As I grow older, I continue to look for healthy alternatives to sugary, fatty
foods. Though I grew up with a diabetic brother, which required our family to
eat healthier meals, when I left home, I rebelled against the salt-free, sugar-free
diet and consumed as much junk as I could & that is, until my body let
me know that it simply wasn't happy with this unhealthy change. Unfortunately,
since my taste buds found the junk as a pleasant surprise, I began to struggle
with how to eat tasty meals that were also healthy. One way I've been able
to accomplish this goal is by sweetening many of my meals with pure maple syrup
instead of sugar.
Pure maple syrup, not to be confused with pancake syrup, is very healthy
and made entirely of the sap of northern sugar maple trees. It is
typically gathered from the trees in early spring then boiled over
wood fires to steam away the water. The sap has a high concentration
of natural, healthy sugar, and is just as sweet as, if not sweeter
than, cane sugars. It contains no preservatives whatsoever and can
be left untouched and without refrigeration for about a year before
its quality should be questioned.
There are four grades of pure maple syrup and they all taste great. USDA Grade
A light, medium and dark amber are the natural alternative to table pancake
syrups, while USDA Grade B is darker and stronger, more often used in cooking,
though I use it similarly as a pancake syrup. The differences I've found
between the different grades are their densities; the light-colored syrups are
lighter in flavor; the darker they get, the denser they are.
My preference in using pure maple syrup is for pancakes, however, I
have used it for a variety of meals, including adding a few tablespoons
to my spaghetti and barbeque sauce for flavor, using it in my tea
instead of the "after-tasting" honey, adding some to my
carrots and other vegetables to make them a little sweeter, and
even making lemonade with it (believe it or not, it tastes incredible!).
With all of the great qualities pure maple syrup has to offer, one might wonder
why more people don't use it as a healthy alternative to sugar. Cost may
be one reason. Though it is not terribly expensive, it can be a bit pricier
than sugar, costing anywhere from $4 - $8 for eight fluid ounces. Another reason
is that it may not be as user friendly as sugar. It wouldn't be a good
option to add to breakfast cereal in most cases and can't be used as an
alternative in cakes. But for the dishes it can be used in, it is a fabulous
choice.
So if adopting a healthier lifestyle is something you have been looking to
do, then I would recommend buying a bottle of pure maple syrup and trying it
with your pancakes instead of one of the cheaper pancake syrups. You never know,
you might like the flavor so much that you'll want to try it with other
dishes and slowly remove cane sugar from your diet. What do you have to lose?
