Sweet foods are favorites with all sorts of people across the country. It’s not so much a matter of taste, either. Measurable biological reactions occur in response to sweet food that light up the brain and gets those happy chemicals pumping through. While sweet foods are delicious, too much can lead to serious problems.
Sweet foods can have massive negative health impacts, and sugar specifically can be downright addicting. Sugar addiction is no exaggeration. It’s a measurable addiction akin to any other kind of hard drug. Even the Paleo diet isn’t immune from dangerously addictive natural sweeteners, but there are a few you can get away with using in moderation. Learn more about choosing a superfood sweetener.
Chicory Root Fiber
Chicory root fiber is a great natural choice, primarily because it doesn’t have any calories or carbs, so blood sugar and insulin response are left unaffected. You can even find different kinds such as tabletop, brown and baking sugar version. The only issue is that there just aren’t very many options out there for chicory root fiber sweetener. It can also be quite costly, but diabetes is still more costly.
Blackstrap Molasses
Both light and dark molasses are nowhere close to being Paleo-friendly, but blackstrap molasses is another story entirely. Not only will this sweeten up anything you want to bake, but it’s also packed with nutrients like calcium, potassium, and magnesium. In fact, this is the only substance that qualifies as a nutrient-dense food, despite technically being a sweetener.
Monk Fruit
In China and Thailand, there grows a fruit known as monk fruit or luo han guo. This fruit can function as an incredible sweetener that doesn’t have many calories or a significant glycemic impact. It’s sweeter than sugar, so keep that in mind when using it. The only thing you really have to worry about with this is that many commercial versions contain additional artificial sweeteners. Just make sure you’re opting for a Paleo-friendly version before you make your purchase.
Coconut Sugar
Coconut sugar is a great sweetener for superfood because it can replace white sugar or brown sugar at a one-to-one ratio. It’s just as useful as white and brown sugar as well, since coconut sugar can be used for baking, making desserts, sweetening coffee, and even caramelization. You should be able to find coconut sugar in crystalized form at your local market, but the only ingredient in a Paleo-friendly package should be coconut sugar.
Raw Honey
If you’re looking for a sweetener that’s more of a treat than an everyday thing, raw honey is the best option. Our ancestors braved bee hives to harvest this precious sweetener, and when they did, the resulting honey offered absolutely incredible flavor. Just keep in mind that honey has high carbs, calories, and sugar. A Paleo diet that utilizes honey as a natural sweetener can be both effective and delicious.