Sugar Substitutes: Why Date Powder is Our New Fav Sweetener

Are you trying to reduce your sugar intake? Us too. Whether you want to drop a few pounds or reduce your risk of heart disease/diabetes, going sugar-free or at least swapping the refined stuff for sugar substitutes like honey or monk fruit can have major health benefits. But not all natural sweeteners are created equal. Some are super-high in calories. Others have strange after-tastes or will send your blood sugar levels through the roof (not cool). When it comes to sugar substitutes, we’re big fans of date powder. Made of dates that have been sorted, pitted, and ground into a finely milled flour, a little goes a long way in providing a hint of sweetness to recipes and products. We love date powder so much that we’ve made it a star ingredient in our NEW No Added Sugar Granola. Here, we’ve blended the fine powder in with the oats to craft a better-for-you version of the lightly sweetened, crunchy granola clusters you know and love. No Added Sugar Granola is available in Mixed Berry and Vanilla Almond Butter flavors for your breakfast and snacking enjoyment. Want to know why date powder is our number one choice among sugar alternatives? Read on:

Nutrient-Rich

Date powder is relatively unprocessed when compared to other sweeteners. That means when you nosh on a date powder-sweetened food, you’re downing many of the nutrients and vitamins present in whole dates (read: Vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and copper).

High in Fibre

There’s a reason why dates are a go-to for those who want to stay “regular.” The fruits are high in fiber, which is fantastic for digestive health. The fiber content also makes dates a low-glycemic food, helping to slow digestion and preventing blood sugar spikes after consuming a meal. This is in contrast to other sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and agave syrup which have higher glycemic indexes and contain lower amounts of fiber.

Fantastic Source of Antioxidants

We read a lot about antioxidants these days. But what are they? Essentially, they’re molecules that help to slow the damage that free radicals cause to the cells in our bodies. And dates have been found to have the highest amount of antioxidants when “pitted” against other similar fruits such as figs and dried plums, and also when compared to other sugar substitutes such as honey and maple syrup. Studies have shown that date powder may contain several antioxidants, including carotenoids, which can promote heart health, polyphenols, which can help manage blood pressure, and sterols, which can help reduce cholesterol.

Super-Versatile

As one of the most amazing sugar substitutes, date powder can be added to batter when making baked goods, to blended drinks such as smoothies, and as a topping on yogurt. When following a recipe, simply swap date powder for refined white and brown sugar using a 1 to 1 ratio.

Superior Taste

We get it—you’ve tried other sugar substitutes like Stevia and you’re not loving the aftertaste. Well, date powder has a superior taste and mouthfeel when compared to sugar alternatives. Give it a try and see for yourself. Ready to make a date with date powder? Grab a bag of our NEW No Added Sugar Granola today. It’s available in Mixed Berry flavor, which boasts 100% organic dried blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries, and Vanilla Almond Butter flavor made with vanilla, sea salt, and almond. The granola tastes great on its own, over yogurt or cereal-style with milk. Oh, and did we mention it comes in a convenient pouch format that keeps the granola fresh long after you first open it?

Discover more about our No Added Sugar Granola in the LINK HERE today!