Looking for something sweet and healthy to stir into your drinks?
We put natural sugar alternatives to the test and found that they provide great benefits over table sugar—like delivering extra nutrients, saving calories (from granulated sugars 45 calories per tablespoon), and keeping blood sugar even. Heres how they stack up.
sweetener-packets are sold in granular or liquid form.
The skinny: This zero-calorie natural sweetener ranks zero on the glycemic index, so it wont cause your blood sugar to spike. Because its so sweet, you dont need much for flavor.
Best in: Coffee. Most people dont pick up an aftertaste from stevia.
sweetener-packets .
sweetener-packets
Agave
Calories per tablespoon: 60
Sweetness: 1 1/4 times sweeter than sugar
What it is: This golden nectar is made from the heated sap of the agave plant (the same plant used to make tequila).
The skinny: Not only is agave sweeter than granulated sugar, its better for your blood sugar, too. (And since its sweeter, you use less.) It tastes similar to honey but is easier to mix into cold drinks.
Best in:
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