There’s something about dropping temperatures that makes us want to head into the kitchen and turn on the oven to seek a cozy home environment. Cooler weather makes warm treats feel extra comforting, while the scents of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin spice fill us with nostalgia. Fall is full of sugar and spice and everything nice—but what if we try to hold the added sugars?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that, starting at age 4, added sugars be limited to no more than 10 percent of the calories per day and completely avoided for children younger than 4 years old. For a 2,000-calorie reference diet, that would be less than 200 calories, or stated another way, 50 grams, since there are 4 calories in 1 gram. Many health organizations are in agreement that there are no nutritional benefits to consuming added sugars, and you find greater health benefits when you further reduce your consumption to less than 10% of daily calories. In addition to being pro-inflammatory, high sugar consumption can put someone at a greater risk of developing tooth decay, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and gout.

Simply put, added sugars are any sugars that are not naturally occurring in the food. You can identify added sugar in packaged products by looking at the nutrition facts label and under “Total Sugars,” finding the line for “Added Sugars” to know the amount, and if the nutrition facts label is not available, reading the ingredients list in its entirety to identify which sugars are present. This is not signaling out one added sugar, like high fructose corn syrup, but all added sugars, to name a few, such as cane sugar, molasses, corn sweetener, raw sugar, syrup, honey, or fruit juice concentrates.

So, where do we go from here if we still want to have those cozy fall flavors without all the added sugars? One way to rethink our sweets is by utilizing spices and extracts in recipes to enhance our perception of sweetness and increase the flavor complexity. The good thing is that you may already have these in your pantry. Top off recipes with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom, and extracts like vanilla and almond for rich, aromatic flavors to cut down on added sugars.

Try out this no-added-sugar, for a warm and cozy fall recipe!

Banana Nut Med Muffins:

Ingredients

• 2 overripe Bananas

• 1 ½ cup chopped Apples

• 1 cup chopped Nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)

• 2 Eggs

• 1 cup Old-Fashioned Oats (not quick cooking)

• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon (or any warm spice)

• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder

• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda

• ½ teaspoon Salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° degrees.

2. Line 12 muffin tins with muffin papers, spray with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Mash bananas with a fork in a medium bowl.

4. Add apples, nuts, and eggs to the bananas, mix well.

5. In another bowl, mix dry ingredients.

6. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

7. Spoon the muffin mixture into muffin cups.

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the internal temperature of the muffin is 165° degrees.

9. Place on a wire rack for cooling.

10. Once cool, store in the refrigerator for 4-7 days.

Source: Medinsteadofmeds.com

N.C. Cooperative Extension’s goal is to provide the residents of the community with research-based knowledge. For more information on nutrition, health, food preservation, and food safety in Lee County please contact the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, Ashley Szilvay at 919-775-5624.