Thursday, April 21, 2011

The benefits of switching to coconut sugar

I have recently found out about another sugar alternative - coconut sugar.

Coconut sugar is minimally processed, unbleached, and contains zero preservatives. It is similar in texture and taste to brown sugar but far outweighs its nutritional profile. Naturally low in GI (glycemic index of 35, sugar is GI of 60) coconut sugar benefits people who are trying to lose weight and also helps the diabetic.

When compared to brown sugar, Coconut Sugar has twice the iron, four times the magnesium and over 10 times the amount of zinc.

How is it made you might ask?

Coconut Sugar is produced from the sweet juices of tropical coconut palm sugar blossoms. Traditional sugar farmers climb high into the canopy of swaying coconuts and harvest the sweet nectar by gently slicing the flower. Once collected, the nectars are kettle-boiled into a thick caramel and ground to a fine crystal.

You use it in baking, cooking, tea and coffee or anything else in a 1:1 ratio as you would with normal caster sugar.

I have a yummy dessert using coconut sugar in the next post, and plan to try and bake a few things with it as well, baked goodies without the empty calories of sugar :)

xoxo Betty

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