As we reported earlier this year when the American Diabetes Association published their latest dietary guidelines, table sugar and other forms of sweeteners (honey, molasses, brown sugar, etc.) can be included as part of a diabetes meal plan. What's important is that you keep close track of your total grams of carbohydrate every day.
Sugar provides sweetness, tenderness, and color in baking. With most recipes, you can reduce the sugar by at least one-third without changing the taste and texture. Fruit juices and frozen fruit juice concentrates may be used to sweeten baked goods. Since these baked goods are high in carbohydrate, it important to eat these treats in moderation and to count every gram of carbohydrate, not exceeding your recommended total for that meal.
Sugar-free products can give you added flexibility in your meal plan because they tend to contain few grams of carbohydrate and frequently are lower in fat and calories. Artificial sweeteners provide almost no calories and will not affect your blood sugar levels. However, not all artificial sweeteners can be used for baking and prolonged cooking. Read the labels and only use those that say the product can be used for baking.
We particularly like using the one-to-one sugar substitutes. Two are readily available on most supermarket shelves - Splenda and Sugar Twin (the later comes as both white sugar replacement and brown sugar replacement). Another favorite is DiabetiSweet, which is available here on the Net and in many supermarkets, drug stores, and discount stores. All of these sugar substitutes are excellent for prolonged cooking and baking. Neither leaves that tell-tale bitter or metallic aftertaste that many sugar substitutes have when heated. These are all measured out just like sugar, one cup for one cup, 1 tablespoon for 1 tablespoon, etc.
The manufacturer's of Splenda suggest that when you're making cakes with Splenda, for every 1 cup of Splenda used, add 1/2 cup sifted nonfat dry milk powder and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the dry ingredients. When baking bar cookies, brownies, muffins, and quick breads, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for every 1 cup of Splenda used. In muffins and quick breads, also add 1 to 2 tablespoons honey or molasses for extra flavor and moistness. For further tips on using Splenda in your holiday cooking and baking, visit their website: www.splenda.com.
Sugar Twin states on their product label that it may be necessary to experiment with reduced amounts of Sugar Twin to achieve the best results. They also state that recipes calling for using more than 1/2 cup of Sugar Twin replacement are not recommended.
The makers of DiabetiSweet do not give specific recommendations for using DiabetiSweet in cooking or baking other than to use it just like sugar, one cup for one cup. They offer a new free recipe booklet on the website: www.diabeticproducts.com and graciously allowed us to print three of their delicious recipes in this article. We have noted the carbs and total fat grams so be sure to make sure you can fit these cookies in your meal plan before you indulge.
Editors' Note: Each brownie contains about 31 grams of carbohydrate and 9.1 grams of total fat.
Editors' Note: Each cookie contains about 11 grams of carbohydrate and 8.3 grams of total fat.
Editors' Note: Each cookie contains about 6 grams of carbohydrate and 4.2 grams of total fat.
