Processed sugar is toxic to your body.  It depletes nutriton from your body; causes heart problems, diabetes, inflammation, and cavities; and can cause your face to break out.  

In order to avoid processed sugar, you need to avoid products such as barbecue sauce, ketchup, salad dressings, granola bars, breakfast cereals, and fruit juices (yes, many of them have added sugar).  Of course carbonated beverages are notorious for high amounts of sugar.  

Sugar is terrible for your health, yet most Americans consume alarming amounts of it.  According to this article, most Americans consume 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day.  That is almost triple what is recommended for women and almost double what is recommended for men.  Is it any wonder that we feel so unhealthy? 

The good news is that you can still sweeten your food without using sugar from the store. Here are three ways you can do it. 

1.  Sweeten your food with fruit. 

If you eat oatmeal in the morning, you can add berries, figs, or apple sauce to it to sweeten it.  Next time you make a food that has fruit in it, omit the sugar and learn to appreciate the natural sweetness of the fruit!

You can add fruit to 

Yes, fruit has sugar in it, and the sugar is natural.  In addition, the fiber that is in the fruit slows the absorption of sugar into your body.  

2.  Sweeten your food with honey. 

Honey is a natural sugar made by bees.  While sugar is empty calories, honey has many health benefits.  These health benefits make honey an excellent subsittute for sugar. 

When you use honey, be careful not to heat it too much.  Honey should not be used in baking since the high temperatures destroy all the honey’s healing properties.  

You can use honey as a topping for yogurt, granola, and many other foods. You can learn more about honey here.  

3.  Sweeten your food with molasses.  

Have you read Little House in the Big Woods and how Mary and Laura enjoyed molasses by itself for dinner one time?!  Imagine serving molasses to your family for dinner!

Well, you can make breakfast for dinner and use molasses as a substitute for pancake syrup.  🙂   Molasses sweetens your food and also provides your body with health benefits!  

Please note that although these are healthy substitutes for sugar, they should still be used in moderation.  Too much sugar, even in the natural form, can be detrimental for your health. 

Also, I recommend that you use organic fruit when possible and buy high quality honey and molasses. 

How have you used fruit, molasses, and honey to sweeten your food?  Please share in the comments below.   

Please share this article with a friend whose goal is to eat healthier. Thank you!