Learning that you have diabetes could drastically change your eating lifestyle. People, when they hear that you have diabetes, will automatically conclude that there will be lesser or zero sugar on your food. These days there are now a number of sugar substitutes for diabetics in the market that still give the sweetness to your food but with fewer calories.

Sugar adds flavor to every food and not having this might not give you an appetite to eat. This also means to stay away on your favorite cakes, brownies and other sweet goodies as they can trigger in raising your sugar level. These sugar substitutes are also called “free foods” as they are less in carbohydrates and calories.

Natural Sugar Substitute

Stevia

Stevia is a natural sweetener that is extracted from a South American plant, Stevia rebaudiana. The leaves of the plant are used to make a sweetener. The leaves and crushed until they are powdery. Then this can be added to any food. Stevia has a bitter after taste, so it must be added gradually to the food especially when using it in large quantities. This natural sweetener helps in lowering blood sugar level.

Agave Nectar

There are different varieties of agave plants, but the blue agave is the best to use as a natural sweetener. Its nectar is very sweet as it contains fructose. The syrup from the plant can be compared to honey due to its richness. Agave nectar has low glycemic value which is good for people with diabetes.

Yacon Root

This plant is usually found in Andes Mountain and is similar to sunflower. Its roots are very sweet because it has high fructose in it. The fructose in yacon is not digested by the body right away so it is not converted to sugar. This then cannot trigger in raising the blood sugar level of the diabetics.

Xylitol

This natural sweetener is found from food sources in less quantity such as fruits and vegetables. It can also be derived from hardwood trees. Its taste is very similar to table sugar and it also dissolves easily so this is a perfect sugar substitute for coffees. It has low glycemic value and the body gradually absorbed and digested it. Its calorie content is a third less than that of table sugar. Another great thing about xylitol is its good effect to the teeth.

Raw Honey

Unprocessed honey is rich in antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and amino acids. This type of honey has low glycemic value so it is not absorbed and metabolized by the body instantly. Avoid processed honey so it is important to check first what kind of honey you are buying, as processed honey is just similar to table sugar in terms of sugar and calorie content.

Organic Sugar

Organic sugar is produced from organic sugar cane, meaning no pesticides and chemicals are used in growing it. It has molasses and its color is darker than table sugar because it is processed the way table sugar is.

Another alternative for eating brownies with diabetes, is to make use of some great sugar free cake recipes.