Since we’re starting a new school year, which to me is a lot like setting New Year’s resolutions, I vowed to create healthier meals and snacks for my kids and eliminate some refined sugars and preservatives. One of the scariest sweeteners in kids’ foods today is corn syrup (otherwise known as High-fructose corn syrup).
Studies are now linking consistent use of this sweetener to higher rates of diabetes and also cancer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-fructose_corn_syrup
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/08/corn_syrup.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/idAFN0210830520100802
So get shop-savy and start reading labels at the grocery store. You would be amazed to read that even some spaghetti sauces have corn syrup! Avoid products that use corn syrup or HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup) as a sweetener and instead choose products sweetened naturally with fruit juice or honey.
When baking, you can substitute Sucanat (evaporated cane juice) for brown sugar; or try a whole host of other natural sweeteners like brown rice syrup, Agave nectar (a raw product, very much like honey), maple syrup, molasses, date sugar and so on.If you're looking for a calorie-free sweetener, Xylitol and Stevia are natural and safe.
You can find them at most grocery stores and health food stores.
Best Health,
Julie
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