Week # 12: 25 lbs of Sugar and/or Agave (yes again, you’re going to need a lot.)
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in steps.)
Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in steps.)
Sugar:
In addition to basic staples, sugar is recommended as part of a balanced diet and to provide carbohydrates. During depressed times, treats made with sugar can actually help provide a mental uplift. Follow the steps below to have a supply of sugar ready when you need it most.- Prepare storage containers. Make sure all inner surfaces are clean and dry. See more info about packaging recommendations at ProvidentLiving.org.
- Fill containers with sugar. Fill foil pouches to 80% of volume. DO not use oxygen packs!!
- Seal containers. For foil pouches, use an impulse heat sealer. Make sure the seal is tight. A second seal can be applied if desired. For jars, make sure the gasket on the lid is in good condition. Close the jar tightly.
Note: Moisture makes granulated sugar hard and lumpy. Once this happens, there is no way to adequately restore it. Store powdered sugar in a cool, dry location (not the refrigerator). When it gets moist, it develops lumps. And because of its physical properties, it tends to absorb strong odors – it can even absorb odors through the package.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Click on the images below to view all 52 weeks at once or the recipes to go with it, in a .jpg or download the 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (PDF) or the Custom 52 Week Food Purchasing Plan (Excel file) and calculate exactly how much you’ll need for the size of your family.
The Truth About Agave: It is a Great Alternative to Sugar, Honey and other Natural Sweeteners.
Posted by Stephen Richards on February 17, 2010 · 18 Comments
There have been several articles circulating about agave nectar lately that put all agave’s in a negative light. Unfortunately they are based on misconceptions that have been floating around the internet for a while now and don’t relate at all to Xagave.
What We Believe
We believe in stepping outside the box to offer people a unique and healthy alternative to mainstream sweetener options. This belief prompted us to create Xagave which is a proprietary blend of the calcium rich white agave and the nutritional inulin extracted from the preprocessed blue agave. There is nothing on the market like it.
We are believers in moderation in all things. We believe that over consuming any type of sugar is bad, whether it be sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose or lactose. You may have heard that Americans consume as much as 150 to 200 pounds of sugar a year – this is clearly too much. The concept behind BetterBody Foods & Nutrition and Delicious Meets Nutritious is to find ways to significantly reduce sugar in all forms, reduce fat, and incorporate whole grains into the foods that we love. Simply, we are trying to make foods delicious and nutritious.
We cannot speak on behalf of other agave nectar brands, but here is a response to the claims that have been made regarding agave and how they apply to Xagave Premium Blend Agave Nectar.
- The first claim is that agave nectar is not made from the sap of the plant but from the starch of the root bulb. The main constituent of the agave root is starch
The Facts: Agave does not contain starch. Agave is made from the root of the plant, sometimes referred to as the bulb
or the “pina”. The agave process is nothing like the process used to derive High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) from corn starch as agavenectar is derived from the fructans of the agave plant. There are two processes utilized, one is simply heating the nectar to break the fructans down into sugars (fructose and glucose) and the other is to introduce organic certified enzymes to break the fructans down into sugars (fructose and glucose). We prefer the organic enzymes process due to the fact that it eliminates the need to heat the nectar and permits us to retain a “raw” status. Xagave is a USDA certified organic product and is certified to contain no genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
or the “pina”. The agave process is nothing like the process used to derive High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) from corn starch as agavenectar is derived from the fructans of the agave plant. There are two processes utilized, one is simply heating the nectar to break the fructans down into sugars (fructose and glucose) and the other is to introduce organic certified enzymes to break the fructans down into sugars (fructose and glucose). We prefer the organic enzymes process due to the fact that it eliminates the need to heat the nectar and permits us to retain a “raw” status. Xagave is a USDA certified organic product and is certified to contain no genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
*For a full discussion on the process of Xagave please see our website.
- The second claim is that Agave contains more fructose than High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Ranging up to 90%!
The Facts: Agave is composed of 49% fructose which is lower than table sugar and HFCS. It is also lower in total sugars (being 49% fructose, 17% glucose) than the other natural options. For a comparison of your sweetener options, comparing total sugars (fructose and glucose), calories, and glycemic index, please review the chart below and decide for yourself. You will note that Xagave’s total sugars are lower than table sugar, honey or date paste. It also provides calorie savings and is significantly lower on the glycemic index.
Sweetener Comparison Chart
| Item | Fructose | Glucose | Total Sugar*** | Calories per 100 grams | Glycemic Index |
Table Sugar*
|
50%
|
50%
|
97%
|
500
|
58-65
|
Honey
|
38 to 42%
|
35 to 40%
|
80 to 84%
|
304
|
46-83
|
Date Paste**
|
32%
|
34%
|
70 to 80%
|
270
|
103
|
HFCS
|
55 to 90%
|
45 to 10%
|
100%
|
370
|
62
|
Xagave
|
49%
|
17%
|
64%
|
308
|
30
|
Please note that blue agave has a higher fructose and fructose content will depend on how long it has been processed. The above fructose content is based on Xagave which is a white agave based product.
*Sugar is actually sucrose, but sucrose, upon consumption breaks down into fructose and glucose in roughly equal parts.
** Information was not readily available on date paste, so the author utilized medjool dates as the metric.
*** Total Sugar may exceed fructose and glucose because of other sugars such as sucrose and maltose.
Here is a little more perspective on the fructose content of Xagave: An average size Fuji Apple weighs between 180 and 300 grams and will contain about 15 to 25 grams of sugar. The 25 grams is split 15 to 18 grams of fructose and 5 to 8 grams of glucose. Two tablespoons of Xagave has 18 grams of fructose and 3 grams of glucose; thus, two tablespoons of Xagave has about the same fructose of one large apple and less glucose! Our recipe for Carrot Cake contains about 1 tbsp of Xagave per serving; therefore containing less fructose than a large apple. When baking or cooking foods that require a sweetener, using Xagave instead of table sugar can actually decrease your fructose consumption. Xagave is clearly the better option, but it is important to remember that all sweeteners should be used in moderation.
- The third claim is that agave is not low glycemic and therefore just as bad for diabetics as regular processed sugars.
The Facts: Xagave is a low Glycemic Index Food. Xagave is between 30 and 35 which places it in the “low” category. The glycemic test on Xagave was conducted by an independent laboratory. The Glycemic Index for other popular sweeteners are as follows:
- High fructose Corn Syrup: 62
- Table Sugar (Sucrose): 58-65
- Honey: 46 to 83
- Xagave: 30 to 35
**For Xagave Independent Lab Results Click Here,
**** Glycemic Values obtained from “International table of glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) values”
Summary
The simple truth is that there are a number of sweeteners on the market, all claiming to be the best. Xagave brand agave nectar is a great alternative that can help you reduce your total sugar intake by as much as 50%. It tastes delicious and can be used to cook, can and bake and can be utilized to also reduce the fats in your diet while improving the taste and texture of you foods. It is a low glycemic food that does not spike your blood sugar levels and it contains fiber, which studies have shown improve digestive health. Look at the facts and we are sure that you will come to the same conclusion that we have. Enjoy in moderation!
More opinions on agave:
For a response to Dr. Mercola’s recent agave article, click here
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