You guys probably know by now that we’re not huge fans of fructose-filled agave, honey and dates.
But we often get asked about other bizarre-sounding sugar alternatives out there. From Norbu to Lucuma, here’s our verdict on the never-ending version of the sweet stuff.
Before we continue, a quick caveat: Science suggests that ALL sweeteners – fake, “natural” and non-sugar derived – pose a health issue. The “sweet taste” can trigger blood sugar swings, cause issues with the reward centre of the brain, and create addiction issues. Scary warning is now over!
1. Mesquite.
Mesquite trees have been used by natives in North America, Asia, Africa and Australia for hundreds of years.
Their branches were used as firewood, the canopy as shelter, and it’s wood to smoke and grill meat. Mesquite pods were also dried and grounded to create a sweetener that they would bake into rice cakes for the men to take when hunting – a perfect blast of carbs.
Its sweet, nutty, and cinnamon-like taste has made it a fan favourite in the health world lately.
Our verdict?
While this ancient sweetener makes us happy with its sustainability and JERF qualities, we aren’t at all thrilled with its high fructose levels. Steer clear.
2. Norbu.
Norbu is a sweetener made from monk fruit, a melon-like fruit traditionally grown in central Asia.
Norbu is apparently 200 times sweeter than normal sugar, so you need to use less of it (not to mention the claim that it has 97 per cent fewer calories).
Our verdict?
While Norbu claims to be fructose-free (thanks to only extracting certain parts of the monk fruit) it’s use of erythritol has us recommending you just stick to stevia and rice malt syrup if you can.
3. Lakanto.
Looks like there’s another monk fruit-derived sweetener on the block.
It is made of both monk fruit derivatives and erythritol, just like Norbu. The only difference is that Lakanto can be used as a 1-to-1 swap in place of normal sugar.
Our verdict?
Pretty much the same as with Norbu: fructose-free is good and erythritol is okay, but we still recommend stevia and rice malt syrup.
4. Lucuma.
Lucuma sugar is a natural sweetener made from the Peruvian lucuma fruit and was used frequently by the ancient Incans.
It’s rich, sweet, maple flavour has made it a favourite throughout South America and its popularity is now sweeping the rest of the world.
Our verdict?
In addition to being a bit too high in the fructose department for our liking, Lucuma comes at a 2:1 ratio when swapping it with sugar.
And even then, because it is more of a powder than a fine granulated sugar, it’s not as easy (nor as fructose-free) as stevia.
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