Sugar Cane Natural: Sucanat

Giving up white sugar is no easy challenge. We are addicted to it as a culture. It is in everything from our chewing gum to our canned beans. Yet, white sugar has no nutritive value and is detrimental to one's health.

Avoiding white sugar, when so many of our foods are laden with it is a true struggle. Eliminating processed foods is the best place to start. Once determined, a person can begin to eliminate white sugar from his diet. However, that does not mean that one must give up sweetened or sweet foods. Maple syrup, honey, and fruits are all viable alternatives. But, when it comes to baking Sucanat is a tasty, nutritive subsititute.

Doing without white sugar is not really as big a taste sacrifice as you might think. Transitioning to Sucanat is an easy way to continue to bake sweets without the degenerative effects of white sugar. The flavor of sucanat is a natural molasses flavor that naturally complements recipes. It can be used as a one-to-one replacement for refined sugar. It is showing up in more cookbooks and online recipes as people become more familiar with the product. Even if your recipe calls for sugar, substitute sucanat. Try it first in a chocolate or barbeque recipe. It will not give the traditional light color of dishes such as crème brulee, but the flavor will be excellent.

SUgar CAne NATural is the name of the product, but it more commonly called sucanat. Sucanat is available in the baking section of most health food stores or can be ordered online. It is also available by the brand name Rapadura. It can be found certified organic, kosher, vegan and fair trade.

Sucanat is essentially dehydrated sugar cane juice. The sugar cane is harvested and crushed to remove the juices. The juices are heated to reduce it to a thick syrup. The syrup is then paddled until it forms granules. It is a source of iron, calcium, potassium, B vitamins and chromium.

Avoid turbinado sugar or sugar in the raw. Both these products have a similar look to sucanat: the brown granules that retain nutrients. However, these products have been dyed to look as though they have not been ultra processed. This is revealed when you read the ingredients and see a coloring agent or molasses used. If unsure about what to purchase, simply read the ingredients; look for pure dehydrated sugar can juice.

As with all things in life, it is best to enjoy sweeteners in moderation. But, Sucanat is a healthy alternative that can be a tasty indulgence!