REDUCED CALORIE SWEETENER
In my quest to discover all sweeteners in stores across the U.S., I found two groups that offer a middle ground between full-sugar and zero-calorie sweeteners: Sugar Blends and Low-Digestible Carbohydrates. Sugar blends are not sugar-free, while low-digestible sweeteners are. If you want a gentler transition and not a drastic switch, these are for you.
WHAT DOES "REDUCED-CALORIE" MEAN?
By law, a sweetener can be labeled as reduced calorie, fewer calories, or lower in calories if it provides a minimum of 25% fewer calories per serving than sugar.
Since sugar is a simple carbohydrate with 4 calories per gram, reduced-calorie sweeteners must contain no more than 3 calories per gram. In practical terms, that’s less than 12 calories per teaspoon compared to sugar’s 16 calories per teaspoon.
What are the advantages of reduced-calorie sweeteners?
They're perfect for cutting back on sugar while keeping sugar-like texture in your recipes. All reduced-calorie sweeteners offer bulk, meaning they add weight and volume to foods, impacting mouthfeel and texture, as regular sugar does. It's for those who look for a middle ground between full-sugar and zero-calorie sweeteners.
How sweet are reduced-calorie sweeteners?
Unlike high-intensity sweeteners, their sweetness varies from very mild — just ¼ of sugar’s sweetness — to the same level as sugar.
Do reduced-calorie sweeteners contain sugar?
Some contain sugar, while others do not. To make things simple, I’ve divided reduced-calorie sweeteners into two groups:
-
Sugar Blends – These contain sugar as the main ingredient.
-
Low-Digestible Sweeteners – These are sugar-free.
As shown in the image below, sweetener labels often include claims regarding sugar content. Here are some common terms and what they legally mean:
-
Reduced Sugar or Less Sugar – Must contain at least 25% less sugars per serving compared to table sugar. [Low Sugar is not defined or allowed as a claim on food labels.]
-
Sugar Free or No Sugar – Must contain less than 0.5 g of sugar per serving.
REDUCED-CALORIE BUT NOT SUGAR-FREE
WHAT IS A SUGAR BLEND?
Sugar Blends are not sugar-free but have less sugar than the sweetener they replace. For example, a coconut sugar blend has less sugar because it contains monk fruit, which is a high-intensity sweetener. Another example, if you like to drizzle table syrups over your pancake, you can buy "lite" versions of them, which fall into this same category.
What are the advantages of Sugar Blends?
The advantage of these blends is that they maintain (almost) the same role of the sugar or syrup they replace, but with 50 to 75% fewer calories. You can reduce calories without losing the familiar taste and feel of traditional recipes. They offer a great way to reduce sugar without sacrificing bulk, functionality, and browning in baking recipes.
What are Sugar Blends made of?
Sugar blends are often blends of two types of sweeteners:
✔ The main ingredient is a sugar — like white sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar— or a syrup like honey or corn syrups.
✔ The second ingredient is a high-intensity sweetener.
How sweet are Sugar Blends?
Most are two times as sweet as table sugar or the syrup they replace, i.e., half teaspoon of these blends is equal to one tsp of table sugar (or the syrup it replaces).
REDUCED-CALORIE & SUGAR-FREE
WHAT IS A LOW-DIGESTIBLE SWEETENER?
Low-digestible sweeteners are mildly sweet carbohydrates that are digested slowly, partially, or not al all. It includes polyols, rare sugars, and soluble fibers.
How sweet are low-digestible sweeteners?
Most of these carbohydrates are naturally less sweet than sugar and so, manufacturers often blend them with high-intensity sweeteners such as stevia, monk fruit, or sucralose.
What happens to low-digestible sweeteners in the body?
Low-digestible sweeteners provide fewer calories than table sugar because of how our bodies process them.
-
Absorption in the Small Intestine:
They're either incompletely absorbed or not absorbed at all in the small intestine.
-
Metabolism:
Some of these sweeteners are slowly digested, while others undergo partial digestion. A few, like allulose and erythritol, are minimally or not at all metabolized—though a small portion may pass intact into the large intestine.
-
Fermentation in the large intestine:
The portion that is not digested by gut enzymes reaches the large intestine, where it may be fermented by the microbiota (healthy bacteria in the gut). This fermentation has both drawbacks and benefits. These sweeteners can cause digestive discomfort such as bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea. However, they may also act as prebiotics, by stimulating the growth and activity of gut microbes, or as a fiber by improving bowel function.
What are the advantages of a low-digestible sweetener?
-
Sweet taste – Provides sweetness with fewer calories than sugar
-
Lower in calories – Offers reduced caloric intake compared to sugar
-
Bulking properties – Adds texture and volume, useful in baking
-
Digestive health benefits – Acts as fiber or a prebiotic.
Disadvantages of Low-Digestible Sweeteners?
Excess consumption may cause adverse gastrointestinal effects. Individual tolerance varies – some people are more sensitive to these sweeteners than others.
PICK YOUR REDUCED-CALORIE SWEETENER
Brands and Products
Jump straight to what you would like to explore by clicking below:
