium, potassium and is rich in iron.
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References
The Cooks Thesaurus: Liquid Sweeteners; Accessed Sept. 28, 2012
Mayo Clinic: Nutrition and Healthy Eating; Accessed Sept. 28, 2012
“Consumer Reports”; High Fructose Corn Syrup is Not ‘Corn Sugar’; March 9, 2011; Accessed Sept. 28, 2012
