Sugar or white sugar or refined sugar is actively used in Indian kitchens - whether it's in your daily cuppa chai or coffee; or in sweet recipes like halwas and kheer. However, sugar should be mindfully consumed as excessive added sugar intake can increase your risks of various health problems such as higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease. Sugar is prepared through rigorous industrial processes, due to which most of its nutritional value is lost.
On the other hand, jaggery is prepared by boiling the sugarcane syrup, and is rich in several vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. Jaggery is more nutritious than refined sugar, which contains only empty calories. However, it’s still sugar, and any extra nutrients you get come with a lot of calories.
Many people believe that jaggery is the perfect replacement option for all-things sugar. Is that true? Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar explains that it is a bit more complicated than a simple swap of ingredients.
In a recent video uploaded on her Instagram handle, Rujuta explains that simply using jaggery in sweets instead of sugar will not make them exactly healthier. Instead, you should choose when to use jaggery or sugar depending on the current season and the type of recipe you are making, considering what all other ingredients will be combined with the sweet ingredient.
Mostly jaggery should be consumed in winters, while sugar is more suitable in summers.
So, as we go deeper into the winter season, you may enjoy delicious homemade Indian sweets like til chikki and gond ladoo. The nutritionist suggests choosing jaggery for these sweets, along with other recipes like gud poli, bajra roti, etc.
On the other hand, if it is summertime and you want to add a touch of sweetness to your sherbets, tea, coffee, along with trying recipes like shrikhand, karanji, gujiya, etc, Diwekar says sugar should be more suitable.
In any case, she explains in the caption that it is best to "use sugar and jaggery in time tested ways at home."
Further, in light of the festive season, Diwekar shares her opinion on what makes homemade sweets healthy. This includes:
1. The recipe should be authentic.
2. It should be eaten as a celebration.
3. It should be eaten with everyone.
Portion control and knowing when to eat and when not to eat are some great diet tips, being mindful of which can help you stay healthy and fit.
