The Dietitian Is In: Evaporated Cane Juice or Ordinary Sugar?

When we meet someone for the first time and share what we do, it often seems to open the gateway to a game of 20 questions. “What do you think about the Paleo diet?” “It’s a good thing to give up gluten, right?” “Is a banana bad for me?” “So, do you always eat healthy?” When we’re asked these kinds of questions, we’re happy to answer them. We feel grateful that people feel comfortable enough to ask. Here's a recent question we were asked...and here's the answer!

Question: Is evaporated cane juice better than ordinary sugar?

Answer: Evaporated cane juice originates from the same place as white sugar: the sugar cane plant (although some white sugar is processed from beets). Here’s how both types of sugars are made. Sugar cane is shredded and pressed to make a juice that is boiled into a thickened syrup—essentially cane juice (which is not really a “juice”) after it’s washed and filtered. Water is evaporated from the syrup, forming wet sugar crystals that are spun in a centrifuge in order to separate the syrupy liquid (molasses). The remaining sugar is purified by another cycle of washing, crystalizing, and centrifuging to create brown sugar. White sugar is put through this process one more time to remove all traces of molasses and produce pure sucrose. On one end of the spectrum you have evaporated cane juice, which is sucrose and molasses, and on the other end you have refined white sugar, which is pure sucrose. Both forms are added sugars, with the same calorie and carbohydrate profile (4 calories per gram), and should be consumed in limited quantities.

Watch Out for Added Sugars, And a Recipe for No-Sugar Added Granola Bars

A recent study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that eating too much added sugar does not only increase our waist size—it also increases our risk for heart disease.  And most American adults—71.4 percent—eat more added sugar than recommended by health experts.  Other recent studies have found eating too much added sugar directly increases the risk for developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, liver cirrhosis and dementia.

This does not mean sugar is inherently bad, or that you can’t ever eat sugar again.  It’s just important to be aware of the amount of added sugar you’re eating.  And, you may not even realize it!

Sugars in your diet can be naturally occurring or added. 

·       Naturally occurring sugars are found in foods such as fruit and fruit juice (fructose) and milk products (lactose).  Vegetables also have some naturally occurring sugars.  Naturally occurring sugars are good sources of carbohydrate, for energy.  Also, when you eat naturally occurring sugars from whole foods, you’re also consuming the inherently good properties from those foods, such as fiber and antioxidants from fruits or protein from dairy products.  

·       Added sugars are sugars and syrups put in foods during preparation or processing, or added at the table (like when you add sugar to your cereal or oatmeal).  The major sources of added sugars are regular soft drinks, sugars (including brown sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup), candy, cakes, cookies, pies and fruit drinks (like fruit punch), dairy desserts and milk products (ice cream, sweetened yogurt and sweetened milk), and other sugar-sweetened grains (cinnamon toast and waffles).  Added sugars have no nutritional value, other than a source of energy. 

For example, just one 12-ounce can of regular soda contains eight teaspoons of sugar, or 130 calories and zero nutrition.

Most people consume more sugar than they realize.  To figure out if a food contains added sugars (and how much it contains, you have to look at the nutrition label and the ingredient list.  After you’ve determined whether the food has added or naturally occurring sugars, then you can make an informed decision about whether it’s a good choice. 

1.     Look at the nutrition label

Under the total carbohydrates, you’ll find a line for sugars, and the number of grams of sugar per serving in this item.  This number is the total number of sugars in this food—both naturally occurring sugars AND added sugars.

 

2.      Look at the ingredient list

To determine whether the food has naturally occurring sugars, added sugars, or both, read the ingredient list.  Sugar has many other names. Besides those ending in “ose,” such as maltose or sucrose or fructose, other names for sugar include high fructose corn syrup, molasses, cane sugar, corn sweetener, raw sugar, syrup, honey, maple syrup or fruit juice concentrates.  If the sugar ingredient is in the first three or four ingredients on the label, it means it’s a big proportion of that product.

 

How Much Added Sugar is Too Much?

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends the following amounts as the maximum amount of added sugars to eat in a day.  This does not count fruit, dried fruit, fruit juice or dairy products, all of which have naturally occurring sugars (but check those labels for added sugars!).

·       Women:  6 teaspoons (24 grams) daily (100 calories)

·       Men:  9 teaspoons (36 grams) daily (150 calories)

·       Children:  3 teaspoons (12 grams) daily (48 calories)

Tips for Reducing Added Sugar

·       Read labels!  Choose products with the least amount of added sugars.

·       Cut back on the amount of sugar added to things you eat or drink regularly like cereal, pancakes, coffee or tea.  Try cutting the usual amount of sugar you add by half.

·       Buy fresh fruits or fruits canned in water or natural juice. Avoid fruit canned in syrup, especially heavy syrup.

·       Instead of adding sugar to cereal or oatmeal, add fresh fruit or dried fruit.

·       When baking cookies, brownies or cakes, cut the sugar called for in your recipe by one-third to one-half. Often, you won’t notice the difference. 

Here’s a recipe for no sugar added granola bars.  They get their sweetness from dates, a natural source of sugar.

No-Sugar Added Granola Bars

¾ cup water

¾ cup dates

½ cup almond butter

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups sliced almonds

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 cup dried apricots, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 12 x 9 pan in the long direction with parchment paper, allowing it to go up the opposite sides.  Lightly grease the parchment paper with coconut oil (or butter)

Add the water and dates to a blender and process until very smooth.  Pour the date paste into a bowl, and then add the almond butter and coconut oil.  Stir to combine.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the oats, salt, almonds, coconut flakes and apricots.  Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients until the mixture is evenly combined.  Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan.

Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges and on the top.  Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack. Once they have cooled, move the pan to the fridge to further set them.  Once they are completely chilled, remove the bars from the pan using the parchment paper, and cut them inot squares. 

To store, wrap the bars individually in plastic and store them in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.  If they crumble (which they might!) just use them like you would granola.  They are still delicious.

Sugars: Natural vs Added

Not all sugars are created equal. During my most recent visit to SCV Today, I spoke to co-hosts, Tami and Dave about the very topic.

You see, naturally occurring sugars are those sugars that are found naturally in foods, such as in the form of fructose (found in fruit) or lactose (found in dairy products). Essentially, sugar is energy – providing fuel for our buzzing brains and active bodies. When our blood sugar drops too low, we can often experience headaches, irritability, brain fog, or grouchiness. Real food carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruit, dairy products and starchy vegetables contain the naturally occurring sugars that easily convert to glucose as our body’s preferred source of fuel.

On the flip side of naturally occurring sugars are added sugars – those that are added to food and beverage products during processing and production. And while Lisa and I are all for allowing yourself to enjoy a chocolate chip cookie, serving of ice cream, or small slice of carrot cake – all food with added sugar – from time to time, the unfortunate thing is that most of us are getting more added sugar in our diet than we bargained for. While soda, candy, and other sweet treats are the biggest contributors to added sugar in our diets, sugar can also be found in products we wouldn’t typically suspect such as bread, salad dressings, sauces and marinades, some varieties of yogurt, crackers and even nut butters. The average American is in fact consuming double the amount of added sugar recommended for us to eat each day. According to the American Heart Association, we should aim to keep our added sugar allotment to about 25g-35g per day; that translates to approximately 100 -150 calories.

The best way to recognize if foods contain added sugar? Simply look to the ingredients list. If the ingredients contain sugar, corn syrup, molasses, honey, high fructose corn syrup, or other forms listed here  – sugar has been added. And these sugars are not created equal, either! Read here to learn more or take a peek at our latest Be Well Tip featured by  Nature Box to see what sugars we prefer to use.

We recommned that you use these kinds of sweeteners to boost your intake and balance the flavors of nutrient-rich foods. Remember, that a little bit of sugar goes a long way! Try topping a grapefruit with a sprinkle of brown sugar, enjoying low-fat plain Greek yogurt with a drop of honey, or adding a teaspoon of maple syrup to your morning oatmeal.

And now for a recipe (with naturally occurring sugars).

Pomegranate, Orange, and Avocado Salsa

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 large navel oranges
1 cup pomegranate seeds
2/3 cup raspberries, chopped
1 large avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into ½ inch pieces
2/3cup red onion
1 jalapeno chili, seeds and ribs removed, minced
½ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, salt, and pepper until the salt dissolves.
Working with one orange at a time, peel that orange and cut away all the white pith. Repeat with the remaining oranges. Seperate the orange into it's segments. Cut each segment into ½ inch pieces, discard any seeds, and add to the bowl containing the lime juice.

Add the pomegranate seeds, avocado, red onion, jalapeno, raspberries, and cilantro to the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the ingredients together, being careful to not mash the avocado. 

Taste and adjust the seasoning. 

Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate. Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of our wonderful dietetic intern, Nina Gasow.

How to Overcome those Sugar Cravings

Sweet is the first taste humans prefer from birth. While it seems that our craving for sweet foods may be hardwired into our DNA, it is possible to keep these cravings in check.

 

 

Here are five simple strategies you can use to help overcome your sugar cravings.

1.      Eat regularly: Sugar is the brain’s only source of energy, so when we become overly hungry or skip meals, our sugar craving is the brain’s way of letting us know it needs energy. Try planning ahead to incorporate healthy snacks into your daily eating plan so that you — and your brain — don’t feel energy deprived.

 

 

2.      Choose foods high in fiber such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables: Foods high in fiber digest slower, so you feel fuller for longer. Refined carbohydrates such as candy, baked goods and sodas may give you a short-term energy boost, but you’ll quickly feel sluggish and end up craving more sugar.

 

3.      Balance your meals and snacks with good sources of protein or healthy fats: Just like fiber, protein and fats are digested more slowly and will keep you satisfied throughout the day. Nuts and nut butters, avocados, beans, eggs and lean meats are all excellent sources of proteins or fats that you could incorporate into your meals and snacks.

 

4.      Cut back on caffeine: Cutting out caffeine completely may be unrealistic, so just try reducing your intake to one cup in the morning. Caffeine can suppress your appetite initially, but once the effects wear off, your blood sugar may have already dropped too low. The result? Intense sugar cravings.

5.      Slow down and manage your stress: Eating carbohydrates releases endorphins and can impact the production of serotonin, the feel-good brain chemical that can calm and relax us. During times of high anxiety or stress, our sugar cravings may be triggered by our emotional needs. Rather than using food as your source of comfort when you’re upset, try using other methods to cope. If you’re lonely, call a friend. If you’re feeling overwhelmed,  step outside and go on a walk, hike, or meditate.