Reducing sugar

Yes. I use veggies and fruit instead of processed sugar in some recipes. Beetroot cake is lovely!

Yes I reduce sugar too. DH used to have reduced sugar produce but found he was intolerant of sugar substitutes such as sorbitol so we now just cut back on sugar and watch our for the ingredients in low sugar products

I nearly always reduce the sugar or sugar equivalent (honey, jam, icing etc) in most of my baking recipes. Never use substitutes either. Always works out fine. I do find most puddings, desserts and drinks far too sweet. I hate sugar substitute taste too so I'm quite selective. "Sugar free" labels can be misleading as the product often goes overboard with sorbitol or other such chemicals which are not to my taste.

I use the tins of Mamade which says to use 4 lbs of sugar. I thought this was too much and use 3 lbs, and still get a good set.

I use coconut sugar.

When coconut sugar first came out here, the hype was terrific: wonder food, great for diabetics, less calories, good minerals etc.

I did a bit of research and also asked my doctor if I would benefit from it - the genral consensus is that it is little better than refined sugar. My doctor said, 'in the end, sugar, is sugar, is sugar'. It tastes a bit weird too.

I never wanted to even try, what were sold as "Cup cakes"
which were just disgustingly fatty due to Butter cream toppings.

The butter and sugar on top of the cake must add a dreadful quantity more of calories.

I do make small cakes every so often which have butter and sugar in but I do not then add large amounts of butter and sugar on the top.

No wonder we have an obesity crisis.

I reduce the sugar too in sponges and biscuits.. I tried sweetener in biscuits and it just wasn't nice.

I have seen apple recipes which add about 4 ozs sugar to the apples but I never add any.

I don't like artificial sweeteners although I understand that some taste ok.

Our daughter is a nutritionist and advises schools on catering. She recommends cutting sugar by a third in cakes and puddings.

Resurgam123
I'm obese and I loathe "butter cream" stuff.

I first tasted it when I was a teenager and was almost sick. Never touched it since.

My Mum used to make Butterfly Buns with buttercream for special occasions but it was real butter and she used about 1/2 a teaspoon per bun.

I remember those cakes BradfordLass72 and you’re right, my mother made them and used very little in each cake along with half a teaspoon of jam and a very light dusting of icing sugar. They were nowhere near as sickly or synthetic tasting as the cupcakes made today.

I also reduce the sugar in any cake/biscuit/scone where I’m using dried fruit or carrots in a carrot cake and I never add sugar to anything savoury like some recipes suggest.

The wartime recipes are worth finding, when they made cakes with very little sugar. I too have a sweet tooth, am probably addicted to sugar and always at the same time of day ie after my main meal at lunchtime. Too busy in the mornings and I don`t crave sugar after my light last meal. I think my body knows that this is my last meal and something switches off

Scones are my go-to if I need something a bit sweet, home made. You can add other things such as walnuts to scones to make them more nutritious. I never add iced tops to any bake, never make buttercream. Dried fruits, white flour are all sugar in disguise. Its a first world problem

So if you were making a victoria sponge cake using the 6oz method would it still work if you reduced the 6ozs of sugar to say 3ozs???? I would be very interested to know.

Auntieflo

I’m with you re Mamade. I also reduce the sugar, still sweet enough and sets ok.

I don’t agree that older recipes necessarily used less sugar. Some in my really old books, pre war, had quite a high proportion of sugar in them.

I think now though we go overboard for sugary toppings and fillings. You only have to look at some on the GBBO.

Please don’t take this the wrong way BradfordLass but you say you’re obese. Why make something as delicious as a Bakewell Tart which is almost impossible to resist fresh from the oven, even with less sugar.

Or have I got it wrong and you don’t eat the fruits of your own baking.

I haven't reduced it that much,maybe 6 to 4. But I will try less next time.

Yehbutnobut that is rather rude

I think that BradfordLass is very knowledgeable about diet etc and has in fact written books on the subject.

Are you experimenting with low calorie alternatives to traditional dishes? - that sounds an excellent thing to do, BradfordLass

Yehbut, its not nice to be rude.

Yehbutnobut I haven't taken it the wrong way.
On this occasion I certainly did taste the Bakewell Tart (why not?) but it was essentially made for guests.

Not that I don't eat sweet stuff, I do.
However, I very much doubt a piece of Rice Krispie sugar-free slice, will result in this obese, 72 year old carking it.

I stay clear of wheat (99% of the time but I'm not obsessive) and as my grandson is sugar free, gluten free and dairy free, I'm researching and experimenting like mad so he doesn't miss out at Christmas.

Callistemon I am but it's nothing to do with calories, more the above for my dgs.
I long ago gave up on calories to prioritise for good health.

I can (and do) easily live without wheat and sugar and my daily diet has been low fat for decades but an 11 year old at Christmas deserves some wee treats so he feels like everyone else.

The Bakewell Tart experiment was the first time I'd made that particular recipe with less than half its sugar content and I expected it to fail. The fact it didn't, gives me courage to go on and try more things.

Dgs loves ginger cookies, so now I am trying to find and make a wheat free, sugar free version.

Sadly, so many of those who write about 'sugar free' goodies on the Internet, don't seem to realise golden and maple syrups, molasses etc is still sugar!

There is just one small thing I might take you up on Yehbutnobut - please don't assume that because you can't resist sweet things straight from the oven (which you seemed to imply) that I am the same.

I have taken many hundreds of delicious things from my oven over the years and never once been tempted to eat a morsel.

My diet is radically different from the one I was brought up on, simply because if I decide it is better for my health not to eat something, I simply don't eat it. EOS.

It used to be called willpower - to me it's just normal.

As I have a low-fat, wheat free, mostly meat and sugar-free diet - that gives you some idea of just what I do resist.

But put a plate of poached fish and broccoli, or a fresh avocado salad in front of me and that is my idea of heaven....

I wish I was like you Bradfordlass. I'm prediabetic and I struggle not to eat sweet foods. I so envy those who say I'm more a savoury person.

Annepl - I use erythrytol sweetener in recipes instead of sugar, and the taste is no different to using sugar. I have often reduced the quantity of sugar in recipes, and also leave out salt if it's mentioned. I've never had anything turn out bad (at least for those reasons) . I found out about erythrytol when I started the keto diet, and my diabetes has reversed to pre-diabetic, and have been told I might even be non diabetic at all at my next check up due soon.