This month at Amazin’ Graze, we have been focusing on the perception of food and the on-going ‘good vs. bad’ battle. We looked at the common misconceptions behind gluten and learnt more about the benefits of wholefoods. Now let’s move onto to the sweet life…
Image: Healthy Life
In Malaysia, we love our sweets and like many countries in the world, the new flavour of frappuccino seems to break the Internet. But here lies the problem. So much of what is available to us is packed with refined sugar.
Refined sugar is basically sugar that has been so processed that what’s left has little to no essential nutrients and is a pure carbohydrate. Consuming excess refined sugar can have harmful affects on your liver and heart and being addictive, can lead to obesity.
Image: Bon Appetit
Amazin’ Graze is all about using nature’s gifts to sweeten our goods. Maple syrup, molasses, honey and rice malt syrup all come from natural, plant sources. And while we should still consume these wholefoods in moderation, it is certainly better for us than the alternative.
Here is a deeper look into what makes our products naturally sweet and delicious…
Raw Honey
Packed with vitamins, antioxidants, iron, calcium and zinc, raw honey also has antibacterial and antifungal properties. While it does have more calories than sugar, because it’s sweeter, you only need a little amount. Honey is fat free, cholesterol free and sodium free, making it a true super food. According to the Penn State College of Medicine, honey also reduced night time coughing and improved sleep quality in children.
When shopping for honey, make sure you choose one dark in colour. Once honey has been pasteurized, it can lose some of its health benefits.
We use honey in our best selling granolas. Click here to shop.
Maple Syrup
Native to North America (hence the maple leaf Canadian flag), maple syrup comes from maple tree sap. As well as iron, calcium, zinc, manganese and potassium, maple syrup contains antioxidants with anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Similar to honey, the darker in colour, the more nutritious the maple syrup will be. It has lower GI than sugar, meaning it’s less likely to cause dramatic spikes and drops in your blood sugar.
We use maple syrup in our moreish nut ranges. Click here to shop.
Image: Em Powher
Molasses
Molasses is one of the most beneficial sweeteners with a good source of iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium and given it’s sweeter than sugar; you don’t need to use a lot of it. Molasses is a bi-product of the sugar cane or sugar beet production. You might also know molasses as ‘black treacle’.
We use molasses in our cookie ranges. Click here to shop.
Image: Blox image
Rice Malt Syrup
Rice malt syrup is a gluten and wheat free result from boiling down brown rice. This process breaks down the starch and results in a very sticky, sweet butterscotch flavored natural sweetener. Rice malt syrup is also fructose free meaning it’s a good alterative for those with IBS. This sweetener does have a higher GI than others however so best to consume in small amounts.
We use rice malt syrup in our delicious range of clusters. Click here to shop.
Image: Bakery Production
The Bottom Line
While natural sweeteners are certainly a better option than refined sugars, they should still be consumed in moderation for a healthy, balanced life. If you would like to know more information then get in touch with us! We would be more than happy to talk you through the nutritional value for each of our products.
Stay tuned! We are currently working on new and exciting products that include more natural sweeteners such as, coconut sugar, agave and stevia.