Alternatives to sugar #1: Mesquite

Hi guys,

Before we begin we want you all to know that while very interested in nutrition we are not qualified nutritionists so, as with all of our food posts, we would advise you to research thoroughly and consult your health practitioner before making any changes to your diet.


Welcome to the first of our installments discussing alternatives to sugar! We all know that it's not the best thing for us; it rates at 100 on the Glycemic Index which means that it will elevate your blood sugar levels quickly, and this stimulates insulin production in the pancreas (which is the body's way of reducing blood sugar levels).

Everyone knows that sugar isn't our best friend, it can cause insulin resistance, can lead to weight gain as well as a whole host of other things. For an informative read about the effects of sugar on your health take a look at this post over at Mark's Daily Apple.

As you might know we are sugar free, Em has type 2 diabetes and L and I decided to cut sugar out entirely in support of her health and ours. It occurred to us the other day that it has taken a long while to amass the information that we've stumbled across, so we thought that we'd dedicate one post to each of the options that we've found. We don't use sweeteners everyday, but when we do we have a number of options to choose from and we'd really like to share them with you :)

If any of you know of any sweeteners that are suitable for diabetics and/or sweeteners that you use as an alternative to sugar please let us know in the comments.

Mesquite Powder

Ranking at approximately 25, on the Glycemic Index, this powder is officially Low GI and high in protein. It is also a good source of lysine, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc and fibre.
It's made by grinding mesquite pods, legumes, which are native to Southwest America and Mexico.

Image borrowed from http://www.detoxyourworld.com/

In addition to it's nutritonal value, mesquite also acts as a flavour enhancer. It can be used in raw and cooked meals, and is suited to both sweet and savoury dishes when mixed with the right spices.
On top of that it can be used as a flour replacement (up to 35% of the flour required can be substituted with mesquite, we've mixed it with almond flour, coconut flour, rice flour and gram flour each with good results).

Some people say it tastes like a cross between carob and caramel, some say it's smoky and sweet, we say it's malty and not overly sweet. Because of this it lends itself to all sorts of spice mixes. One of our favourites is a paprika, salt and mesquite combo, it sounds simple but makes a delicious marinade for both raw and cooked dishes.

The sweetness in mesquite is a result of fructose, which  is metabolised in the liver and therefore does not require insulin for metabolism. A number of sites have mentioned that it can stabilise blood sugar levels but we can't find any reference for that finding, however the fact that it is low GI and is high in fibre means that it is digested slowly which may well prevent spikes in blood sugar. Anecdotally speaking, em has had no trouble with mesquite, but we do combine it with other high fibre and/or high protein foods.

In addition to this, the marketing of mesquite products provide an economical and environmental sustainable alternative to deforestation. It's an all round feel good sweetener!

Mesquite powder can be bought from Detox your world (100g upwards from £2.75 + p&p), Raw living ( 250g upwards from £4.61 + p&p), Vivapure (500g upwards from £9.95 + p&p), and The fresh network (100g upwards from £2.45 +p&p).
If anyone knows of any U.S. suppliers please let us know!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
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