Alternative Sweetener – Cane sugar is a regular sweetener that is commonly used to sweeten food and drinks. This sweetener has a strong sweet taste and leaves a sour taste after consumption. Consuming cane sugar has become a habit for people in Asia, especially Southeast Asia. Cane sugar is relatively cheap compared to other natural sweeteners such as coconut sugar and palm sugar. This is one of the factors why cane sugar is widely consumed by Southeast Asian people. Apart from that, food and drinks that use cane sugar do not experience changes in color and aroma. Because cane sugar has a crystal clear white to yellowish-white color.

However, currently, cane sugar is being avoided by many people who promote healthy sugar-free lifestyles and sugar diets. Excessive use of cane sugar has a risk of a significant increase in blood sugar and even diabetes mellitus. If you are one of the people who want to replace cane sugar with another alternative sweetener, here are several sweeteners to choose from.

Alternative Sweetener

Coconut sugar sweetener

This sugar, which comes from natural coconut sap, can be an alternative sweetener to replace cane sugar. This is because coconut sugar is believed to contain several nutrients and minerals and has a low glycemic index. Apart from that, coconut sugar has a delicious taste and aroma typical of coconuts so it can increase appetite. However, the price of 1 kg of coconut sugar is slightly more expensive than cane sugar.

Palm sugar

This natural sweetener looks like coconut sugar, but palm sugar is different from coconut sugar. The sweet taste of palm sugar is more pronounced than coconut sugar, and the aroma is a little smokier than coconut sugar. Palm sugar can be an alternative substitute for granulated sugar because it has a caramel taste that is almost the same but more delicious. Like coconut sugar, the price of palm sugar is 3x more expensive than cane sugar.

Stevia Alternative Sweetener

This sugar comes from the Stevia Rebaudiana tree and has a color and shape similar to cane sugar. Its low-calorie content is believed to be “healthier” and “safer” to consume than cane sugar. However, consuming excessive amounts can cause gastrointestinal (GI) problems. While using it in limited quantities, this sugar is safe for consumption

Muscovado Alternative Sweetener

Even though both are made from sugar cane, muscovado sugar has a lower calorie content. What differentiates muscovado sugar and cane sugar is the color of the two. Muscovado sugar has a dark brown color, while cane sugar is crystal clear white. Muscovado is more expensive than cane sugar, this is directly proportional to the delicious taste that muscovado adds to food and drinks.

These are some alternative sweeteners that can be used as substitutes for cane sugar. Make sure to consume sweeteners within reasonable limits according to the daily nutritional needs index.