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Festivals in India mandate that you have plenty of mithai in the house. One such traditional Indian dessert, halwa, is the carrot of everyone’s eye. But, with halwa comes sugar and the calories associated with it. Calories do not go well with people watching their weight, and sugar is a bane for people who have diabetes. So, Prathamesh Krisang, Co-Founder of Magicleaf, will speak about making a no-sugar halwa that will be sweet nonetheless.
Stevia-based Natural Sweetener
This article will not point you to any over-the-counter artificial sweetener from harmful chemicals like Aspartame or Maltitol. Instead, the sweetener from which the no sugar halwa will get its sweetness will be a stevia-based natural sweetener. Stevia is a natural plant indigenous to the tropical and subtropical regions of South America. Its pure extract is 300 times sweeter than sugar, has zero calories and is zero on the glycemic index. Countries like Japan have been using it extensively since the 1970s, and stevia now constitutes 40% of the total sweetener market. The good news is that many locally grown proprietary Stevia varieties are now being cultivated in India, too. Because of its resemblance to tulsi, it’s being referred to as meethi tulsi.
Zero Glycemic Index Foods
A diabetic person cannot consume sugar because it spikes their blood sugar level. Zero glycemic index foods do not do that as they do not get absorbed in your body. Unfortunately, few brands in the market now produce clean tasting, zero calories, zero glycemic index stevia powder. One of the stevia-based products available is Perfect Sweets, specially designed to make Indian desserts and mithai. When you use this stevia powder, you would not even notice that sugar is missing from your mithai. It is a heat-stable spoon for spoon replacement of sugar, unlike artificial sweeteners that confuse you with various measurements meant for different preparations. It also has no chemicals and contains only natural ingredients, making it safe and healthy for everyone in the family.
Low-Calorie Healthy Diets
The pandemic has also inclined people towards a healthy lifestyle and looking for low-calorie healthy diets. So, If you want to lose about a pound of weight every month, replace 400 gms of sugar with a stevia sweetener because that much sugar contains about as many calories that make up a pound of body weight. Managing diabetes will also become easier without sacrificing the festivities in the house. You will be able to enjoy not just halwa but any mithai or sweet of your choice. May it be halwa, laddu, kheer, ras malai, kaju katli etc.
Pick your favourite halwa recipe type and sweeten it with a stevia-based sweetener for a sugarless delicacy. Cherish every bite with your family on this holi and make sweetness a part of your life again. We wish you a sugar-free and stress-free Holi and hope that stevia helps you bring the colours of sweetness back into your life.
