A guide to To replace white in a recipe, try these substitutions Healthy choices

Amount to Almost everyone enjoys a sweet from time to time. Sweetener Adjustments to recipe replace 1 cup sugar But most of the sweets in the typical American diet are natural highly processed foods, sweetened with white and

3 Agave ⁄4 cup Reduce liquid in recipe by one-third to one-half. and . These are highly refined Reduce baking temperature 25 degrees. sweeteners sweeteners stripped of fiber, vitamins and minerals.

1 1 There are healthier choices. Barley malt syrup* 1⁄3 cup Reduce liquids by one-fourth. Add ⁄4 teaspoon baking soda for each cup syrup to help baked Less-refined sweeteners closer to their whole goods rise.** food forms have some advantages. Date sugar, maple 1 1 Brown rice syrup* 1⁄4 cup Reduce liquid by one-fourth and add ⁄4 teaspoon syrup, and rice and barley malt syrups retain some baking soda for each cup syrup to help baked nutrients required by the body to metabolize . goods rise.** They’re absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream Date sugar 1 cup none so they’re less likely to cause highs and lows in blood

2 1 sugar levels. Frozen juice ⁄3 cup Reduce liquids by one-third and add ⁄4 teaspoon concentrate baking soda per cup of concentrate.** Even the most wholesome sweetener, however,

1 can affect blood sugar stability and compromise the ⁄2 cup Reduce liquids by one-eighth. Reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees and cook a bit longer. immune system, so quantity matters. The good news is that the less refined the sweetener, the easier it is to 1 2 ⁄2 to ⁄3 cup Reduce liquid by one-fourth and add 1 teaspoon baking soda per cup of syrup.** be satisfied with smaller amounts.

1 1⁄3 cup sweet molasses Reduce liquid by 6 tablespoons and add 1 ⁄2 teaspoon baking soda per cup of molasses.***

Stevia Read labels for powder, Follow suggestions on product label. liquid or concentrate. Nine neighborhood PCC locations: Sugar cane juice 1 cup none (Rapadura, Sucanat, Edmonds • 425-275-9036 Redmond • 425-285-1400 muscovado, turbinado, • 206-632-6811 206-723-2720 demerara) Fremont Seward Park • Greenlake • 206-525-3586 View Ridge • 206-526-7661 Xylitol, granulated 1 cup none Issaquah • 425-369-1222 West Seattle • 206-937-8481 Kirkland • 425-828-4622 Business Office • 206-547-1222 * If you use barley malt or brown rice syrups in baked goods, be aware that a natural enzyme in these sweeteners may liquefy the consistency of the batter. This is more likely when eggs are not used. To prevent liquefying eggless recipes, first boil the barley malt or brown rice syrup for 2 to 3 minutes, cool, then measure and use. pccnaturalmarkets.com ** For each 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, reduce salt by 1/4 teaspoon. *** Do not substitute more than half the sugar in a recipe with molasses; blackstrap molasses is not sweet.

Tip: If the recipe doesn’t call for any liquid, add 4 to 6 tablespoons of flour for each cup of liquid sweetener substituted for sugar.

Rev. 11/08 Choices in sweeteners sugar. Honey is a very versatile sweetener and excellent in • Sucanat is a brand name for another organic, unrefined baking. It should not be given to children younger than evaporated cane juice with its natural molasses intact. Like In recipes calling for white sugar, try substituting some Discover two to protect against infant botulism. Rapadura, it has a fine-grained texture, achieved by hand- applesauce or mashed ripe banana, puréed dates, raisins Maple syrup* is the boiled sap of sugar maple trees. paddling the sugar syrup until it’s cool and dry. Sucanat is or prunes — adjusting the amount of liquid. They’ll add Grade A is light and from early sap runs. Grade B is from a Fair Trade Certified product. fiber and create a delicious, moist texture. Or, try one of more choices later runs and has a stronger flavor. Buy organic to avoid • Turbinado sugar is made the same way as white sugar the choices below: residues of formaldehyde and other chemicals used to without the last extraction of molasses, leaving it a * is extracted from the agave cactus plant. It’s Agave keep tap holes open longer. Crystallized maple syrup is golden color. It’s closer to refined sugar than raw sugar. for sweet sweeter than sugar and may be suitable for diabetics. available as a sprinkle. • Demerara sugar is turbinado sugar with larger, * comes from sprouted barley that’s Barley malt syrup Molasses* is a by-product of refining sugar cane. Sweet, crunchy crystals. roasted and cooked down to a syrup. Its malt-like flavor light Barbados molasses is extracted from the first press Xylitol once was derived from birchwood or pecan shells, flavors. is good for baking with squash, barbecue, and sweet of sugar cane. Blackstrap, which is slightly sweet, comes but today typically comes from corncobs. It tastes similar to and sour sauces. Mix a spoonful into milk or a non-dairy from the final press and is a source of iron and calcium. cane sugar and is approved as a natural food additive. Low beverage for a “malted.” Be sure to read labels, because “Unsulphured molasses” indicates no sulphur dioxide was It’s easy to make your favorite in calories, xylitol reportedly does not cause cavities and brands sold at other stores may contain corn syrup or used in extraction or as a preservative. may be suitable for diabetics. refined sugar. sweet treats with a variety of natural Stevia is derived from a perennial shrub with leaves * These sweeteners contain more complex sugars, are absorbed Brown rice syrup* is made with brown rice and a 30-times sweeter than sugar. It has no calories and may be more slowly and are less likely to disrupt blood sugar stability. sweeteners. Some of the best culture that’s cooked to a syrup. Half as sweet as white useful for people with diabetes, hypoglycemia or candida. sugar, its mild flavor is similar to butterscotch. It’s very Available in powdered, liquid, concentrate, tea or tablet choices may be new to you, others good for cooking, baking, and in drinks or marinades. Be form, it is licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Did you know? sure to read labels, because some brands include barley as a dietary supplement, but not as a sweetener. may be in your malt and corn syrup. • powdered sugar may contain genetically modified Sugar cane juice, sold in many unbleached forms, is Date sugar* is a whole-food sweetener made of dried, made by mechanically crushing fresh-cut sugar cane. cornstarch unless it’s certified organic. kitchen already. pulverized dates. Some brands add oat flour to make it free- • Muscovado sugar is made from unrefined, evaporated • white granulated sugar is often made from sugar flowing, others add oil for softness. Rich in iron, potassium cane juice. Unlike processing for white sugar, the beets, which may be genetically modified. If made and vitamins, the high fiber content slows absorption. molasses is not separated from the sugar stream when from sugar cane, the label will probably say so. Date sugar does not dissolve, but is delicious in baking and the cane is crushed. The final product is crystalline, crumb toppings. It burns easily, so bake with care. • when vegan sugar is desired, choose unrefined retaining its natural molasses and trace vitamins cane sugar or another sweetener. Refined cane Fruit juice concentrates are fruit juices cooked down and minerals. sugar is filtered through animal bone char to to a syrup and frozen. Their fruit flavors are a plus or minus • Rapadura is a brand name for organic, unrefined, remove impurities. depending on your preference. Non-organic grapes can evaporated cane juice with a fine, granular texture. have especially high levels of pesticide residues, so choose • sorbitol and maltitol — like xylitol — are not As with muscovado, the molasses is not separated from organic grape concentrates. artificial sweeteners, but low-calorie derivatives the sugar stream when the cane is crushed, which from wood, corncobs or seaweed. These Honey is made by honeybees from the nectar of flowers. helps retain trace minerals and nutrients. Rapadura is sweeteners may upset digestion. Unheated and unfiltered raw honey is cloudy and contains produced under a fair labor program known as Hand healthful propolis and pollen. Although it is a simple in Handa. sugar, less is needed because it’s sweeter than white