Traditional Sugar and Healtheir Substitute

 My friend Rachna was visiting me.I knew Rachna is fond of sweets .I told Rachna I will prepare rawa cake for you. Rachna educated me and said"Coconut Sugar which I have brought for you is healthier substitutes for traditional sugar.  Coconut sugar is a natural sweetener made from the sap of the blossoms of the coconut tree.So I put my health first and use coconut sugar in my cooking where ever possible."

Rachna educated me about prepration, nutritional profile,glycemic index and flavour profile of cocunut sugar which I am listing below.

 

 

 

Image Credit: iStock

 

Rachna said" coconut sugar is made from the sap of the blooms on coconut trees. Flower buds are tapped to extract the sap, which is then boiled to evaporate the water content, producing a concentrated syrup. In order to create granules that resemble conventional sugar, this syrup is further dehydrated."

Rachna told me  table sugar is derived from two different plants: sugar cane and sugar beets. The plant material is crushed, the juice is extracted, and the plant material is refined in a number of procedures to produce the well-known white crystalline sugar. A highly processed product is produced after the refining process which is free from contaminants and any possible plant residues.

 

Table sugar

The nutritional values

Rachna further said"Conut Sugar is not a substantial source of Iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, and it has antioxidants and few of the vitamins and minerals in trace amounts .Additionally,  it contains #inulin, a form of # dietary fibre that can act as a # prebiotic and encourage the development of good gut bacteria. Regular sugar, on the other hand,  are heavy on #carbohydrates and have a high #glycemic index(60). It contributes  energy, without much in the way of vitamins, minerals, or other healthy elements."

Glycemic Index:

Rachna educated me about the glycemic index (GI) calculates,which shows how rapidly foods high in carbohydrates elevate blood sugar levels. Comparing coconut sugar (54) to ordinary sugar (60) shows coconut sugar is diabetic friendly.This implies that  that ordinary sugar can induce  more rise in sugar levels, while coconut sugar causes blood glucose levels to rise more gradually and slowly. The fact that coconut sugar has a lower GI is probably due to the inclusion of inulin and other fibres."

Flavour Profile:

Rachna told me  that coconut sugar stands out from conventional sugar thanks to its distinctive # caramel-like flavour and slight coconut undertone.  It  add richness and complexity to foods and drinks due to its rich, distinct flavour and delicate sweetness .

 Regular sugar, in comparison, has no distinct taste or odour and provides lot of sweetness instead.

I thanked Rachna for the gift pack of coconut sugar.Education provided by Rachna was eye opener for me.We prepared and enjoyed eating rawa cake made with coconut sugar. 

https://www.slurrp.com/article/coconut-vs-regular-sugar-unveiling-4-differences-between-the-sweeteners-1691666992985

Sukarma Thareja

Alumnus IITK

India