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Recommended Sweeteners & Printable Conversions Chart

This page may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.
Table Of Contents
  1. What are natural sweeteners?
  2. Top Recommended Sweeteners
  3. What are artificial sweeteners?
  4. Helpful Articles
  5. Printable Conversions Chart

On the Trim Healthy Mama plan, many natural sweeteners are in and artificial sweeteners (along with sugar) are out. This page is here to help you navigate which natural sweeteners work.

sweeteners

What are natural sweeteners?

On plan natural sweeteners are those that don’t cause spikes in blood sugar. They are also those that are derived from plants as opposed to conjured in a laboratory.

Allulose

Allulose is a monosaccharide and a rare sugar (meaning it occurs in very small quantities in nature). It is found in various fruits such as figs, raisins, and jackfruit and it is present in nutritive sweeteners like maple syrup and molasses. It tastes exactly like sugar, though only 70% as strong, and it registers a zero on the glycemic index.

Chicory Root

Chicory root (Cichorium intybus) is grown in northwestern Europe. It is the source of inulin, a water-soluble fiber. Chicory root isn’t usually used alone as a sweetener itself, but is sometimes included in sweetener blends or added to sugar free foods.

Kabocha

Kabocha is a sweetener derived from the kabocha squash (also known as Japanese pumpkin). It is considered a superfood and the resulting sweetener can be used as an equal (1:1) replacement for sugar.

Monk Fruit

Monk fruit (luo han guo) is created using the juice from the monk fruit which is an Asian melon. The resulting sweetener is an extract that is about 100 to 300 times sweeter than sugar, meaning that very little is necessary when sweetening things.

Monk fruit can be used as a pure extract, but it is most commonly found in sweetener blends.

Stevia

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is native to western North America and South America. It is often wrongly accused as an artificial sweetener. In reality, stevia is derived from the leaves of the stevia plant, making it a very natural sweetener.

Like monk fruit, stevia is an extract and can be as much as 150 times sweeter than sugar.

Stevia powder can be green or white. The green is made using the entire leaf. White is made from the leaf as well, but the leaf portions are removed, leaving just the sweet content.

Sugar Alcohols

The sugar alcohols (aka polyols) erythritol and xylitol are also often dubbed artificial, but that is a misnomer. They are created by fermenting plant sugars (usually from birch or corn).

Both erythritol and xylitol are super high in carbs, but because the body can’t digest them, every last carb from these guys are neutral (don’t count).

Isn’t sugar a plant derived natural sweetener?

Well, kind of. It is heavily processed, so not really considered natural. And it is super high in calories and spikes your blood sugar big time, hence why it is not on plan in large amounts.

That said, a tiny bit of sugar in your diet (including during weight loss) is okay–as long as it stays teeny tiny. Two grams or less in a meal will probably be fine (though you should still keep an eye on your own body and your own blood sugar levels to see how you do–if it harms you, ditch that tiny bit, too).

Some sugars like coconut sugar and honey are easier on blood sugar levels, but they too should only be consumed in small quantities (or not at all if you’re in weight loss mode).


Top Recommended Sweeteners

Below are my favorite on plan sweeteners. These are the ones you’ll see most often in my recipes.

THM Gentle Sweet
THM Gentle Sweet
Trim Healthy Mama
A great sugar replacements that isn't bitter to most people. There's a xylitol free version as well for those with grabby dogs.
Let's Go
THM Super Sweet Blend
THM Super Sweet Blend
Trim Healthy Mama
Great for recipes where you want to just not use as much volume of sweetener as you would with Gentle Sweet.
Let's Go
THM Pure Stevia
THM Pure Stevia
Trim Healthy Mama
Let's get doonkin'. FYI: A "doonk" is 1/32 teaspoon and is a measurement often used in THM friendly recipes. The doonk measuring spoon comes with this stevia.
Let's Go
Lakanto Classic
Lakanto Classic
My favorite non-THM sweetener. Has a blend of monkfruit and erythritol.
Let's Go
Lakanto Powdered
Lakanto Powdered
The powdered version of Lakanto Classic. Great for icings and chocolate.
Let's Go
Lakanto Golden
Lakanto Golden
Lakanto's brown sugar alternative.
Let's Go
Swerve Granular
Swerve Granular
Great erythritol sweetener.
Let's Go
Swerve Confectioner's
Swerve Confectioners
Erythritol based powdered sweetener.
Let's Go
Swerve Brown
Swerve Brown
An excellent substitute for brown sugar.
Let's Go

What are artificial sweeteners?

Artificial sweeteners are exactly that–artificial. They are sweeteners that are man-made using chemicals in a laboratory.

Artificial sweeteners, though lacking in calories, still cause spikes in blood sugar which make them unhealthful and inconducive to weight loss.

Some examples of artificial sweeteners are saccharin, sucralose, and aspartame. All artificial sweeteners are off plan.


Helpful Articles

Need powdered sweetener? Learn how to make your own at home using any granulated sweetener.

LET’S GO
How to Make Colored Sweetener

Discover how easy it is to make your own colored sweetener–perfect for on plan sprinkles.

LET’S GO
Sweetener Sweet Stuff

Out of your THM sweeteners? Learn how to make copycat versions till your replacements arrive.

LET’S GO

Printable Conversions Chart

Below is a chart that lists quite a few of the on plan sweeteners that I recommend. If you’d like, you can print this chart (be sure to set it to print in landscape) so you can keep it handy. If viewing on a mobile device, you may need to turn your device sideways to see the whole chart. When printing, you might need to set your printer to print in landscape.

If you’re on a mobile device, the chart might be better viewed if you rotate your device.

Sweetener Conversions

SUGAR • POWDERED SUGAR • BROWN SUGAR1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp1 tbsp + 2 tsp¼ cup⅓ cup½ cup1 cup

GRANULAR SWEETENERS

allulose1⅓ tsp2⅔ tsp1 tbsp + 1 tsp2 tbsp + ⅔ tsp¼ cup + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp¼ cup + 3 tbsp¾ cup + 1 tbsp1⅓ cups
Bocha Sweet1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp1 tbsp + 2 tsp¼ cup⅓ cup½ cup1 cup
erythritol1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp1 tbsp + 2 tsp¼ cup⅓ cup½ cup1 cup
Lakanto Classic1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp1 tbsp + 2 tsp¼ cup⅓ cup½ cup1 cup
Pyure Organic Stevia Blend½ tsp1 tsp1½ tsp1 tsp2½ tbsp2½ tbsp + ¼ tsp¼ cup½ cup
Sukrin:11 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp1 tbsp + 2 tsp¼ cup⅓ cup½ cup1 cup
Swerve Granular1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp1 tbsp + 2 tsp¼ cup⅓ cup½ cup1 cup
THM Gentle Sweet½ tsp¾ tsp1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp + 1 tsp2 tbsp3 tbsp + 1 tsp6 tbsp
THM Super Sweet Blend¼ tsp½ tsp¾ tsp1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp1 tbsp + 2 tsp3 tbsp
TJ's Subtle Sweet Stuff½ tsp¾ tsp1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp + 1 tsp2 tbsp3 tbsp + 1 tsp6 tbsp
TJ's Strong Sweet Stuff¼ tsp½ tsp¾ tsp1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp1 tbsp + 2 tsp3 tbsp
Truvia Naturally Sweet⅜ tsp¾ tsp1¼ tsp2 tsp1 tbsp + 2 tsp2 tbsp + 1 tsp3½ tbsp⅓ cup + 1½ tbsp
xylitol1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp1 tbsp + 2 tsp¼ cup⅓ cup½ cup1 cup

LIQUID STEVIA SWEETENERS

Pyure Liquid Stevia Extract2 drops5 drops8 drops12 drops⅛ tsp¼ tsp1½ tsp
SweetLeaf Sweet Drops5 drops10 drops15 drops22 drops½ tsp¾ tsp1 tsp2 tsp
Truvia Liquid Sweetener2 drops4 drops6 drops9 drops¼ tsp½ tsp1 tsp

EXTRACT SWEETENERS

Lakanto Monkfruit Extract1/64 tsp⅛ tsp⅜ tsp¾ tsp
SweetLeaf Stevia Extract1/16 tsp⅛ tsp¼ tsp
THM Pure Stevia1
doonk
2
doonks
3
doonks
5
doonks
9
doonks

POWDERED SWEETENERS

Lakanto Powdered 1:11 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp1 tbsp + 2 tsp¼ cup⅓ cup½ cup1 cup
Lakanto Powdered 2:1½ tsp1 tsp1½ tsp2½ tsp⅛ cup⅙ cup¼ cup½ cup
Swerve Powdered1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp1 tbsp + 2 tsp¼ cup⅓ cup½ cup1 cup

BROWN SWEETENERS

Lakanto Golden1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp1 tbsp + 2 tsp¼ cup⅓ cup½ cup1 cup
Swerve Brown1 tsp2 tsp1 tbsp1 tbsp + 2 tsp¼ cup⅓ cup½ cup1 cup

image by fascinadora

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