Sweet Ingredients

You've already seen that xylitol isn't as healthy as it's claimed to be. Neither are the other sugar alcohols, like sorbitol, mannitol and the rest of the "-tol's".

Artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, splenda, acesulfame-K and saccharin are across the board even worse.

You've been warned that genetically engineered sugar is on it's way to the grocery store shelves.

So what do you do when you want something sweet?

Look for these ingredients:

Stevia. You won't find this as an ingredient in a food item in the U.S., but you may find it in a tea or other product classified as a nutritional supplement. You can buy it in a dark liquid, clear liquid or powder. Make sure it's the Paraguayan variety, not the Chinese.

Pure maple syrup. This is one of the healthiest sweeteners. Organic grade B is recommended.

Raw honey. Just remember it should not be given to young children. If you're buying honey, buy the local variety.

Rapadura. Unrefined, unbleached organic dehydrated sugarcane juice.

Always remember that sweets, even natural ones should be eaten in small amounts.

Learn more about the healthfulness of ingredients in your foods.