Need a hint of sweetness?
Healthier choice
Opting for maple products over other sweeteners may be the
Maple syrup: The smarter sweetner
As many Americans seek to limit the amount of added sugar in their diets, opting for maple syrup and maple sugar over other sweeteners may be the savvy choice.
All natural sweetners should be consumed in moderation, but if you need a hint of sweetness, why not reach for a sweetner that is kinder to your blood sugar levels and also contains antioxidants, vitamins, minerals?
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Maple syrup might very well be the best low glycemic sweetener. The glycemic index (GI) value, which ranges from 0 - 100, is used to measure how much specific foods increase blood sugar levels. Foods are classified as low, medium, or high glycemic foods and ranked on a scale of 0–100. The lower the GI of a specific food, the less it may affect your blood sugar levels. The GI of 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup is 55, putting it on the threshold of being a low glycemic food. (The American Diabetes Associates classifies low GI foods as those which are 55 or less.)
Glycemic Index
Typically, the darker the syrup, the more antioxidants it contains.
Antioxidants
Studies have shown that 100% pure maple syrup is packed with antioxidants called polyphenols, over 60 different ones, nine of which are unique to maple syrup. The polyphenol, Quebecol, is naturally produced when sap is boiled to become maple syrup.
Vitamins & Minerals
20.5% of your daily requirement of zinc, which is an antioxidant and beneficial to your heart health. Zinc is also involved in important bodily functions, such as cellular growth and regeneration.
Maple Water – A pasteurized version of maple sap, this is the liquid that comes straight out of the tree. To preserve the sap water from fermenting and spoiling, it can be boiled for a few minutes, filtered, cooled and refrigerated. Maple water should be consumed within a few days of boiling it or can be frozen in smaller portions and thawed when desired. Maple water has some sugar content (about 5 grams per cup) and a slight maple flavor while containing most of the nutritional values of maple syrup including trace minerals important for human health.
Per 100 grams, maple syrup and table sugar contain....
Maple Syrup – Is the product of boiling and condensing maple sap into a more viscous liquid. It is easily digestible and helps to maintain more stable blood sugar levels. Real maple syrup is known for being a topping on pancakes, but it can be used in many dishes, drinks, and baked goods as a substitute for sugar. For every cup of sugar, substitute ¾ cup of maple syrup and reduce the liquids in the recipe by three tablespoons.
Maple Sugar – A granulated product made from pure maple syrup by heating and boiling the liquid until all the water is removed. Once it has been cooled and stirred, a crystallized sugar remains that contains the same trace minerals found in maple syrup. This sugar can be substituted for granulated sugar, using ½ of a cup of maple sugar for every cup of sugar.
Maple Cream – Can be produced by cooling and churning maple syrup into a creamy spread that can be used as a substitute for butter or cream cheese. It is a wonderful addition to your toast, waffles, or bagels. You can combine it with nuts and add it to other recipes or made into a frosting when combined with butter. Maple cream needs to be refrigerated since it will convert to a liquid above 50 degrees. If your maple syrup liquified, just stir and refrigerate to restore the thickness.
Maple Candy – Is a candy that is produced by heating maple syrup and pouring it into candy molds. It is similar to fudge and can be combined with chopped nuts or other ingredients.
Maple Cream Soda – A unique, refreshing carbonated beverage can be made with all-natural maple syrup and organic cane sugar. Maple cream soda is often enjoyed over ice, in a frosted mug with ice cream or as a mixer in various cocktails.
Maple Cotton Candy – Maple cotton candy is made by spinning spun maple sugar. In the old days, maple cotton candy was referred to as “spun sugar.” For those that are making an effort to reduce their overall calorie intake, maple cotton candy makes for a great dessert or reward since it uses all-natural, maple sugar, and has a sweet taste that everyone is sure to love
Information gleaned from information found at http://www.internationalmaplesyrupinstitute.com/