beneficial nutrients such as antioxidants (the darker syrups have higher levels) and minerals like zinc, calcium, and iron.
In addition, maple syrup has a lower glycemic index (GI) than regular table sugar. The GI is a number indicating how quickly a food containing carbohydrates will elevate your blood sugar after you eat it. The lower the number the better. The GI for maple syrup is 54, compared to 65 for table sugar. Unfortunately, maple syrup essentially does not contain vitamins.
Bottom line: if you are going to use maple syrup INSTEAD of sugar, just be aware that you are still eating sugar, and should do so in moderation. It may have a very slight edge over table sugar but should not be considered “healthy” (like say, a vegetable would be). It just may be less harmful overall for you. Diabetics should definitely monitor their blood sugars closely when eating maple syrup.
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That being said, I choose to use maple syrup in my baking recipes because I can use less of it than refined sugar. The ratio is 2/3 cups of maple syrup for each cup of sugar. I use it as the sweetener in my Vegan and Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pound Cake with Maple Orange Glaze. It goes without saying that cake should be eaten in moderation so that you are not eating excessive calories on a regular basis. For example, I usually make this for special occasions, like Thanksgiving.
Below is my recipe for my Vegan and Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pound Cake with Maple Orange Glaze using maple syrup. The best way to describe this cake is if a sweet potato pie and a pound cake had a baby, this would be it!
Flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, it goes well with a cup of tea or coffee. Be sure to post a pic and tag me @physicianinthekitchen if you make this recipe.