Think your sweet treats can't have any nutritional value? Good news: With organic maple sugar and natural maple syrup, you can enjoy all the mouthwatering goodness of real sugar while also getting some other nutrients in the process. With a little measuring and a few small changes to your original recipes, these all-natural ingredients can be an excellent alternative to brown and white sugar.
Here’s how you can easily substitute natural maple syrup and granulated organic maple sugar for table sugar and other sweeteners:
- Replace one cup of granulated cane sugar with one cup of organic maple sugar.
- Natural maple syrup is a one-to-one substitute for liquid sweeteners like honey, molasses and corn syrup.
- Use 2/3 cup of maple syrup for every cup of granulated sugar.
- Reduce the quantity of liquid ingredients in your recipe by about 1/4 cup.
- Lower the oven temperature by 25°F when you’re making baked goods.
- Substitute 3/4 cup of maple syrup for every cup of loose brown sugar.
- Use one cup and one tablespoon of maple syrup for every cup of packed brown sugar.
Why Should You Use Organic Maple Sugar or Natural Maple Syrup as an Alternative Sweetener?
Organic maple sugar and natural maple syrup are 100% natural and free of any additives. The sap is collected from maple trees and boiled down to reduce the water content and concentrate the organic sugars. This process naturally transforms the tree sap into a thick syrup that is authentic, unprocessed and pure. As a result, you don’t have to worry about those unhealthy additives that are found in highly processed white sugars and pancake syrups, such as artificial flavorings, unnatural sweetening ingredients and coloring agents. For example, natural maple syrup and organic maple sugar don’t contain any high fructose corn syrup, a modified sugar substitute frequently found in popular pancake syrups and processed foods.
Because organic maple sugar and natural maple syrup are completely natural and unprocessed, they’re free of unhealthy additives and also serve as good sources of minerals and antioxidants.
Here’s the nutritional value of one hundred grams of organic maple sugar and natural maple syrup:
|
Minerals (per serving size of 100 grams) |
Organic Maple Sugar |
Natural Maple Syrup |
|
Calcium |
90.0 mg or 9% daily value |
67.0 mg or 7% daily value |
|
Iron |
1.6 mg or 9% daily value |
1.2 mg or 7% daily value |
|
Magnesium |
19.0 mg or 5% daily value |
14.0 mg or 3% daily value |
|
Potassium |
274 mg or 8% daily value |
204 mg or 6% daily value |
|
Zinc |
6.1 mg or 40% daily value |
4.2 mg or 28% daily value |
|
Manganese |
4.4 mg or 221% daily value |
3.3 mg or 165% daily value |
Unlike refined sugar, natural maple syrup and organic maple sugar are good sources of minerals, especially manganese and zinc. Other than a little calcium and potassium, table sugar offers little mineral and nutritional value.
Organic maple sugar and natural maple syrup also contain some antioxidant substances, such as:
- Benzoic acid
- Gallic acid
- Cinnamic acid
- Catechin
- Epicatechin
- Rutin
- Quercetin
These are just a few of the primary antioxidant substances found in maple syrup and sugar. A 2008 study revealed that natural maple syrup and organic maple sugar possess at least twenty-four different antioxidants. In the form of phenolic compounds, these antioxidants can reduce oxidative stress and, thus, help relieve inflammation and pain caused by chronic diseases such as arthritis.
Natural maple syrup and organic maple sugar have a lower glycemic index score
One hundred grams of natural maple syrup has a glycemic index score of 39 and one hundred grams of organic maple sugar has a score of 61. The same amount of granulated sugar has a score of 70. In simple terms, this means that natural maple syrup and organic maple sugar raise blood sugar and insulin levels slower than everyday table sugar. When using maple syrups and sugars instead of white sugar, there is less of a risk for diabetes developing due to lower insulin response and problems managing blood glucose.
Overall, natural maple syrup and organic maple sugar are an excellent alternative sweetener because they are easy to integrate into any recipe, offer more nutrients than refined sugar and still give your food the sweet, yummy taste that you crave!
To learn more about cooking with alternative sweeteners or purchase some of our natural maple syrup and organic maple sugar, call or contact Michigan Maple Farms. We’ll be happy to answer your questions and help you sweeten smarter with our natural maple syrup and sugar!
