No Sugar Carrot Cake

It’s amazing just how sweet vegetables can become when baked in cakes. Some can be grated and stirred in to give an almost fruity flavour.Carrot cake must now be one of the most popular cakes for slicing into at teatime. It’s easily made without sugar – and is always sweet and delicious. Try a cream cheese topping on it, which can also be whipped up quickly without sugar.

A great alternative to carrot cake, however, is courgette (or zucchini) cake. Courgettes can be grated and used in cakes in much the same way as carrots. Few people make this version but it is just as moist and flavoursome as its carrot equivalent.

Sugar Free Carrot Cake

This is a very filling, moist cake. Nuts give it extra bite but can easily be removed if someone suffers from an allergy.

Ingredients:

• 200g (7oz) butter
• Five tbsp honey
• Four large eggs
• 500g (1lb 1oz) grated carrots
• 150g (5oz) chopped walnuts
• 300g (10.5oz) plain flour
• Two tsp bicarbonate of soda
• Pinch of salt
• One tsp ground allspice

For the Filling and Topping:

• 250g (9oz) cream cheese
• Four tbsp sugar free apricot jam

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C/350 deg F/gas mark four. Grease a 20cm (eight ins) cake tin.

Melt your butter and honey in a small pan over a low heat. Place your flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and allspice in a large bowl. Mix in your hot liquid. Beat your eggs then add to the mixture too. Grate your carrots then stir them into the batter, along with your chopped nuts. Pour into your tin and bake in the centre of your oven for about 40 minutes or until cooked all the way through, and a skewer comes out clean.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Beat your cream cheese with your sugar free apricot jam. Once cool, cut your carrot cake in two. Spread your cream cheese mixture inside and on the top.

http://www.sugarfreerecipes.co.uk/no-sugar-carrot-courgette-cakes.html

Quick Sugar Free Cookies for Kids

Kids love baking and nothing is more fun than making biscuits or cookies. These quick sugar free recipes help create biscuits that are healthier options than those packed with high quantities of white sugar.

As you make them with your children, explain what you are doing and how the sugar has been substituted. Encourage your youngsters to experiment a little and to have fun as they bake.

Sugar Free Chocolate Cookies

Everyone loves chocolate cookies. Those youngsters who enjoy a stronger chocolatey flavour can always increase the amount of cocoa in the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 350g (12oz) plain flour
• 100g (3.5oz) cocoa
• 250g (9oz) soft margarine
• One tsp baking soda
• A pinch of salt
• Three tbsps sugar free strawberry jam
• Two eggs

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C/350 deg F/gas mark four. Take your sugar free strawberry jam and cream in a large bowl with your margarine, until light and fluffy. Beat your eggs and stir into your margarine and sugar free jam. Sieve your plain flour and bicarbonate of soda, and stir in until you have a good chocolatey dough. Dust a surface with flour and roll your dough out. Using a circular cookie cutter, cut into round shapes. Place on a greased baking sheet and position in the centre of your oven. Bake for about 15 minutes.

http://www.sugarfreerecipes.co.uk/quick-sugar-free-cookies-for-kids.html

No Sugar Apple Pie

Recipe by Barbara 

"My aunt is a nurse and would bake this pie for my 99 year old grandmother who was diabetic."

Ingredients

Original recipe makes 1 pie

3 tablespoons cornstarch




1 tablespoon ground cinnamon




12 ounces unsweetened apple juice concentrate




6 cups thinly sliced apples




1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Whisk together the cornstarch, cinnamon and 1/4 of the apple juice.
3. In a saucepan over medium heat, simmer the apples in the remaining apple juice until tender. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir until thickened.
4. Pour into bottom crust and cover with top crust. Bake for 45 minutes.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/No-Sugar-Apple-Pie/Detail.aspx?evt19=1

How I Beat My Sugar Addiction

by tina@carrotsncake.com.

I’ve been meaning to write this post for awhile now since I finally feel in control of my sugar cravings. I guess you could say it’s been a long journey to kick my sugar habit once and for all. It definitely didn’t happen overnight. In fact, it took me a solid year and a half to truly overcome it.

If you look back at my old posts, the first time I shared my sugar “problem” was in December 2010. I had a rough few days of bingeing on desserts around the holidays, so I vowed right then and there to get it together. As I said in that post, if you don’t like something about yourself, change it, and that’s exactly what I did. I was sick of being controlled by sugar, so I set out to kick my habit for good.

Since then, I’ve slowly made changes to my diet—ones that I knew I could sustain for the long-term. Just like losing weight, conquering my sugar cravings was something I saw as a permanent lifestyle change, so I needed to figure out how to incorporate sweets into my life without overdoing it every time I ate them. I knew going cold turkey would never work because I love dessert so much and wouldn’t want to live without it. (Dessert brings me great joy!) Plus, I knew if I tried giving up sugar all together, I’d only crave it more and go nuts the next time I was faced with a plate of cookies.

I started my journey to conquer my sugar cravings by trying all of the tips you’ve probably heard before:

• Drink water.
• Get more sleep.
• Exercise.
• Brush your teeth.
• Reduce caffeine.
• Eliminate artificial sweeteners.
• Slow down and find “sweetness” in non-food ways.

All of these are great tips and many of them work well for others, but even after I tried most of these things, I still had a killer sweet tooth. I love to eat, and I love eating sweets even more, so my goal was to figure out what worked best for me. I had many ups and downs over the past 18 months, but, ultimately, here’s what worked for me:

Eating more “real” food.

I can’t stress this one enough. It was so important in helping me overcome my sugar addiction. It also encouraged me take a good, hard, honest look at the way I was eating and, ultimately, it helped me clean up my diet.

I realized that when I overdid it on sweets, I hadn’t eaten much “real” food. For me, this means something with substance—like meat, fish, eggs, beans, Greek yogurt, avocado, cheese, nut butter, etc. I also realized I was eating a ton of carbs and not enough protein and healthy fats. Sure, I was eating plenty of whole grains, fruits, veggies, and other nutritious foods, but I always wanted something more to eat, which meant I wasn’t fully satisfied and I’d go straight for the sweet stuff. When I started to increase the amount of “real” food in my diet, it was much easier to control my cravings.

If I craved something sweet after I finished eating a meal, I’d go back for a second (or even third) serving. Usually, it was just a small portion, but I figured if I was craving something more to eat, it should be something nutritious and not sugar. Once I felt full from the second serving, I rarely wanted dessert. And if I did, a bite or two (a piece of chocolate or a small handful of butterscotch chips) usually did the trick. I felt satisfied and in control of my cravings, so it wasn’t difficult to stop eating sweets once I started.

Getting the sweet stuff out of the house.

Surprisingly, getting the sweet stuff out of the house was kind of difficult for me. I mean, I love dessert. You’d think, it would be as simple as just don’t buy it, but I found myself buying bags of butterscotch chips and baking cookies randomly whenever the craving struck. Then, during a grocery shopping trip one week, I forgot to buy butterscotch chips.

Initially, I was bummed that I forgot to buy butterscotch chips, and I worried I wouldn’t able to make it through the week without something sweet in the house. I considered going back to the grocery store to buy some, but then it didn’t seem worth it to me. I was trying to kick my sugar habit, so why the heck would I make an effort to go buy sugar? I guess it finally clicked, and I stopped buying sweet treats for the house.

Not having this type of food in the house makes it so much easier to fill my diet with more nutritious foods, which brings me to what really helped me kick my sugar habit once and for all.

Filling my kitchen with my favorite healthy-sweet foods.

And I’m not just talking about bananas!

I fill my kitchen with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, mangos… you know, all of the expensive fruit that I love so much. I figure if I’m spending the money on these pricey fruits, I won’t let them go to waste and they’ll be the first thing I go for when a craving for something sweet strikes. (Sweet potatoes also fall into this same healthy-sweet category for me.)

Ok, you’re probably thinking: Fruit is not dessert. I totally agree, and I won’t tell you eating a bunch of strawberries is better than eating a Funfetti cake pop. Clearly, you can’t compare these two things within the same dessert category. But, I discovered if I paired fruit (or sweet potatoes) with a more “substantial” food, it often satisfied my sweet craving. My favorite combos: sliced banana with almond butter, fresh berries with Greek yogurt, Adora disks dipped into peanut butter, or fruit smoothies with protein powder mixed it. Additionally, sweet potato wedges + peanut butter is an amazingly satisfying sweet snack. For added sweetness, I’ll sometimes add cinnamon, shredded coconut, and/or raisins.

I still enjoy sweets—almost everyday, in fact—but the difference is I don’t need to have them. I can consciously make a decision whether I want to eat a sweet treat or not. Back in the day, I had zero control of my cravings and felt totally helpless around desserts— there was more than one occasion that I ate too many desserts and physically felt ill afterward. Once I started eating something sweet, I wanted more and more of it. Nowadays, I can enjoy one or two cookies and not eat the whole batch. There’s even been times that I’ve forgotten about baked goods or other delicious things in the house, which would have never happened 18 months ago. Let’s just say I’ve made great strides since December 2010!

If you’re trying to kick a sugar addiction, I hope you found this post helpful. Of course, I’m not a doctor or Registered Dietitian, but these things worked for me, so they might work for you, too!

http://carrotsncake.com/2012/06/how-i-beat-my-sugar-addiction.html

Should Schools Ban Energy Drinks?

Sales of energy drinks in the UK have doubled over the past six years, but a government advisor on school meals is warning about their effect on children.

John Vincent says not only do they affect concentration, but the mix of sugar and caffeine means they are, in effect, a drug.

One school in Manchester is so concerned about pupils drinking energy drinks, that they have banned them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-25805750

Fifteen Delicious Low-Sugar or Sugar-Free Cookies to Bake

Fifteen Delicious Low-Sugar or Sugar-Free Cookies to Bake  (many are gluten-free)

Fifteen low-sugar (or sugar-free) cookies to bake for the holidays, and many are gluten-free as well!

In more than eight years of food blogging I've probably tried about 50 different variations for low-sugar or sugar-free cookies, and yet only 15 cookie recipes have been posted on Kalyn's Kitchen.  That might be partly due to my poor baking skills, but it's also because I feel there's not much sense in making a low-sugar or sugar-free cookie if it doesn't really taste good.  Admittedly, nothing tastes quite like real sugar, which I'm sure is why so many people have a hard time avoiding it.  But these fifteen cookies are all delicious, and all of them can be made with either Stevia-in-the-Raw Granulated Sweetener or Splenda (or sugar, if you don't care about the whole low-sugar thing.)  Many of the cookies are also flourless, which makes them gluten-free as well.  Of course making a cookie that's low-calorie is another matter indeed, so use portion control when indulging if you're trying to avoid holiday weight gain!

Before I start talking about specific cookies, let me talk about why some cookies are labeled "low-sugar or sugar-free" in the recipe title.  In my experiments through the years with low-sugar baking, I've learned that whether you use Stevia-in-the-Raw Granulated Sweetener or Splenda as your primary sweetener, substituting just a few tablespoons of real brown sugar makes a big difference in the taste.  (Some of the cookies that say "Sugar-Free" were made before I discovered that, so I might use a little bit of brown sugar if I made them now.)  If you don't feel comfortable doing that for medical or dietary reasons, just use all Stevia or Splenda for sugar-free cookies.  Depending on how indulgent I was feeling that day, some of these cookies were made with butter, but I'm guessing you can substitute coconut oil or Smart Balance in any of them if you prefer.  (If anyone tries a slightly different variation on any of the cookies, please let us know in the comments on that recipe.  And please, use either Stevia, Splenda, or sugar, depending on your personal dietary needs or preferences, but no judgements about what sweeteners other people choose to use.  Those kinds of comments will not be published.)

First up, Flourless and Low-Sugar (or Sugar-Free) Chocolate Shortbread Cookiesthat are also gluten-free.  These cookies use butter and almond meal so they're definitely calorie-dense, but delicious!

The only Phase One cookie of the group is these Low-Sugar Coconut Almond Macaroon Cookies.   (Even though these are phase one, you still need to limit them to only a couple if you're actively trying to lose weight.)

Whole Grain Low-Sugar (or Sugar-Free) Chocolate Cookies with Pecans are a healthy cookie made with whole wheat flour.

These Sugar-Free and Gluten-Free Triple Almond Cookies have almond butter, almond meal, and chopped almonds in the cookies.

Low-Sugar and Whole Wheat Ranger Cookies with Pecans, Coconut, and Chocolateare a reduced-sugar version of this famous cookie.

 

If I had to choose a favorite cookie, it would probably be these Flourless Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cookies that are also gluten-free.

My first cookie success with coconut oil (instead of butter) was these Low-Sugar and Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cookies with Almonds and Coconut Oil.

These Flourless and (almost) Sugar-Free Cookies with Peanut Butter and Chocolateare also gluten-free.

Low-Sugar (or Sugar-Free) Almond Flour Snickerdoodle Cookies are also gluten-free.

This post has two versions of Sugar-Free and Flourless Chocolate Oatmeal Cluster Cookies.   Both versions are gluten-free, but the one with agave nectar is technically not 100% sugar-free.

These Sugar-Free and Gluten-Free Cookies with Almond and Flax-Seed Meal use trans-fat-free margarine instead of butter.

Low-Sugar and Whole Wheat Molasses Almond Cookies are another of my personal favorites.

Flourless and Sugar-Free Pistachio Cookies are also gluten-free.  This is a tiny cookie that's really fun for Christmas.

My most recent cookie experiment is these Low-Sugar and Flourless Chocolate Coconut Drops with Almonds, and these are gluten-free.

And finally, these Low-Sugar Cookies with Meringue and Pecans from 2006 are really good, although they could use use a new photo!

I hope those of you who are limiting your sugar at this very sugar-saturated time of year will enjoy trying one of my low-sugar or sugar-free cookie options!  And if you're a blogger who has made a successful cookie that's sugar-free or low in sugar, feel free to share those recipe links in the comments.

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/12/fifteen-low-sugar-or-sugar-free-cookies.html

How to Cut Down on Sugar

Tips for Eating Less Sugar

By Laura Dolson

There's no doubt about it: people, in general, are eating too much sugar - and yet we seem to be hooked on it (perhaps literally). Sugar in one of its many forms is added to almost every processed food - it's hard to find even a cracker or soup without sugar, let alone cereal, BBQ sauce, and canned fruit.

Is Sugar Worse than Other Carbs?

All carbohydrates (like potatoes, bread and pasta) break down into sugar in the body, but added sugars are arguably the worst carbohydrate sources. This is because starches break down mostly into glucose, whereas most sugars also have a substantial portion of fructose, which has problems of its own, along with glucose. (Note that too much glucose is also bad, it's just that fructose has what I call "it's own unique badness.")

How to Cut Down on Sugar

To cut down on something, you have to know where it is, and where your biggest "bang for the buck" will be.

1. Sugar-Sweeted Beverages - If you are drinking these, as most people are, this is probably the worst way to consume sugar, as liquid forms of sugar basically go directly into the bloodstream. Don't just think of soda - think coffee drinks, bottled lemonade, sports drinks, etc. More about the dangers of sugar-sweetened beverages, with suggestions of better things to drink.

2. Candy, Cookies, Cakes, Ice Cream, Pies, Doughnuts, Muffins, etc - These are the other obvious category of foods that contain lots of sugar. Surprised that muffins are on this list? Don't be - commercial muffins often have as much sugar as a comparably-sized piece of cake. If it seems too much to give these up, try to cut down on portions. The first few bites are usually the most rewarding anyway. Really focus on the enjoyment of those bites and you may be surprised how satisfied you are. Even better, have a square of really good dark chocolate, and savor every melting drop in your mouth. Or try recipes for sugar-free desserts, or have fruit, preferably fruits lowest in sugars.

3. Jams, jellies, preserves - These usually are almost pure sugar - in other words, a tablespoon of jam usually has about a tablespoon of sugar in it. Check out this Guide to Sugar-Free and Low-Sugar Jams and Preserves.

4. Condiments and salad dressings - It's sometimes shocking how much sugar is in barbecue sauce, salad dressings, and other marinades and condiments. Read labels carefully! Try to find sugar-free ketchup, as the regular kind has about a teaspoon of sugar for every tablespoon of ketchup. In the case of salad dressings, the low-fat dressings often have the most sugar. More about healthy salad dressings

5. Read, read, read those labels! Sugar is in so many things, from applesauce to pasta sauce. There's honey-roasted peanuts and honey-baked ham. Recently I found a loaf of bread where there were five different forms of sugar on the ingredient list.

More Tips

- Try cutting out sweet foods for a week or 10 days. This usually will help break our reliance on them. (If you are cutting out other carbs as well, check outGetting Through the First Week.)

- Have an assortment of sugar-free foods on hand (list of low-carb snacks).

- Have patience with yourself. It's natural to prefer sweet foods, but we have become conditioned to sweeter and sweeter foods over time (e.g. Corn Flakes have had more sugar added to them with each passing decade). Over time, we get used to foods that are less sweet, and come to prefer them.

- Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep is associated with insulin resistance, which makes it more difficult for the body to process carbohydrates.

What about "Natural" Sugars?

Don't get trapped by sugars advertised as "natural". Agave nectar, evaporated cane juice, rice syrup, barley malt, sorghum syrup, etc, are all refined from some plant or other and it all comes down to "sugar."

Dried fruit is very high in sugar (2 tablespoons of chopped dates contain a tablespoon of sugar). If you're trying to wean yourself away from sugar and you'd like to try dried fruit, experiment with small amounts and see how you react.

What About Sugar Substitutes?

This is something that each person has to decide on their own. Here are some of my thoughts:

- I think the intensity of sweetness in and of itself is worth the effort to wean ourselves away from, but sugar substitutes can be a "bridge" to doing that, as they don't raise blood sugar.

- If you want the most "natural" of sugar substitutes, try erythritol, xylitol, or stevia. However, be aware that these, too, are refined products.

- I personally don't think that artificial sweeteners are a problem for most people in moderation (some people react to one or another of them). Most of them are so sweet (hundreds of times sweeter than sugar) that only a very small amount is ingested. Certainly, and especially for people who's bodies don't tolerate sugar well, they are preferable to sugar, in my opinion. 

- On the hand, many sugar substitutes, especially powders, use sugar as a filler! I avoid these, preferring liquid forms of sucralose or one of the more "natural" products suggested above.

- Fresh whole foods are always preferable to foods with additives such as artificial sweeteners.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/How-To-Cut-Down-On-Sugar.htm

Action on Sugar Formed to Tackle Obesity and Diabetes

In response to news that a group has been formed to campaign on the reduction of sugar consumption,  Barbara Young, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said:

“We fully support any efforts to raise awareness that many foods contain more sugar than people might realise and to call on the food industry to reduce added sugar in our food and drink; this could make a real difference in helping tackle the obesity epidemic that is fuelling rates of Type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions.

“But it is important to be clear that we want to reduce sugar consumption because having too much can easily lead to weight gain, as is true with foods high in fat. So reducing the amount of sugar in our diets is not all that we need to do to reduce our risk of Type 2 diabetes.

"The evidence that sugar has a specific further role in causing Type 2 diabetes, other than by increasing our weight, is not clear. We look forward to the conclusions of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, which is due to report this year.”

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_us/News_Landing_Page/Action-on-sugar-formed-to-tackle-obesity-and-diabetes-/

Campaigners Vow to Cut Sugar in Food

A campaign group has been formed to reduce the amount of sugar added to food and soft drinks in an effort to tackle obesity and diabetes in the UK.

Action on Sugar has been set up by the team behind Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash), which has pushed for cuts to salt intake since the 1990s.

The new group aims to help people avoid "hidden sugars" and get manufacturers to reduce the ingredient over time.

It believes a 20% to 30% reduction in three to five years is within reach.

Like Cash, Action on Sugar will set targets for the food industry to add less sugar bit by bit so that consumers do not notice the difference in taste.

Well-known food and drink products and their sugar content:

• Starbucks caramel frappuccino with whipped cream with skimmed milk (tall): 273kcal; 11 teaspoons of sugar
• Coca Cola Original (330ml): 139kcal; 9 teaspoons of sugar
• Muller Crunch Corner Strawberry Shortcake Yogurt (135g):212kcal; 6 teaspoons of sugar
• Yeo Valley Family Farm 0% Fat Vanilla Yogurt (150g): 120kcal; 5 teaspoons of sugar
• Kellogg's Frosties with semi-skimmed milk (30g): 4 teaspoons of sugar
• Glaceau Vitamin Water, Defence (500ml): 4 teaspoons of sugar
• Heinz Classic Tomato Soup (300g): 171kcals; 4 teaspoons of sugar
• Ragu Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce (200g): 80kcals; 3 teaspoons of sugar
• Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Crunchy Oat Granola Cinnamon Bars (40g):186kcal; 2 teaspoons of sugar
• Heinz Tomato Ketchup (15ml): 18kcal; 1 teaspoon of sugar

Source: Action on Sugar

Continue reading the main story

It says the reduction could reverse or halt the obesity epidemic and would have a significant impact in reducing chronic disease in a way that "is practical, will work and will cost very little".

'Completely unnecessary'

The group listed flavoured water, sports drinks, yoghurts, ketchup, ready meals and even bread as just a few everyday foods that contain large amounts of sugar.

A favourite tactic of Cash has been to name and shame products with large quantities of salt.

Action on Sugar chairman Graham MacGregor, who is professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine and set up Cash in 1996, said: "We must now tackle the obesity epidemic both in the UK and worldwide.

"This is a simple plan which gives a level playing field to the food industry, and must be adopted by the Department of Health to reduce the completely unnecessary and very large amounts of sugar the food and soft drink industry is currently adding to our foods."

Dr Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist and science director of Action on Sugar, said: "Added sugar has no nutritional value whatsoever and causes no feeling of satiety.

The size of some of the cups Coca-cola is sold in "need to come down" says president of Coca-cola Europe James Quincey

"Aside from being a major cause of obesity, there is increasing evidence that added sugar increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and fatty liver."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25650352

Some brands of orange juice contain as much sugar as cola

Fruit juice 'shouldn't count in your 5 a day': 

Some brands have more sugar than cola says obesity tsar

• Dr Susan Jebb said public should wean themselves off certain products
• Some brands of orange juice contain as much sugar as cola
• Oxford professor claims they should be taxed for impacting health
• Even pure fruit juice is said to contain naturally-occurring sugar 

Unhealthy: Some pure fruit juices are even said to contain naturally-occurring sugars

Fruit juice is so high in sugar it should not count as part of a healthy five-a-day diet, the Government’s obesity tsar has warned.

The public should even start watering it down to wean themselves off it, said Oxford professor Dr Susan Jebb.

Some brands of orange juice contain as much sugar as cola and should be taxed because of their potential effect on the nation’s health, she claimed.

Experts say shoppers are now getting confusing messages about food, with a huge range of products saying they count towards a five-a-day diet. 

Tinned fruit, children’s drinks and even spaghetti hoops are all claiming health benefits – even though they are said to contain potentially unhealthy levels of sugar and salt.

Juice drinks have been singled out as a particular concern – lacking fibre and other nutrients as well as being high in calories. Even pure fruit juice is said to contain a large amount of naturally-occurring sugar – but people end up drinking too much of it because they do not see it as unhealthy.

Dr Jebb, a professor of diet and population health at Oxford University, said: ‘I would support taking it [fruit juice] out of the five-a-day guidance.

By SOPHIE BORLAND

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2538328/Fruit-juice-shouldnt-count-5-day-Some-brands-sugar-cola-says-obesity-tsar.html#ixzz2qGxQNKrs