We all have daily habits that keep our routines in check. The one thing shared by most Indians is starting their day with chai. We have to admit, there is nothing quite satisfying like a good cup of tea. But at the same time, the among of sugar that goes into a single cup of chai can be quite harmful too! 

Now, imagine how many cups we go through in one day and all the refined sugar we consume. Don’t worry, this is not that type of a blog, we are not telling you to leave chai, biscuit, cakes or anything sweet! But here are 5 alternatives for table sugar that you can use as sweeteners in your daily beverages-

1. Stevia

A natural sweetener derived from the leaves of the shrub Stevia rebaudiana, Stevia contains no calories and is up to 450 times sweeter than sugar. This sweetener can be extracted from one of two compounds called glycosides — stevioside and rebaudioside A.

Replacing sugar with stevia can lower the risk of obesity, cardiovascular diseases and liver problems. It can also help reduce blood sugar levels!

2. Dates

This one is a favourite for many people! Dates are dried fruits from the palm tree and they are sweet, chewy and hence a  great alternative for table sugar!

You can make date syrup and use it every day as a sweetener. Dates are also a good source of potassium, magnesium and vitamin B6. This is also commonly used in diet-baking. Furthermore, you can blend them to flavour homemade nut milk and smoothies!

3. Erythritol

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol found naturally in certain fruits and made available for use by processing it. Its taste is very much like sugar except for a hint of aftertaste. 

Erythritol doesn’t spike your blood sugar or insulin levels, nor does it affect levels of blood fats like cholesterol or triglycerides. It’s absorbed into your body from your intestines, but it’s eventually excreted from your urine unchanged. Hence, it’s a great sugar alternative!

4. Jaggery

Gur or jaggery is one of the oldest sugar alternatives in India! Jaggery is made from boiling sugarcane till it hardens and then blocked. It is inexpensive and easily available!

Gur also has many other nutrients including Iron, calcium and fibre. You can grate it or make jaggery syrup for everyday use!

 

5. Raw honey

What is raw honey? The honey that exists in the beehive! The original unheated, unpasteurised sweet liquid is not harmful to your health at all and can be used as a daily sweetener.

While all these options are almost equally beneficial, you should always keep switching your sweetener to maintain a healthy balance. Have a sweet time!