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Sweeteners & desserts in diabetes

Having diabetes used to mean a lifetime of meals that lacked the most pleasant aspect of taste: sweetness. Today, the rules for avoiding sugar have been relaxed. If you have diabetes, that doesn't mean you can't eat sweets. New artificial sweeteners can give you sweetness that tastes as good as sugar, without sugar's effect on your weight. People with diabetes can eat desserts, use sweeteners, and still keep their blood glucose (sugar) levels in their target range. These options are available for sweetening your foods:

• Sugar and other sweeteners with calories including honey, brown sugar, molasses, fructose, cane sugar and confectioners' sugar
• Reduced-calorie sweeteners including erythritol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol
• Low-calorie sweeteners such as ascelfume potassium, aspartame, saccharin and sucralose

Related Topics

• What is a "free food"?
• Making healthy food choices
• Reading food labels
• Why do I need to see a dietitian?
• Can I eat foods with sugar in them?
• Why does losing weight help my diabetes?
• How can I cut the fat in my diet?
• Are some fats better than others?
• What foods can I eat a lot of?
• What can I do if I overeat over the holidays?
• Can I use low calorie sweeteners?
• How much weight should I lose each week?
• Can I drink alcohol?
• Isn't glucose control easier if I eat the same things every day?
• What vitamins will help my diabetes?
• Are there herbs that will help my diabetes?