If a 4 year old and 18 month old tells you that they like this smoothie. It is great smoothie per any standards we have to admit that. My kids are stringent food critics compared to my hubby. Poor hubby thinks that if he says not tasty it will hurt me so he will always say very good but don’t make it again. But my little ones are innocent they don’t know about any feeling thing. So they tell in up front by refusing to take a next bite. My daughter will say “I don’t like it” clearly.
I am in quest to learn what is healthy sugar, as my hubby is diabetic even a small portion of dessert can change his morning blood sugar. Nowadays even eating rice in the evening can affect his blood sugar. I always seen people saying if you substitute, dates, maple, honey is healthy it is good for diabetics. So I decide to take a look at all the sugars through my own eyes. Sugar can be existed as such or in disguise means other form like high fructose corn syrup.
Around 15 types of common sugars you can find in the market. First one is Glucose/ simple sugar which are commercially available as glucose drinks and dextrose tablets. It is not good for diabetics as it quickly raise the blood sugar levels. It has Glycemic Index of 100. Second is the Table Sugar (Granulated Sugar, White Refined Sugar, Cane Sugar, and Beet Sugar), it is common white sugar available and it’s derived from sugarcane and sugar beets. It is sucrose means a combination of glucose and fructose if you want to learn about read from here. It has glycemic index of 65. Brown sugar is also sucrose, it is mainly table sugar added with some molasses. “Natural” Brown Sugars (Turbinado, Demerara, Muscovado) are still sucrose even though it claims natural, raw etc. Maple syrup is also sucrose similar to tablesugar however it has some natural phenol which is healthy. So take it in moderations.
Is it good for your health? In a study, where a normal person, or even a "type 2 diabetic," is given a large dose of sugar, there is a suppression of lipolysis, and the concentration of free fatty acids in the bloodstream decreases, though the suppression is weaker in the diabetics.
Then comes fructose/fruit sugar found in honey and fruits etc. Fructose has lower glycemic index, so it won’t raise the blood sugar levels as high as other starch based food. However it is not good for diabetics as it can cause of advanced glycation endproducts, and cause cataracts. Furthermore One teaspoon of table sugar has 16 calories, while one teaspoon of honey has 22 calories. Honey also contains about 38.2% fructose and 31.3% glucose. So it can be healthy if you use in limited quantities. Similarly Agave nectar has 92% fructose, so I don’t think it is also a healthy choice. Choose the one with less fructose.
Invert sugar or sugar syrup is a combo of glucose and fructose and is similar to the caramel made by boiling sugar with water and lemon juice.
Molasses especially blackstrap molasseshas medium glycemic index; however it is also a combo of glucose and fructose. We can’t use it as sugar substitute as a result of it taste.
Barley malt consists of only maltose however it is not good for diabetics as it has glycemic index of 105.
Brown rice syrup has no fructose at all, and however it is about 45% maltose. So it is also not healthy
Then come Coconut palm sugar/ Karipetti, which Indians use in coffee and sweets, however, I have not tried to use it in baking. It has some retained minerals and vitamins because of less processing compared to table sugar. Inulin, a compound in coconut sugar may slow glucose absorption and as a result coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than regular table sugar. According to this site it has glycemic index of about 35. However its fructose content is in question it is about 38% to 48% which is slightly less than table sugar and in the same boat as of honey.
Then I came to check about Jaggery/ fellow Indian bloggersclaims that it is the healthiest sugar since it is produced from raw date, sugar cane juice or palm sap without removing molasses and crystals.
However there also I found naked truth that it contains according this site. The jaggery contains approximately 60-85% sucrose, 5-15% glucose and fructose. Along with 0.4% of protein, 0.1 g of fat and 0.6 to 1.0 g of minerals (8 mg of calcium, 4 mg of phosphorus, and 11.4 mg of iron). It is also found to contain traces of vitamins and amino acids. 100 g of jaggery gives 383 kcal of energy. Then it has a fructose content of about 42.5%-47.5%.
So What I learn from they are more similar to honey and not bad as table sugar. However none of them are healthy as they claim to be. So if you are diabetic, better to consume sugars in form of fruit rather than going for alternatives. I haven’t compared any artificial sweeteners that may be a next post.
Okay coming back to the recipe. I made this delicious smoothie; as I got hooked when I saw diabetic friendly recipes in Dr OZ website. I am a fan of his show. Since I had mango, banana in my hand decide to give it try. I made smoothie with mango, banana and half avocado, used homemade yogurt and 2% skim milk. I didn’t add any sugar to my cup. While little ones had with teaspoon of sugar. Add a teaspoon of flax seed meal to make it healthier.
So enjoy this rich and creamy delicious smoothie, better alternative to your regular breakfast.
So enjoy this rich and creamy delicious smoothie, better alternative to your regular breakfast.
Here comes the recipe.
Sunrise Smoothie: A diabetic Friendly Smoothie
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 cup
1 ripe Mango (peel the skin and pitted)
1 small banana
½ avocado
½ cup yogurt (homemade from 2% milk)
¼ cup 2% milk
½cup water
1 cardamom pod
1 teaspoon flax seed meal
Few ice cubes
Sugar/Sweetener (Optional)
Directions
In a blender/ juicer blend everything well to thick creamy consistency add more milk or water to get extract consistency you look for.
Serve with chopped mango cubes on the top.
Notes
If you want you can add sugar or sweetener of your choice.
This recipe is inspired from Dr Oz Show on Diabetic Friendly Recipes
This is Swathi ( Dr. Ambujom Saraswathy Ph.D) from Zesty South Indian Kitchen who loves to explore cuisines from all over the world. Whenever possible I try to to give an Indian touch to several of the world cuisine, and has weakness for freshly baked bread. All the recipes you see here are created by me and approved after taste-test by my family.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
So rich with flavors and nutrients. Yum!
Gayathri Ramanan says
lovely post...Nice presentation, smoothie looks delicious...
Reeni Pisano says
What a delicious smoothie Swathi! I love that you put cardamom in it! So unexpected in a good way.
Suja Manoj says
Perfect start look so yummy and healthy
Saras says
Really nice article about sugar. Appreciate for sharing this info . Love this healthy smoothie.
Maha Gadde says
wonderful combination of fruits..these kind of juices r healthy 4 every one..
http://www.mahaslovelyhome.com/2013/08/papaya-honey-smoothiepapaya-dates.html
Sangeetha Priya says
well write up Swathi n love this diabetic friendly smoothie:-)
Amila Wickramarachchi says
this smoothie looks so rich and creamy.Thanks for sharing such a healthy treat!
radha says
Yes, kids are the best critics. And you passed with flying colours. Looks good Swathi.
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks Radha, I am happy they liked it.
Asha Shivakumar says
If it passes the kids, you've done it Swathi. The smoothi looks so yummy and like the fact that it is healthy too.
Swathi Iyer says
Yes they my best food critics
Eric Pepple says
Wow that looks and sounds like a fantastic smoothie, can't wait to try!
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks Eric
Shama Nagarajan says
yummy..good one
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks Shama
kitchen queen says
perfect and healthy nutritious smoothie.
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks Indu
Gajus kitchen says
A very informative post and the smoothie looks lovely and yummy
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks
Supriya Nair says
Thanks Swathi for writing this post. It has proved very helpful to me. Love the smoothie and the clicks.
Swathi Iyer says
Glad this post provided info that helpful to you.
Anu Shoj says
this is awesome very creamy and healthy smoothie...
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Swathi Iyer says
Thanks
Preeti Tamilarasan says
very healthy smoothie.. nice write up swathi 🙂
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks Preeti
Gujarati Zaika says
Delicious and healthy smoothie... send your recipe to my
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Swathi Iyer says
Thanks Hetal
Shree Kanneppady says
Good information and simple yet healthy recipe Swathi..
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks Shree
Nilu A says
Smoothie looks awesome and yummy.. Perfect for breakfast Swathi 🙂
Swathi Iyer says
Yes Nilu it is perfect for breakfast
Rafeeda AR says
It's good to see that you are looking at alternatives to give to your hubby so that he can enjoy his meals. Being a diabetic is really very difficult, I know because my umma is diabetic and I see her struggling with her food choices day in and day out. Being south Indians doesn't help, as rice is a staple and most of us can't live without it!!! the smoothie looks delicious by any standards, no wonder ur kids loved it. just like u say, today's kids love to tell things on the face... 🙂
Swathi Iyer says
Yes if we eat rosematta rice then it is fine. Night I am making chapathi for my hubby. You are rights kids like to express their opinion even in young age.
kitchen queen says
very useful and informative post and the smoothie looks very refreshing and awesome.
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks
ente pachakasala says
healthy smoothie
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks
Navaneetham Krishnan says
My other is straightforward, if the dish is not nice, he will tell me. Guess have to accept the trues from someone who truly loves me. Same here, the diabetic. I have made changes, the diet, the ingredients etc etc.
Certainly a healthy smoothie for me and no sugar please for him.
Swathi Iyer says
You are right, when there is love they will express more openly.
Divya Shivaraman says
super fab combination and tummy filling recipe
Swathi Iyer says
Yes it is really filling
Ramya Krishnamurthy says
useful and wonderful write up sis.avacado had loads of sweetner which does not affect sugar level.here in kodaikanal they are known as vanilla fruit.bit costly in whole Tamilnadu
Swathi Iyer says
No Ramya, Avocado rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. and it can improve the insulin sensitivity. Nice to know that it is called Vanilla fruit.
Hamaree Rasoi says
By the look of the smoothie not only 4 years or 18 months but also 90 year old child would love to have it. Looks simply super tasty and pics beings so vibrant.
Deepa
Swathi Iyer says
I like that you made a 90 year to child,yes when old they are more child like.
Mich PieceofCake says
What a delicious smoothie with all my favourite fruits!
Swathi Iyer says
My favorite combo too.
Sona S says
Very informative post. And the smoothie looks refreshing and healthy.
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks Sona
Veena Theagarajan says
wow nice article.. Super power packed smoothie
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks Veena
Meena Kumar says
Wow Swathi that is an indepth analysis of sweetening stuffs.As I was reading I was hoping there would be a good alternative in the end.Hmm cutting down is the only solution.I have always wondered when bloggers recommend jaggery if they even know how it is processed with chemicals.
Love the smoothie.
Swathi Iyer says
Yes Meena, I too think same as Jaggery as it is used Ayurveda. Now after researching I came to know that it not that healthy as it mentioned.
Priya Anandakumar says
Very beautiful and informative write up Swathi, and this is one refreshing and a healthy smoothie... thanks for sharing the info....
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks Priya glad you liked it.
Shweet Spicess says
Feeling like having some right away 😀
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks
linsy patel says
Delicious healthy smoothie.
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks Linsy
Rebecca Subbiah says
lovely smoothie and great he has a healthy cooking Mrs
Swathi Iyer says
Thanks Rebccca, I will tell him
spusht says
These days I've been feeling so low, that I would choose Tequila Sunrise over a Sunrise Smoothie 😛
Hmm Swathi, does your husband get to try any of the wonderful sweet baked goods you make? Kinda feeling bad.. 🙁
Swathi Iyer says
Yes most of time he will try only small piece of my baked creations Nisha. I know tequila can help you but drinking tequila in the morning will not be wise choice.