sugar alternatives

[ex_midnightmo297]

 So it looks like I am making the first post on this community. I hope it picks up soon though because nutrition is a really interesting subject, if you ask me!

So, I need some advice. I like to have porridge in the morning and I always add a sprinkle of ground cinnamon but I need a bit more sweetness. I try not to add sugar because of the empty calories involved and also because sugar increases my appetite. I have been having sweetener but with the link it has to bowel cancer (albeit only in rats to date) I am growing increasingly wary of using it. My grandmother and great-grandmother both died of bowel cancer. So, yeah. Trying to be healthy!

What other sweet alternatives are there to have in porridge? I don't really want to use honey or anything that spikes my blood sugar. But porridge is so BLAND on its own, particularly if made with water instead of milk!

I have been using a fruit sugar, which has a much lower GI than normal sugar and a lot less goes a lot further, and it tastes nice but its expensive to buy here in the UK.

Comments

[rydra_wong]

You could try a little bit of maple syrup. It has a moderate GI, so it shouldn't spike your blood sugar as much.

Or you could try some chopped up fresh or dried fruit. And adding nuts and seeds can be a good way to get more texture: flaked almonds could be good with fruit and cinammon.

Personally, I'm wary of pure fructose -- there's some research suggesting that it's not good for us in big doses (hence all the concern about high-fructose corn syrup in the US).

[ex_midnightmo297]

Thanks. Yesterday I had porridge with a chopped banana and cinnamon and it wasnt too bad, so I may go with that. I think I am going to try to cut out as much sugar as I can so no sweetner or sugar in any pure forms. Ive been struggling with my diet the last couple of weeks and I am wondering if its related to the fruit sugar because its only this duration I have been having it. I will try to keep fruit to a minimum too, although I think it does have other nutritional benefits that outweigh its natural sugar content I think its sensible to limit the amount. I do munch on almonds (natural whole) so I may try adding those into the porridge too.

[cathepsut]

Hi there, just surfing by... :-)
Do you add salt to your porridge? That helps with the blandness. I know you want it sweeter, but it makes the taste better with a little salt.

I sometimes add a little pear syrup (health food shop). I don't really know if that is any healthier than sugar though.

Why no milk?