The FDA recently recommended that no more than 10 percent of daily calories come from added sugar. That’s double the recommendation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which is 25 grams or a little over 6 teaspoons per day. Suffice to say, those of us with a sweet tooth are on the hunt for something to replace the sweet stuff — but beware: not all sugar substitutes are created equal.

The Good

The best sugar substitutes are the most natural products, and unfortunately, that means that they all do contain glucose, fructose, or both. In other words, even if you’re subbing these ingredients in for regular granulated cane sugar, they will still contribute to your daily intake of added sugar. That said, they also contain some added benefits that make them a better choice.

1. Maple Syrup

Pure maple syrup (we’re not talking about pancake syrup) is definitely sugary, but it also contains a few other things that regular sugar doesn’t: nutrients. Not only is maple syrup filled with antioxidants (according to Pharmaceutical Biology, up to 24 different ones), it’s also packed with riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.

“Everything the tree filters out from Mother Nature and all of the good minerals, antioxidants, and everything it is doing for the food for the tree, stays in the sugar,” explains Helen Thomas of the New York State Maple Association.

2. Raw Honey

Raw honey, like maple syrup, is more than just sugar. It also contains essential amino acids, antioxidants, and antimicrobial compounds. Local raw honey may also reduce seasonal allergy symptoms, according to research in the International Archives of Allergy and Immunology.

Just be sure that you’re buying the real stuff: a 2011 study showed that about 76 percent of supermarket honey contained no pollen whatsoever, essentially making it equivalent to corn syrup. Buy your raw honey from a trusted local source, and use sparingly.

3. Coconut Sugar

Coconut sugar, much like maple syrup, contains trace amounts of minerals. But this isn’t the only reason it’s a better choice than sugar.

“Because coconut sugar contains less fructose than white sugar, your liver metabolizes it in a healthier way,” Alexandra Caspero, R.D., founder of the Delish Knowledge blog, tells Greatist. “That means less potentially turns into fat. But since coconut sugar is higher in sucrose, it still raises your blood sugar.”

That said, it raises your blood sugar much less than table sugar. According to the Phillipine Department of Agriculture, the glycemic index of coconut sugar is nearly half that of table sugar.

We also love coconut sugar because of how easy it is to swap in for cane sugar. You can swap coconut sugar in baked goods recipes cup for cup for granulated sugar.

The (Not So) Bad

There are a few sugar substitutes that aren’t quite as good for you as our favorite sugar substitutes above, but they’re also not quite as bad as the chemical sugar substitutes you’ll find in little blue, pink, and yellow packets.

1. Agave Nectar

Agave was a very popular alternative sugar a few years back, but while this relatively neutral sweetener derived from the agave plant is a natural alternative, it’s not the healthiest. It’s slightly higher in calories than white sugar, teaspoon for teaspoon, and it doesn’t have much to offer nutrient-wise as compared with maple sugar or coconut sugar.

Agave syrup originally rose to popularity because it was said to be lower on the glycemic index, but a growing number of experts, including Dr. Axe, say that there just isn’t enough information to confirm this. In fact, some experts, including Dr. Jonny Bowden, claim that because mass-produced agave syrup is so processed, it’s about as good for you as high-fructose corn syrup.

Dr. Oz, one of the early fans of agave nectar, recently called for people to eliminate the syrup from their kitchens.

While agave nectar is better than chemical sweeteners, we can’t condone using it as a regular sugar substitute.

2. Stevia

Stevia has been used as a natural sweetener for centuries in South America, with few side effects, though some tests in the 1980s showed that stevia may have a negative impact on fertility.

Leaf stevia and stevia extracts like Sweet Leaf are both far sweeter than sugar, though they also have a slightly bitter aftertaste. With no calories and a few notable health benefits thanks to stevioside (the bitter portion of the leaf), these products are a fairly good option for those looking to cut back on sugar intake.

Heavily processed forms of stevia, however, are far more widespread ever since they were granted FDA GRAS status in 2008. These highly refined, processed forms of stevia are far removed from the natural plant — in fact, brands marketing themselves as stevia, such as Truvía sweetener, contain less than one percent stevia leaf extract, which is combined with other ingredients like erythritol to balance the flavor. Dr. Axe notes that many stevia products contain genetically modified ingredients and may cause side effects like gastrointestinal problems.

One other reason we’re not huge fans of stevia is that it has a chemical sort of aftertaste, though some blends, for example Whole Earth’s stevia product, combine stevia with other ingredients like agave, honey, and cane sugar to create a sugar substitute with half the calories and a less bitter flavor.

Whole Earth Spokesperson Bobby Valastro notes that the company’s baking blend, which combines half sugar and half organic stevia leaf extract, masks the aftertaste effectively and bakes like sugar, making it a pretty good option as a sugar substitute.

3. Raw Organic Sugar

Raw sugar, while not too far off from granulated white sugar, is actually a slightly better option. Unrefined organic sugar is not only pesticide-free, it also retains the natural nutrients in cane juice, including amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. We still prefer less processed sugars, but this isn’t a bad option if you’re really looking for the sweetness of sugar.

The Ugly

These are sugar substitutes we just can’t recommend. More chemical than food, we vote you stay away from them.

1. Aspartame

Aspartame, the sweetener in Equal and NutraSweet, is one of the most frequently used in the U.S., but it’s also one of the most dangerous. After aspartame was linked with carcinogenic effects in 2014, the American Journal of Industrial Medicine recommended re-evaluating the position of international regulatory agencies on aspartame.

A study in Reproductive Toxicology also found that aspartame could have dangerous effects on pregnant or nursing women, specifically predisposing their children to metabolic syndrome disorders and obesity.

2. Sucralose

Sucralose, the sweetener used in Splenda, has been publicized as a healthier version of aspartame, but while sucralose is derived from sugar, it is actually quite far removed from sugarcane.

Sucralose is a chlorinated sucrose derivative that has been shown to contain several hazardous compounds, including carcinogenic chloropropanols, according to a study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health.

3. Xylitol

Xylitol is one of several sugar alcohols used as a sugar substitute, none of which are absorbed very well by the body.

Xylose, from which xylitol is derived, is found in birch bark, but ever since the 1950s, it’s been known that xylose cannot be adequately metabolized by single-stomach animals and this causes digestive issues. In fact, they are often used as active ingredients for over-the-counter laxatives — which isn’t terribly reassuring when you’re using it to bake cookies.

Related on EcoSalon
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Ecosalon Recipes: Gelatin Substitutes for Vegetarians
21 Essential Vegan Baking Tips for the Egg- and Dairy-Free Kitchen

The post The Truth About Sugar Substitutes: The Good, the (Not So) Bad, and the Downright Ugly appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnThe popularity of the zero-calorie sweetener stevia is on the rise. But is stevia healthy? We go behind the label to find out.

Derived from a plant of the same name, stevia is as much as 150 times sweeter than table sugar but without delivering the spike in blood glucose. It contains active compounds (known as steviol glycosides) called stevioside and rebaudioside, which are responsible for its sweetness.

Once banned in the U.S. from being sold as a sweetener, the FDA approved it for sale as a zero-calorie sweetener in 2008. Since then, a number of stevia-sweetened products have hit the market, including sodas from Pepsico–Pepsi True (which is just launching in the U.S.), and Coca-Cola’s Life. There’s also Truvia, a sweetener based on the stevia plant, and Domino makes a stevia and cane sugar blended sweetener.

You can also purchase pure stevia powders and liquid extracts in health food stores and online. The green powder is less processed, while the white is refined to look more like white sugar. The liquids are usually stevia extracts added to an alcohol or glycerin base.

The Good

Stevia has a long history of use in South America, where it grows in countries including Brazil and Paraguay. Its leaves have been used to sweeten foods and herbs, making them more palatable. Its long history means that unlike chemically-derived artificial sweeteners, it’s been proven to be safe for humans for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

Unlike sugar, stevia doesn’t impact blood sugar levels, which makes it an ideal sugar substitute for people with diabetes or other blood sugar issues, or anyone just looking to reduce their sugar intake. In fact, it can lower blood sugar levels in people with high blood sugar. And unlike artificial sweeteners like aspartame and saccharin, stevia isn’t linked to harmful side effects including behavioral issues, headaches, tinnitus and even cancer.

In fact, stevia’s been linked to other health benefits including reduced blood pressure, and the treatment of heartburn and indigestion.

When added to oral care products such as toothpastes and mouthwashes, stevia has been shown to increase the antibacterial properties of the products, making it a potential tool in the fight against tooth decay and gingivitis—and a unique one at that, given that it’s so sweet tasting.

Skin may also benefit from the addition of stevia in a personal care regimen. When applied topically, stevia extracts have been shown to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, blemishes, dermatitis, eczema, acne, scars, rashes and dryness.

Stevia may also aid in calcium formation, which could make it a healthy addition to the diets of post-menopausal women and anyone else at risk of bone loss or osteoporosis.

The Bad

Some mild side effects of stevia have been reported, including nausea, bloating and gas. And there are studies looking at its impact on other organs including the kidneys, especially when consumed in high and frequent doses.

Because it’s a zero-calorie sweetener, individuals may over-consume otherwise unhealthy products – such as sodas – that contain stevia. Coca-Cola and Pepsico may be banking on that with the launch of their new sodas: Coca-Cola Life and Pepsi True. But even though the sodas both contain stevia, they are not exclusively stevia-sweetened, which can mislead consumers looking to avoid sugars. Coca-Cola Life, for example has 24 grams of sugar per serving. That’s just a 35 percent reduction over regular Coca-Cola. Pepsi’s True rings in at 40 percent fewer calories than its original, but it’s still a significant amount of calories for a soda.

Both Pepsi and Coca-Cola are marketing their stevia-sweetened soft drinks with green labels—green is synonymous these days with a product being “natural” or even organic. But both products contain sugar, which makes these sodas only slightly less sweet than the regular sodas.

And sugar not noted as “cane sugar” on the label means there’s a greater likelihood that it comes from herbicide-dependent genetically modified sugar beets, which aren’t exactly the epitome of “natural.” The products contain artificial colors, flavors and preservatives that don’t fall under the definition of “natural” either, regardless of the term itself not being regulated. These ingredients have landed Coca-Cola with a slew of recent lawsuits.

Truvia, the stevia-based zero-calorie sweetener, is manufactured by a joint relationship between Cargill and Coca-Cola.

While it claims to be a natural sweetener, Truvia is a very refined version of stevia, refined to isolate rebaudioside A, one of the steviols linked to stevia’s natural sweetness. Truvia also includes erythritol and xylitol, which aren’t as “natural” as they claim to be. There are also “natural flavors” added to Truvia, which don’t have to be as natural as the name sounds and can in fact contain highly refined extracts.

The Questionable

Stevia, while touted as a miracle sugar-free sweetener, doesn’t taste like sugar. In fact, it can have an overbearing bitterness and aftertaste that can dramatically alter the flavor of a product, which is likely why Pepsi and Coca-Cola also add sugar to their stevia sodas. That sugar, not the stevia, will make you likely to want to drink more of the products, even though they’re not even half as sweet as their original counterparts.

If you plan to bake with stevia extract instead of sugars, you’ll also have to reformulate your recipes to make up for the loss of mass of sweeteners, whether dried sugars or liquids like honey or maple syrup.

Cargill, which makes the Truvia product along with Coca-Cola, is not exactly known as the manufacturer of clean and healthy food products. It’s best known for meats and grains, most of which are genetically modified (or in the case of animal products, animals who were fed GMOs). Despite maintaining its image of being a family run business, Cargill generated more than $130 billion in revenue in 2013, making it the largest privately-held business in the U.S. Being privately held means it doesn’t have to disclose as much information about the company as a publicly held company, which has earned a fair share of criticism. It’s also been linked to controversies including deforestation and contaminated seeds.

There are also questions about sugar alcohols, such as those found in Truvia, which are so isolated from the stevia plant that using the nutritional profile of the plant as a baseline for the health benefits of the extracted stevia, is a little like saying high fructose corn syrup has all the inherent health benefits of whole organic corn.

The Bottom Line

So, is stevia healthy? Stevia, like most other foods, seems to retain most of its benefits in its least processed state. In some parts of the country, you can even successfully grow stevia plants, which would be your best bet for using the leaves to naturally sweeten foods and drinks.

If you are looking to remove sugars or chemical artificial sweeteners from your diet, a processed stevia extract may be a healthier alternative with far fewer risks and side effects – but still, use it sparingly, not as an excuse to indulge in (artificially) sweetened foods and beverages.

When it comes to the stevia products like Truvia or Coca-Cola and Pepsico’s sodas, those may be best regarded as last choice options, like when you’re on an airplane or traveling abroad and the other option is tap water.

Stevia seems to be used best as a transition product—stepping users down from a sugar or an artificial sweetener habit. But the ultimate goal should be to keep sweet indulgences limited and healthy foods the mainstay.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Resources:

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/much-stevia-bad-you-7423.html

http://www.foodrenegade.com/is-truvia-healthy/

http://www.3fatchicks.com/5-health-benefits-of-stevia/

http://www.homeremediesweb.com/stevia-health-benefits.php

Related on EcoSalon

Sweetest Alternative: What is Stevia Good For Beyond Beverages?

Stevia-Sweetened Zevia

Honest Tea: Keeping Coca-Cola Honest? Behind the Label

Images: Jeepers Media

The post Behind the Label: Is Stevia Healthy? appeared first on EcoSalon.

Who needs a small bag when you’ve got a pantry?

The most potent and effective remedies are often the natural ones already hanging out in the pantry. Aside from the remedy-specific nature of the following 10 homemade teas, one of the most exciting thing about them is that they don’t require a tea bag! Your spice cabinet, fresh ginger root, some green herbs, a few fruits and vegetables, and honey are all that stand between you and an elixir to treating a pesky ailment – 10 of them, to be more exact.

To put together the following recipes, make sure to mix them until evenly combined and let the teas involving herbs or fruit to steep for several minutes before drinking. Sweeten as you see fit and enjoy!

Morning Liver Tonic

When you wake up in the morning, you’re body is in a very special place. The reason we are usually instructed to take supplements in the morning is because our stomachs are empty and there is little to interfere with said supplements’ potency. This morning tea pulls you out on the right side of the bed, giving a morning cleansing body flush. The lemon juice is highly alkaline and turmeric is known for its detoxifying properties.

Turmeric dates back 2,500 years in India, where it is commonly used in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine. Turmeric packs a lot of health benefits, but for our purposes it should be regarded as a liver cleanser, antiseptic and antibacterial agent. But it doesn’t hurt that the spice lowers the risk of cancer, is anti-inflammatory and helps to lose weight. Turmeric additionally treats Alzheimer’s, depression and arthritis.

You can sweeten with honey to balance the earthiness of the tea.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Deep Sleep Tea

Wind down at the end of the day with a tea that promotes a deep, comfortable sleep. Chamomile is a great stress reliever and has a calming effect on the body. It has been used for thousands of years to help people around the world get some shut eye, and a Japanese study put some legitimacy behind this widespread observation when it noticed that rats fed chamomile fell asleep just as quickly as those given a tranquilizer. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and helps to clear mucous from your passageways, allowing for more effective breathing and hence a more pleasant sleep.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Dried chamomile flowers to fill one sachet
• 1/2-inch nob of fresh ginger, crushed

Detox Elixir

Holding a bit more weight than you’d like? Cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and lemon join forces to rev up your metabolism and get your body back in shape. Cayenne pepper warms the body, speeding metabolism and burning more calories. Cinnamon reduces blood sugar and LDL (bad) cholesterol as well as boosts metabolism and increases insulin levels. Lemon packs some flavor and added cleansing power.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 2 dashes cayenne pepper
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 2 dashes cinnamon powder)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Immune Booster Tea

Oranges are packed with vitamin C, a known antioxidant that may help protect your body from cell damage and boost resilience from disease and illness. Cinnamon and honey both have antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, which means they are effective in warding off infections. Mint not only brings a fresh aroma, but it’s a leafy green that carries with it antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that keep you healthy.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Juice of 1/2 orange
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 2 dashes cinnamon powder)
• 1 teaspoon high-quality (raw) honey
• 4-5 mint leaves, muddled

Beautiful Skin Tea

This may seem like an unlikely concoction, but it’s actually quite delightful! Carrot juice is packed with beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, an essential part of skin health. Sage inhibits the growth of bacteria and has anti-inflammatory properties. Cayenne contains vitamins A and C, which help to absorb free radicals that break down your skin’s collagen.

Warm this recipe, without bringing it to a simmer. You want to retain the carrot juice’s potency.  Let the leaves sit in the juice for a bit before drinking so that their flavors become infused into the tea.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces warmed carrot juice
• 2 sage leaves
• Dash of cayenne

Brain Power Formula

Blueberries contain anthocyanins and flavanols, which are able to cross the blood-brain barrier. These antioxidants rid the brain of free radicals, which can otherwise lead to oxidation, memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. Ginger is commonly used to stave off migraines and basil naturally reduces tension and fatigue in the brain and mind.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 1/2-inch nob fresh ginger, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh blueberries, muddled
• 3-4 leaves fresh basil, muddled

Regularity Tonic

This tonic is geared towards those of you with difficulty digesting. The taste of this tea is very comforting and earthy. The pear and apple slices bring pectin to the mix, and pectin acts as soluble dietary fiber in humans. It helps promote healthy digestion, prevents diarrhea and constipation, and reduces the risk of colon and gastrointestinal tract cancers. Purple grapes contain quercetin, a plant pigment that contributes to healthy digestion, while cinnamon warms and stimulates metabolism.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 2 small slices of pear
• 2 small slices of apple
• 4-5 purple grapes, muddled
• Dash of cinnamon

Lady’s Tonic

For that time of month, this raspberry ginger tonic is just what the doctor ordered. Raspberries are a uterine tonic, relaxing and toning the uterine muscles as needed. The fruit is also beneficial during pregnancy, easing morning sickness, stabilizing digestion, and soothing the pelvic area. According to a 2009 study, women who take a dosage of ginger for three days from day one of their period witnesses the same pain relief as those who treated their menstrual cramps with ibuprofen.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 6-8 raspberries, muddled
• 1/4-inch fresh ginger

Aches and Pains Relieving Tea

Feeling sore as the Winter nears? Be ready to combat the worsening of your symptoms with a tea that cleanses your joints and puts them at ease. Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, a compound that makes cayenne spicy. It lowers the levels of a chemical that relays pain signals to your brain. Fresh ginger and cardamom have both long been used in Ayurvedic medicine to reduce joint pain and inflammation.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• Dash of cayenne
• 4-5 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1/2-inch fresh ginger, muddled

Nausea-Be-Gone Tonic

This recipe uses the soothing and potent effects of basil and honey to rid you of stomach pains, nausea, and vomiting symptoms. It is refreshing just as much as it is energizing, which will help to reverse your symptoms and keep you alert and feeling good.

The Formula:

• 8 ounces hot water
• 3-4 basil leaves, muddled
• 1 teaspoon of high-quality (raw) honey

Images: Aylin Erman, Steven Jackson, Leszet Lezsczynski, Cthoyes, Jennuine Captures, CLC Photography, Simply Bike, Clyde Robinson, Kodamakitty, Michael Newman, Cinnamon Cooper

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post 10 Healthy Tea Elixirs You Can Make Yourself appeared first on EcoSalon.

Easy substitutions for a plant-based lifestyle. 

One of the nasty pitfalls of becoming vegan or pursuing a more plant-based, healthy lifestyle is the allure of vegan or low-calorie products. These packaged goods mock the “real” thing with often not so forgiving preservatives, colorants, and other additives. That’s why one of the biggest challenges is finding simple, within-hands-reach ways to replace the most common ingredients with their vegan or healthy (and just-as-real) counterparts.

Brighten your kitchen, nourish your heart, and spread the love with these animal-friendly and nutritional kitchen substitutions.

Eggs

If you aren’t eating an egg-centric dish, chances are that a recipe calling for eggs is looking for either a binding or leavening agent. Eggs are viscous and hold ingredients tightly together, which is why they appear in most baked goods, burgers, and creams. They also help to leaven, or “rise” baked dishes. Depending on what you’re making, the replacement will change accordingly.

To replace one egg in a baked recipe, alternatives that have worked for me in include:

• 1 tablespoon a of ground flaxseed mixed in 3 tablespoons of water and allowed to sit until the mixture thickens
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch or potato starch
• 1/2 large banana, mashed, but only for sweet recipes
• 1/4 cup applesauce, but only for sweet recipes

Keep in mind that the replacement should adjust according to the recipe. The flaxseed mixture wouldn’t work in a smooth batter, so opt for another alternative. If the recipe calls for more than two eggs, add some baking powder – 1/2 teaspoon per additional egg – as it will help with the rising effect.

For the pure purpose of binding ingredients in a mixture, the options are wide and varied. Instead of one egg, you could use 1/2 avocado, 2 tablespoons tahini, 2 tablespoons nut butter, 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, or 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast. Anything viscous and thick enough to hold things together without changing the taste will work. The dry replacements work best in mixtures with a liquid element.

Milk

This is probably the easiest of the bunch, because there is a hot market for dairy-free “milk” these days. Peruse the health section aisles at your grocery store and choose from the array of rice, almond, hemp, coconut, and soy milks. Avoid brands with too many additives – sugars, flavoring or preservatives.

Whenever I have the ingredients on hand, I like to make my own almond milk. All you need is 1 cup raw almonds, enough water to soak them in overnight, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and 3 cups water. Soak the almonds in the salt and water overnight. The next day, rinse them and toss into a blender. Blend them with 3 cups of water until thin. Separate the almond milk from its fibers with a cheese cloth. Drink immediately and store in the refrigerator.

Cheese

Dairy cheese can be replaced by any store-bought soy or rice-based cheese, but these often include strange ingredients that are necessary to achieve the same texture, taste, and look of cheese. They are also not much more forgiving in terms of calories and fat.

Luckily, these vegan alternatives make things a bit more interesting and are easy enough to make on the regular:

• white cheese dip
• sweet potato cheese
• basil cashew cheese

Keep in mind that when it comes to cheese, nutritional yeast is your most trusted accomplice. It has a cheesy flavor that, when paired with a creamy base, can mock cheese to the T (or C).

Gelatin

Ever wonder where gelatin comes from? It’s a protein obtained by boiling animal bones, tendons, ligaments, hooves, and skin. Not necessarily the kinds of things you associate with jellied candies, toaster pastries, cereals, and Jell-O.

Alternatives include carrageenan, agar-agar, fruit pectin, and locust bean gum.

Butter

In sweet recipes, you can replace up to 3/4 cup butter with applesauce. Replace the rest with a vegan butter substitution, such as Earth Balance. In cooking, where butter is scant, use a vegan substitution.

Oil

Oil has little benefit when it is cooked, literally, to death. Oil biochemically changes when it is heated, and it loses many of its nutritional benefits. Opt to enjoy oils in their raw, extra-virgin states. The healthiest raw oils include olive oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, walnut oil, sesame oil, flaxseed oil, and peanut oil. When cooking, use coconut oil – it has a high burning temperature and can withstand heat.

Buttermilk

To replace buttermilk, simply combine 1 tablespoon of white vinegar with 1 cup of vegan milk, such as almond, soy, coconut or rice milk.

Sugar

In baked goods, marinades, and sauces, maple syrup is a great replacement for sugar. In fact, I find that it gives the dish a deeper, more complex flavor, making it more unique and enjoyable to eat. You can replace every 1 cup of sugar with 3/4 cup of maple syrup. This requires that you reduce the dominant liquid in the recipe by 2-4 tablespoons, for consistency’s sake. Pick and choose with the liquids – you don’t want to sacrifice an important taste, so don’t reduce the oil or vinegar measurements when you have 2 or 3 cups of milk to take from. To offset maple syrup’s slight acidity, you may choose to add 1/4-1/2 teaspoons of baking soda. If the recipe calls for sour cream, buttermilk, or sour milk, skip the baking soda.

In tea and coffee, there is no need to reach for sugar anymore. Stevia is the only sweetener out there that has a zero-glycemic level and zero calories – to say nothing of its a-little-goes-a-long-way poster child status. Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar and if you find a brand that fits your tastes – I am a NuNaturals fan – you won’t be able to leave the house without it! I prefer liquid stevia, because it’s seamless to use and easy to carry around in my purse. A few drops later, and my beverages taste like liquid gold. One 2-ounce bottle tends to last me 3-4 months.

Some manufacturers have come out with powdered versions that can replace sugar in recipes. There are also sugar and powdered stevia mixes that aim to reduce sugar, but not completely nix it.

ALSO CHECK OUT: 

Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Sea Salt

Make Your Own Vegan Salted Caramel Ice Cream

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Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

Images: Furry Scaly, Robert S. Donovan, Tétine, Jeffrey W, MRBECK, Aylin Erman

The post 8 Substitutions for the Most Common Kitchen Ingredients appeared first on EcoSalon.

Get tipsy without tipping the scale.

A lot can go wrong in the preparation of a cocktail. The most common culprit – sugar. Whether it be by way of corn syrup, an artificial fruit blend, or straight up white cane, it is very difficult to get a forgiving cocktail when out on the town. And who wants to fuss at the bar? Going out is a time to let loose and relax, not bring a subtext of conditionality with every drink order.

But when you’re at home, the game changes – you have complete control! The trick is now to bring your hard-earned buzz the flavor, not the kill. A standard restaurant or bar mojito will contain upwards of 200 calories. Replace the sugar with a calorie-free alternative and you can cut the calories by nearly half. This recipe is a fun twist on a mint mojito. It uses fresh peaches for summery sweetness and stevia to replace the otherwise pound-packing cane sugar.

Enjoy!

Skinny Peach Mojito

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1 peach
• 6-8  mint leaves
• Juice of half a lime
• 3-4 drops liquid stevia (1 small packet powder stevia)
• 2 ounces rum
• Large handful of ice cubes
• Club soda

Directions:

Skin and then puree the peach. Pour it into the bottom of a cocktail glass. Add 6 mint leaves, the stevia, and the lime juice. Muddle the ingredients to release the mint’s flavor as well as distribute the sweetness from the stevia.

Add the rum and ice cubes. Top off the remaining space in the cup with the club soda. Garnish with mint leaves and serve. If you want a virgin peach mojito, nix the rum altogether. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve.

Bottoms up!

Photo Source: DavidKenny

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post Nutritional Breakdown: Lightening Up Your Cocktail’s Calories appeared first on EcoSalon.

The frappuccino gets a major health revamp.

While it is high in calories, sodium, and cholesterol, it’s really the sugar content that blows one of Starbucks’s beloved beverages out of the water. Starbucks’s Caffe Vanilla Frappuccino Blended Smoothie contains 310 calories per 16-ounce serving, in addition to 3 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, and 67 grams of sugar.

Sugar will go straight to your head, give you a short-term high, and then leave you lethargic and glum. It spikes your blood sugar levels, leads to weight gain, is nutritionally empty, contributes to candida, and, to put simply, is actively bad for you. If you are going to consume sugar, get it from something a bit more decadent and lasting than a down-in-a-hot-second drink, regardless of how delicious it may be!

My version of a vanilla Frappuccino smoothie is sugar-free, save for the optional chocolate syrup glaze and whipped cream, using a few drops of zero-calorie, low-glycemic stevia instead. The recipe also goes a step further by replacing cow’s milk with almond milk. Almond milk is a mere 40 calories per 8-ounce serving and avoids the common issues that arise when ingesting dairy, such as hard-to-digest proteins, hormones, depletion of enzymes and vitamins through pasteurization, saturated fat, synthetic chemicals, and a boo-ing cow.

Cutting corners in so many other ways, it’s up to you whether you want to indulge with a topping of whipped cream and chocolate syrup. You can find vegan variations of both in your local health food store.

Enjoy!

Sugar-Free Vegan Vanilla Frappuccino

Ingredients:

• 1 cup coffee cooled
• 1 cup almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, or skim milk.
• 1 banana
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 handfuls of ice
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 4 drops of liquid stevia, or 2 packets of powdered stevia
• Whipped Cream (optional)
• Chocolate Syrup (optional)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a Vitamix and blend until smooth.

Bon Appetit!

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

Image: Starbucks

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