Sugar substitutes

[Tengu]

Dad has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and is being extra careful with his eating.

I like to make my own cakes and preserves, the cakes not a worry, but are there any low sugar jam and bottling recipes about?

Come to think of it, nearly all preserving involves salt or sugar....

But the milk puddings are a hit. only a small amount of sugar needed, we add spice and dried fruit.

I got him some tapicoa and macaroni, and we have it many days.

reducing the sugar on semolina doesnt work out well, though.

 

[locum76]

hi tengu.

have you heard of jaggery?

it is a very unrefined indian sugar beet product which contains all of the minerals present in raw sugar beet.

Gandhi recommended it as part of his 'goat milk diet' because of its healing properties. It has also been linked with a reduction in cancer rates from exposure to coal smoke.

I'm not sure if that would be a good sweetener for your dad but I had heard that unrefined sugars were acceptable in a diabetic diet.

I hope that helps.

Rob

 

[sam_acw]

Are fructose type sugars any better?
Other methods of preserving to consider could be with alcohol or oil.
Maybe adding more pectin could mean less sugar in jam recipies - does tend to go mouldy more easily with less sugar though.

 

[Celt_Ginger]

hi tengu.

have you heard of jaggery?

it is a very unrefined indian sugar beet product which contains all of the minerals present in raw sugar beet.

Gandhi recommended it as part of his 'goat milk diet' because of its healing properties. It has also been linked with a reduction in cancer rates from exposure to coal smoke.

I'm not sure if that would be a good sweetener for your dad but I had heard that unrefined sugars were acceptable in a diabetic diet.

I hope that helps.

Rob

I'm not sure that is correct. Talk to a nutritionalist first.

 

[Barney]

Tengu you say cakes not a worry, The modern view, from the dietician that i spoke to last year is that anything in moderation is ok. There is no "diabetic" diet like there used to be with Diabetic Jam , chocolate etc.

From my own research I have found that the very latest thinking is that all refined carbohydrates should be controlled to some extent, Flour , potatoes, rice or any product that contains the above in any quantity. Carbs should be consumed as unrefined as possible, beans and pulses, whole grains brown rice wholewheat pasta - a generally healthy diet.

I know you like a read so I have included a couple of web pages that I found interesting and helpful.
http://diabetes.org.uk/
http://www.carbs-information.com/glycemic-load.htm#food
http://www.nutristrategy.com/activitylist.htm

should give you a taster of the kinda things that are out there relating to diabetes.

 

[Barney]

nay bother,

The best sugar substitute for cooking and baking Is one named Splenda, usually in a yellow container. its the most expensive of the substitutes but replaces sugar "like for like" in cakes etc.