recipes requiring sugar

[Carina1962]

if a recipe states sugar in it, is it best to replace this with a sugar substitute like Splenda? ie if a recipe requires a tablespoon of sugar, would you replace it with a tablespoon of Splenda or would you need less if it is a sugar substitute?

 

[lorenso]

I think Splenda measures to sugar 1 is to 1.

But I think it all depends to your taste. Its better to have less of it, even it's a sugar substitute.

 

[Alan S]

if a recipe states sugar in it, is it best to replace this with a sugar substitute like Splenda? ie if a recipe requires a tablespoon of sugar, would you replace it with a tablespoon of Splenda or would you need less if it is a sugar substitute?

Depending on the recipe I often just leave the sugar out completely for a trial run. My tastes have changed and I like things with less sweetness now.

For things that must have sweetness I start with a small amount and work up. It's easier to add than to subtract.

 

[macast]

I've also found that my tastes have changed and foods that I once ate and relished now seem so horribly sweet. I've never baked anything since diagnosis so would be very interested in how home-baked things turn out with sugar substitutes. would be lovely to make a cake that was edible 😛

Alan S ... does a cake bake properly without the sugar???? what do you cream the butter/marg with???

 

[Carina1962]

thanks for the advice, i too will experiment and prob use very little sugar in any future recipes 🙂

 

[donnarob]

Does anybody use Fructrose?

I must admit to using very little salt and sugar these days, but some things have to have a little sweetness.

Donna 🙂

 

[Alan S]

I've also found that my tastes have changed and foods that I once ate and relished now seem so horribly sweet. I've never baked anything since diagnosis so would be very interested in how home-baked things turn out with sugar substitutes. would be lovely to make a cake that was edible 😛

Alan S ... does a cake bake properly without the sugar???? what do you cream the butter/marg with???

I have to be honest, I don't use Splenda in cakes. I mostly use it in stir-fries or Asian dishes such as Chili Crab, or in yoghurt. I avoid cakes because I reckon the flour is more insidiously dangerous than the sugar content. At least the sugar in the icing is obvious and can be scraped off.

The cakes I bake are rare, and are made (and frosted) with sugar for others to eat for birthdays. I have a tiny token slice if necessary for the celebrations. I'm experimenting with low-carb NY cheesecake recipes at the moment, using sugar but much less than the usual recipes.

I don't use a lot of sweeteners or sugars in cooking. My main personal sweetener intake is probably from occasional diet soft drinks.

 

[Alan S]

Does anybody use Fructrose?

Hopefully not.

I've lost a lot of my old bookmarks so I can't find the papers I wanted to show you, but this gives some of the reasons to avoid excessive fructose: Too Much Sugar Is Bad, But Which Sugar Is Worse: Fructose Or Glucose?

Original paper: Consuming fructose-sweetened, not glucose-sweetened, beverages increases visceral adiposity and lipids and decreases insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese humans

An editorial comment expanding on that: Dietary sugars: a fat difference

I haven't investigated the subject deeply, but enough to avoid fructose as a sweetener and to not over-indulge in fruits. I eat fruit, but not to excess.

Maybe someone here with better chemistry knowledge than I can expand on the subject.

 

[caffeine_demon]

I'd like to see a comparison between the two beverage types, as well as fresh fruit + water.

 

[Nicky1970]

Fructose eventually breaks down to sucrose (table sugar), which in turn is reduced to glucose in the body. Has been recommended to diabetics in small doses in the past because the way the body metabolises it (much further down the intestines than sucrose) , it has a lower GI than other sugars and doesn't impact on blood sugar as much.
However it does increase the levels of triglycerides in the blood especially in Type 2's and sufferers of Metabolic Syndrome and so it's probably better to avoid it all together if possible.

 

[MeanMom]

Anyone tried Agave Syrup/Nectar?

 

[Liz!]

i think it's best to avoid all sweeteners, particularly ones that have been extracted in quite a processed way - corn syrup for instance has been associated with negative health issues.

I have stopped using things sweetened with Nutrasweet or saccharin or any of those sweeteners as they are very artificial and also associated with health issues. i just don't drink things like Coke or Fanta or whatever, I have water.

If I make cakes I tend to just use a HUGE amount less sugar, or sweeten with raisins, or add coconut (not the dire bringer of cholesterol it is made out to be).