Sugar free questions

[Marlet]

If you are sugar free how do you do things like baking? I've started making my own bread etc. and would rather not stop (I'll double check my recipe but I'm pretty sure there is white sugar in it). Do you check labels for store bought items or is it more of an obvious thing? We don't buy a lot of canned goods where I know they can really add up. I'm just not sure where to look and what would be the ones to avoid. In my mind there are "junky" sugars and then there are items that it's needed but not for a taste reason (like in breads). It's the same kind of sugar though, well for the most part , so in that case do you nix it? Do you steer clear of any and all non-food sugar?
I'm not concerned about fruit/veggie sugars. I need to nix sugar mostly because my kids cannot handle it. Today was not a good day at all. I keep telling myself this but I just cannot do this again. DD1 had ONE mini doughnut and ONE generic brand cookie at my MIL's house today. That was 7 hours ago and I am still dealing with the issues. Le sigh.

Tell me how you do it and to what extreme.

[lil_earthmomma]

Originally Posted by Marlet

If you are sugar free how do you do things like baking? I've started making my own bread etc. and would rather not stop (I'll double check my recipe but I'm pretty sure there is white sugar in it). Do you check labels for store bought items or is it more of an obvious thing? We don't buy a lot of canned goods where I know they can really add up. I'm just not sure where to look and what would be the ones to avoid. In my mind there are "junky" sugars and then there are items that it's needed but not for a taste reason (like in breads). It's the same kind of sugar though, well for the most part , so in that case do you nix it? Do you steer clear of any and all non-food sugar?
I'm not concerned about fruit/veggie sugars. I need to nix sugar mostly because my kids cannot handle it. Today was not a good day at all. I keep telling myself this but I just cannot do this again. DD1 had ONE mini doughnut and ONE generic brand cookie at my MIL's house today. That was 7 hours ago and I am still dealing with the issues. Le sigh.

Tell me how you do it and to what extreme.

I would start by subbing in honey, and maybe maple syrup. My boys are nuts on refined sugar, but both do fine with honey and maple syrup.

When I baked bread I always used honey or maple syrup as the sweetener, only about 2 tbsp were nec.

Any recipe with brown sugar I've been able to cut in half and replace with maple syrup. With white sugar I usually sub in honey.

For whipped cream, I just add vanilla, no sugar, and it's delicious.

Adding more vanilla to your baked goods tricks the brain into thinking they are sweet.

Mashed bananas are great for sweetening, but the flavor is banana-y so use only in things you don't mind a banana flavor.

Pureed dates can be used to sweeten and moisten baked desserts.

[mamakaikai]

All of the above are excellent suggestions.

As far as sugar in ready made food, we read the labels e.v.e.r.y.t.i.m.e. It is tedious at first, but you get used to what product you can buy.

For example, we've stopped eating prepackaged cereals because most do have sugar. We eat straight up grains instead (oatmeal, kasha, quinoa). Another thing is to opt for the sugar free options: applesauce with no sugar added. But beware of sugar substitutes!

As far as breads and ready made things like quiches, we would opt to buy at an independent bakery where we can expect that they don't use high fructose corn syrup and the likes.

Mostly we cook/bake from scratch using the above mentioned substitues for sugar.

It gets easier over time.

Best luck to you!

[odd-ducks]

Hi. I do a lot of baking at home, subbing agave syrup for sugar. There's a book called 'Baking With Agave Nectar' that's helped me get used to working with a liquid sweetener. I use agave over most other sweeteners because it's low glycemic and my kids don't get any of the sugar rush/insanity that follows consuming one with a high glycemic load.

Stevia is another natural, low GI option, but I'm not fond of the taste. Agave is sweet, (sweeter than white sugar), and neutral tasting. It works really well for our family.

Good luck!

[allnaturalmom]

I agree w/all the pp posters and wanted to point out that homemade bread doesn't have to have *any* sugar. When I make it there is only flour, water, yeast, and salt. So, you don't have to use a recipe w/sugar.

Also, you may want to check out a book from the library called, "Sweet and Sugarfree, An All-Natural, Fruit-Sweetened Dessert Cookbook," by Karen E. Barkie.

gl
hth

[boigrrrlwonder]

For homemade breads, try sourdough. Most breads need sugar for the yeast, but most sourdough don't - though I will say, a whole grain, sourdough bread will be dense.

[Marlet]

That's what I thought (the sugar needed for the yeast). I really really like my bread recipe and would rather not change to another one. In instances where the sugar is needed for yeast can you sub.? Or is that one item that tends to get cooked out since it's so little in the grand scheme of things?