The Clean Eating Guide to Sugars & Sweeteners | GIRLS WHO EAT (2024)

It’s time we talk about sugars and sweeteners. At GWE, I love indulging in a sweet treat every now and then (ok, maybe a little more often than that!) as a reward for my hard work, or after dinner (who else craves something sweet after a meal?)! Whether I’m buying treats at a store or baking desserts myself, I’m extremely mindful about which sweeteners I consume. I always read labels and I do everything in my power to stay away from artificial and refined sugar options. But most importantly, I try to select natural sweeteners and sugars that contain vital nutrients. If you want to know which sweeteners and sugars to avoid and need help discovering which ones you should stock up on, keep reading!

Not all sugars are created equal

When you see or hear people talking about sugar being bad for you, you might be confused. After all, aren’t fruits – which contain plenty of sugar – good for you? And what about honey? Isn’t honey a healthy, natural sweetener? The answer to those questions is yes, they are good for you. In moderation, of course.

When it comes to sugar, the real enemy is added sugar, which is often refined, processed, artificial, and doesn’t occur naturally like the sugar in fruit and honey does. And that kind of sugar is everywhere…oftentimes in places you would never expect. You can find it in even the most healthy-seeming products. Your multigrain whole wheat bread? Added sugar. That soy sauce that you use in all of your healthy stir-fry recipes, and your favorite marinara sauce for pasta-alternative dishes? Surprise: those are likely jam-packed with refined sugar too. Your beloved, go-to dressing for your lunchtime salad? You guessed it: that bottle might be loaded with added, refined sugar. Bottom line is that not all sugars are created equal.

Sugar is supposed to be only 10% of our diet, but because of today’s food industry, the average person frequently ends up (accidentally) consuming wayyyyy more than that. And this is where the problem lies.

In fact, here’s some crazy data from the American Heart Association (AHA) about how much sugar we eat: “Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day,” and women shouldn’t have more than “6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day.” And yet, the average adult in the US consumes an average of 77 grams of sugar per day (over 18 teaspoons) — that’s more than three times what women are supposed to be having!

Why is sugar bad for us?

When we eat refined or added sugars, we’re exposing ourselves to a great deal of health risks. People who consume too many refined or artificial sugars can suffer from tooth decay, weight gain, diabetes, and a number of other diseases. They can also experience increased thirst, fatigue, insomnia, bloating, headaches, brain fog, a weakened immune system, and incredibly low energy. Not to mention, indulging in too much refined sugar can even trigger heart problems and cause damage to our internal organs. Added sugars are also incredibly addictive, and can be as hard to quit as alcohol or tobacco. . Basically, artificial and refined sugars are bad for your physical and mental health, and they should be avoided whenever possible.

Understanding sugar substitutes: friend or foe?

There are plenty of sugar substitutes and sweeteners out there that are low-cal and recommended as alternatives to the real stuff. [You might even use some of them from time to time…like stevia or brown sugar. For example, they’re pretty common at coffee shops, they’re in soda, candy, and, surprisingly enough, in some dairy products. But the big question is: are they good for you?

From a clean eating perspective, I’m not a big fan of sugar substitutes. Although they’ve gotten the OK from the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Diabetes Association (ADA), they’ve also received some flak for potentially changing the way that we taste food, and for influencing our decisions to opt for foods that lack nutritional substance over more substantive items. Additionally, many of them are taken from their natural source and processed into the refined sugar that you end up consuming.

Do you know how much sugar you’re eating in a day?

Before I start talking about some of my favorite natural sugars and sweeteners that I love incorporating into my GWE recipes (outside of fruits, of course!), I thought it might be helpful to encourage you to stop and assess your daily sugar intake. Let’s approach this together, step by step.

When you shop for food and beverages at your local farmer’s market or grocery store, are you reading the labels of the items you’re buying? If not, that’s a great place to start. As we mentioned earlier, sugar is sneaky…and it’s everywhere. So it’s important to make sure that you’re fully reading through any ingredients list.

Another place to start your sugar assessment journey is in your pantry. Take a look at that favorite nut or seed butter of yours. Is it full of added sugars? If it does have some added sugars, are they artificial, or are they naturally-occuring sugars? Same with your favorite to-go granola or nut bars. Equally important, don’t forget to rethink the baking ingredients that you already own — I’m talking white, processed sugar, brown sugar, and pre-packaged mixes.

Why these natural sugars and sweeteners are OK to eat anytime

Now that you’ve assessed your sugar intake and learned which types of sweeteners and sugars to avoid, I can finally get to the best part: discussing my favorite clean options! These sweeteners all fall within clean eating and are known to have beneficial effects for our health and show up a lot in our recipes that are tagged as “refined sugar free”. It’s important to note that refined sugar free means that it is still sugar, but these sugars are from the source (bees + trees) but still would count towards the maximum sugar you should eat per day (that 10% mentioned above). That’s why it’s so important to be mindful of how much you’re eating.

• Maple syrup: This unrefined sugar is a pantry staple that can help with heart health and boost our immune system. This sugar comes from maple trees and is bottled right at the source.

• • My go-to splurge brand: Runamok Maple (use code GIRLSWHOEAT for 20% off) for a splurge!
  • My favorite budget maple syrup is this one from Thrive Market!
  • Whole Foods 365 – There are lots of choices including organic dark maple syrup, an organic golden maple syrup and an organic amber maple syrup

• Raw Honey: Did you know that honey has antibacterial properties or that it might play a role in fighting off cancer? Or how about that it’s bottled directly from the hive with no processing? For those reasons and more, I completely understand the buzz around honey (and yes, that bee joke was very intentional!). Pure honey is also a great option since it will have no added sugars, but can be processed, which can limit nutrients and antioxidants so read the labels!

• • My go-to splurge brand: Beekeepers Naturals Wildflower Honey, Los Poblanos Lavender Honey
  • My favorite budget honey options are these from Whole Foods 365: organic light amber mountain forest, an organic amber mountain forest, and an organic mountain forest raw honey

• Date paste, sugar, and syrup: Made from granulated, dried dates, these are great alternative sweeteners that are high in fiber and antioxidants. You’ll find date paste, sugar, and syrup in lots of the clean, healthy foods that you enjoy. The only ingredient in these should be dates, which is important to look out for.

• • My go-to brand: Just Date Syrup (use code GIRLSWHOEAT for 10% off!) and Date Lady Organic Date Sugar

• Coconut sugar or nectar: Yet another pantry staple on our list, coconut sugar or nectar, which are both made from coconut palm sap and contain inulin fiber that helps to lower their glycemic index. Products that have a lower glycemic index are known to bolster the body’s effort to ward off heart disease, type two diabetes, and other ailments. I usually bake with coconut sugar and always have a bag stocked in my pantry!

• • My go-to brand: Thrive Market or Trader Joe’s

Sugars and sweeteners that I only sometimes enjoy

As I always say, it’s all about moderation. So while there are certain sugars and sweeteners that I’ll use anytime (all the sugars listed above), that’s not the case for all of them. Although some of the following options are relatively harmless, I personally chose to consume them less often because they’re lacking in the quality of nutrients that other sugars have, and they can be overly processed from their original source into sugar form. With that distinction in mind, here are some sugars and sweeteners that I enjoy every now and then, but not regularly:

• Monkfruit: This ingredient comes from a fruit grown in Southeast Asia and is common in traditional Chinese medicine due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Interestingly, it’s becoming more and more common in packaged goods.

• Agave nectar: This low-glycemic sweetener is derived from the agave plant and is high in antioxidants. In most cases, you can find it in your local grocery store.

• Brown rice syrup: This is extracted from cooked, whole-grain rice. While it doesn’t have a ton of nutrients or health benefits to offer, it’s a more natural and commonly-used replacement for high fructose corn syrup.

• Erythritol: This type of sugar is a sugar alcohol that can occur naturally in some fruits, but is typically man-made from fermenting corn. It can cause some stomach issues and is oftentimes mixed with other sweeteners or additives, so be sure to check that label!

• Stevia: It comes from the stevia leaf, and it’s a non-nutritive (meaning it lacks in nutrients and is only a few calories max) sweetener that’s somehow even sweeter than table sugar! This one’s a bit controversial because it can cause gut reactions in some people who consume it. But for those whose stomachs can handle it, Stevia is a decent, low calorie ingredient.

• Tapioca syrup: This thick syrup is made from the starch of the cassava root and is commonly used as a substitute for corn syrup.
• Organic cane sugar: This sugar is made from sugar cane, a plant whose juice is made into sugar. It’s unprocessed and unrefined, and it’s a better alternative to white sugar because it doesn’t have the pesticides and chemicals found in traditional table sugar.

Danger: avoid these sweeteners at all costs

Remember how we talked about the sugar that’s hiding in plain sight in so many of our favorite foods and beverages? One of the reasons that they’re sometimes so difficult to spot is because artificial and refined sugars go by SO many different names (over 50!) like high fructose corn syrup, xylitol, and dextrose. For a full list of the naughty vs. nice sugars, check out my favorite helpful guide from BUBBLE. It includes food and beverage ingredients – including sugars – to avoid at all costs, as well as the ingredients that have the BUBBLE and GWE stamp of approval!

The sweet relief of understanding the sugars you consume

I hope that everything you’ve learned in this article is helpful to get you one step further along on your clean eating journey. I also want to remind you not to be too hard on yourself if you indulge in sugar, however often that may. You will see this a lot on GWE, because I really believe in it: clean eating is about balance. It’s not about losing weight, or being perfect all the time. And it’s definitely not about being in constant control of what we eat. Life is messy, and there’s no such thing as a linear journey. So with that, I want to remind you that you don’t need to make this your must-follow guide. Instead, I hope you’ll use it as a way to find healthier sugar substitutes to enjoy, and as a resource to help you better understand how sugar affects your body and mind.

Disclaimer: Although I am a certified health coach, I am not your health coach. This article is for educational and informational purposes and does not substitute for advice from a medical professional. Talk to a physician or qualified health provider before seeking treatment for any medical condition or making changes to your diet or lifestyle. Do not disregard their recommendations or avoid treatment because of my blogs, posts, or content. I am not liable for any damages that are a result or related to your use of this content.