This post is deliciously sponsored by Whole Earth Sweetener, but all opinions are my own.
Non caloric (or non-nutritive) sweeteners have been around for a while now, but there's some new names in this game that you don’t want to miss out on. These products are all natural and contain few to no calories, but still provide the sweet taste you love from sugar.
Why use an alternative sweetener?
The AHA recommends that women limit their added sugar consumption to no more than 100 calories per day, which is about 6 teaspoons of sugar. For men, it’s 150 calories per day, or about 9 teaspoons. For reference, (1) 20 oz soda contains ~12 teaspoons sugar. So it's VERY easy to exceed this AHA recommendation.
Why should you care?
Excess consumption of added sugars is associated with poor health outcomes such as type 2 diabetes, weight gain and fatty liver. Specifically, sugar sweetened beverage consumption has been shown to increase risk for Type 2 Diabetes. Additionally, consuming added sugar easily adds calories without offering other nutritional benefits which may lead to weight gain. Too much simple sugar in the body also speeds up the process of your liver turning food to stored fat.
So, with these potential health risks, it may make sense to switch to other forms of alternative sweeteners.
Here are 3 of my favorite new, low-to-no calorie sweeteners to add into your diet:
Whole Earth Allulose Baking Blend
What is it: Allulose generally is a type of sweetener found naturally in fruits like figs and raisins. Now, it’s available through Whole Earth as a unique baking blend of allulose and erythritol, both sourced from corn, that can be easily swapped for sugar in baked goods and protein bars. I love it so much because this custom blend, designed for baking, measures 1:1 like sugar and bakes and browns just like sugar too! How awesome is that?! Allulose, one of the main ingredients in this blend, is a simple sugar that provides 0 calories and 0 net carbs. The net carbs are calculated by taking the total carbs and subtracting those that are not absorbed, so 8g total carbs, minus 4 g in erythritol and minus 4 from allulose will provide zero net carbs.
How to use it: In terms of structure, allulose behaves meaures, bakes and browns just like regular sugar, making it a great alternative for many baked goods. Allulose also has good moisture holding properties which is perfect for baking. Allulose is 70% as sweet as sucrose, which is why it makes sense to combine it with other sweeteners like stevia or erythritol when baking. This is exactly what is done in the Whole Earth allulose blend to make it the same 1:1 sweetness as sugar!
2. Whole Earth Erythritol
What is it: Whole Earth Erythritol is a sugar alcohol derived from the fermentation of glucose from corn, but erythritol generally can also be found naturally in fruits such as pears, melons, and grapes. Erythritol has been shown to prevent blood sugar spikes when consumed, making it a good option for those looking to manage diabetes.
How to use it: You can use erythritol the same way as table sugar. Add it to your coffee, tea or other beverages. You can even use it when baking as well! Whole Earth Erythritol is 100% erythritol, it has zero calories, zero sugar and is about 70% of the sweetness of sugar without the calories.
3. Whole Earth Monk Fruit with Erythritol
What is it: Monk fruit is a small green melon found in Southeast Asia. Monk fruit is 150-200x sweeter than sugar and has 0 calories. Like erythritol, monk fruit is a low glycemic sweetener, meaning it doesn’t impact blood sugar negatively, which is again, important for diabetes management, heart health and much more.
How to use it: The Whole Earth Monk Fruit Blend is created to be used as even swap for regular sugar, so you can use it the same way as you would regular sugar. However, it has 0 calories per teaspoon compared to 16 calories per teaspoon of sugar.
Creative Ways to Use These Sweeteners in the Kitchen
Stir into coffee, tea or cocktails
Add to cakes, breads, pancakes, cookies, muffins, and oatmeal
Use to make homemade protein bars & energy balls
Blend into smoothies or homemade dressings
Whether you’re looking to manage your blood sugar, lose weight or just want a lower calorie sweetener in your life, these 3 options from Whole Earth are all great choices.