MAPLE SYRUP IS A SUGAR

Continuing on the sugar series, today's post is about Maple Syrup.  Please note this is about Pure Maple Syrup and not the fake stuff you shouldn't be using anyway!

• 1 cup = 800 calories (80 more than granulated sugar)
• Chemical make-up is around 50% glucose and 50% fructose, depending on the grade.  Pure Maple Syrup contains a small amount of polyphenols, antioxidants that help to quell inflammation.
• Best uses for maple syrup are topping for pancakes, waffles, and French toast.  Also great for glazing or marinading pork or chicken.  Personally, I like a dab in my oatmeal.
• To substitute Pure Maple Syrup for sugar in recipes use 3/4 cup of syrup for each cup of sugar called for in the recipe and reduce liquid called for by 2 tablespoons.

TURBINADO SUGAR

Turbinado is also known as raw sugar.  Turbinado sugar is brown from the small amount of molasses that has not been stripped out.

• 1 cup = 720 calories like granulated and brown sugars
• Chemical make-up is 50% glucose & 50% fructose (same as granulated and brown)
• Best uses for turbinado sugar are as toppings for cookies, breads, etc where you want a sugary crackle look.
• To sub for granulated in recipes you need to know that the amount is equal, 1 cup to 1 cup.
  
• file photo

MOLASSES IS A SUGAR

Continuing on this series of posts regarding sugar and the different types, today's post is about Molasses.  Molasses is stripped from sugar during the process of making granulated sugar.

• 1 cup = 960 calories (240 calories more than granulated or brown sugar)
• chemical component = 50% glucose & 50% fructose
• Dark molasses has the most antioxidant levels of all sweeteners (per serving, similar to levels of antioxidants in nuts and berries).
• Best uses for molasses: Adds a distinct flavor to baked goods, BBQ Sauces, brown breads, ginger cookies, etc.  Molasses also has a toasty, slightly bitter flavor.
• To substitute molasses for sugar in baking you need to use 1 1/3 cup of molasses for each cup of sugar called for in the recipe.  You need to reduce the liquid called for in the recipe by 2 tablespoons for each cup of sugar substituted and you should reduce your oven temperature by 25 degrees.

file photo

BROWN SUGAR

Continuing with the posts on the different types of sugar, today's post is about Brown Sugar.  Brown Sugar is granulated sugar with some of the molasses added back in.  Remember that granulated sugar is stripped of almost all nutrients during processing and that includes the molasses.  By adding some molasses back into the brown sugar, it has trace amounts more iron and calcium than does granulated or white sugar.  The calorie count stays the same as white.  Light brown sugar has some molasses added while dark brown sugar has even more molasses.

• 1 cup = 720 calories
• Chemical make up is 50% glucose & 50% fructose.
• When used in baking it adds a bit of caramel flavor.
• When substituting for granulated sugar in baking/cooking, you need not change the amount called for in the recipe.
• Should be used minimally by diabetics.

file photo

GRANULATED SUGAR

A few days ago, I posted about sugar, both natural and added, in the American diet.  I have been thinking about that post and decided to go a little further with it and give some information on the main different types of sugars we commonly use.  Today will feature granulated sugar, the most common sweetener used in America today.  All the information below is strictly related to granulated sugar:

• 1 cup = 720 calories
• The chemical makeup is 50% glucose and 50% fructose.
• Processed to the point that is has very few vitamins and minerals remaining.
• Best sweetener to use for good results in sugar cookies, meringues, toppings, and delicate fluffy cakes.
• To use in baking, follow the recipe directions for how much to use.
• Should be used minimally by diabetics.

file photo

APPLES

Did you know that more than 2500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States?  Some of the most popular ones are red delicious, golden delicious, gala, Granny Smith, and Rome.  No matter which variety you choose, apples are a good-for-you food.  However, if you think eating an apple a day will take care of your vitamin C needs as many people do, think again.  The average apple provides only around 8 mg of vitamin C; that is only 13% of the daily recommended allowance.  In addition to the vitamin C, apples are a good source of fiber, and the skins contain small amounts of beta-carotene, and the meat of the apple also contains some amounts of potassium and iron.

Apples are good fruits for diabetics.  The naturally occurring sugar in apples is Fructose which absorbs into the blood stream slower than sucrose otherwise known as simple table sugar.

Biting and chewing on an apple (an active calorie food, by the way!) stimulates the gums and prompts an increased flow of saliva which helps to reduce tooth decay by lowering levels of bacteria in the mouth.

Best to eat your apples fresh rather than dried.  It takes about 5 lbs of apples to produce 1 lb dried which contain about 70 calories per ounce.  When apples are dried, most of their nutrients are lost with the exception of fiber and a small amount of iron.

file photo

SUGAR IN FRUIT VS TABLE SUGAR

People often ask what is the difference in eating the sugar in fruit vs 'regular' sugar. Yes, sugar is sugar no matter the source but the body does process it differently. The following remarks from nutritionist Joy Dubost, R.D. explains it better than I can:

Whether it's in a piece of fruit, your soda or a pastry, sugar is made up of the same two components: fructose and glucose. The molecular structure and composition of sugar molecules is the same no matter where they come from.

The ratios of fructose and glucose are pretty much the same in both fruit and table sugar. Most fruits are 40 to 55 percent fructose (there's some variation: 65 percent in apples and pears; 20 percent in cranberries), and table sugar (aka sucrose) is 50/50. Neither type of sugar is better or worse for you, but your body processes them differently. Fructose breaks down in your liver and doesn’t provoke an insulin response. Glucose starts to break down in the stomach and requires the release of insulin into the bloodstream to be metabolized completely.