Sugar – How to Cut Back Without Losing Out on Flavor

There is no doubt that refined sugars (and flours) of today, are the transfats of yesterday.

How can we wean ourselves and our families off excessive sugar without sacrificing our enjoyment of foods?

The answer: We can do so by 1) Gradually replacing refined sugars with healthier alternatives (such as honey and organic cane sugar in lesser amounts), over an extended period of time; and 2) Gradually reducing the total daily amount of sugar intake. Most of us have an emotional attachment to sweet flavors that goes back to infancy – really, it’s a type of addiction – that is primal. Those of us who are emotional eaters (and who also tend to crave refined carbs) could benefit by learning how to substitute healthier alternatives without sacrificing the satisfaction we all enjoy from sweet flavors.

Believe it or not, after a few weeks of reduced sugar intake, you will find that your palate is actually offended by overly sweetened foods. (By the way, the same rule applies to salt but we will write about that later.)

Let’s start with hydration and beverages. Aside from water, many of us drink flavored waters and “grab and go” items such boxed juice products. Many of these products claim to have switched from high fructose corn syrup to cane sugar. A close examination of the ingredient, however, will often reveal that the switch is actually to genetically modified beet sugar. Cane sugar is relatively expensive; therefore most producers will avoid using real cane sugar as the sweetening agent.

Let’s face it: The flavored beverage industry is BIG Business. Train yourself to look at the labels and become informed about the actual amounts of sugar being used. You are liable to be shocked at what you discover.

I recently picked up some beautiful tangelos (a cross between tangerine and grapefruit). I squeezed a cup of juice out of the two tangelos, sweetened it with a little simple syrup (made with organic cane sugar). It turns out that very little added sugar was needed, due to the inherent sweetness of the tangelo juice. I only had to add 2 tablespoons and 2 two tablespoons of water to make the simple syrup. After blending, I added 1 quart of filtered water to the mix and set it in the refrigerator. My 12-year-old son drank the “tangelo-aide,” finishing the entire quart in one evening. It felt good to know that he was consuming a clean beverage, with low sugar - and the right sugar. It also felt good to know that I was weaning him off of heavy sugar consumption without him being aware of any sacrifice. As an added benefit, he was increasing his intake of water. In a few weeks, his taste buds will fully adjust and he will actually prefer the subtle sweetness over the overly sweetened commercial products.

I have found that the same principle applies to the use of sugars and flours in baking. For example, I recently made a batch of chocolate chip banana muffins. I altered the ingredients just a little, to enrich the muffin with added nutrition - without significantly affecting the flavor profile. I added sweet whey and a little whole grain to the batter. I increased the banana component and boosted the flavor with just a little more vanilla than usual. I added 70% European mini-sized chocolate chips, which were dispersed throughout the muffin, providing an evenness of chocolate flavor. After all of this, I baked them off, being careful not to over-bake them, producing a moist result.

When the banana muffins came out of the oven, my son came running into the kitchen, to have a taste. The aroma of a freshly baked “sweet” had been beckoning him for over twenty minutes. He actually tore himself away from a videogame – a good sign indeed. He quickly grabbed a muffin and starting eating it, exclaiming, “Wow, mom, these are really good! I like these muffins; they are now my favorite muffins. Can I have another?”

After such a reception, I decided to taste one myself, in order to “store” the favor in my taste memory. (Did you know that flavor experiences can indeed be “stored” in the brain for a lifetime, and that you can actually experience taste memories? For example, how many of us can remember the experience of being in grandma’s kitchen while cookies are baking, if he happen to catch a whiff the same aroma, decades later.)

So, I bit into that banana chocolate chip muffin and quickly realized that I hadn’t added sugar to the mix, not even cane sugar! I sat and watched my son consume a second muffin and realized, at that moment my effort to wean him from excessive sugar consumption actually working – albeit in a subtle way. It brings me a good feeling, knowing that these efforts to reduce sugar intake will improve the quality of life for my clients, my family, and, of course - for me!



Recipe for Banana Bread

4 ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup (or less) cane sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose organic flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 cup European chocolate chips

Blend wet ingredients, then combine dry ingredients; each group separately. Then mix both groups together. Pour mixture into a loaf pan or cupcake mold. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes/one large loaf cake. Option: For additional nutritional value and enhanced flavor, consider adding raisins, chopped macadamia nuts, shredded coconut, or walnuts.