Adding fruit is a great way to sweeten your oats without added sugars. However, if you need a little more sweetness, consider maple syrup, coconut sugar, honey, agave, etc. My go-to way to sweeten oats is to add 1 tablespoon maple syrup per serving of oats.
Honey is certainly a healthy alternative for your porridge without conventional sugar. Provided it is organic honey, which preserves minerals and vitamins. Maple syrup is a similar alternative. Agave syrup is also relatively low in calories and particularly sweet.
Mash up most of a ripe banana – the riper the better as it will add natural sweetness – then cook in with the oats and about 2 tsp cocoa powder (or to taste).
If you need to add a sweetener besides fresh fruit, opt for a natural one like maple syrup or honey. They're still high in sugar and calories, but at least they come with the benefit of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
“The banana helps make the oatmeal sweeter and creamier without the use of table sugar or cream,” she says. Use a ripe banana and slice it thinly, then whisk it into the oats as they cook. Beyond making it taste amazing, the banana adds a dose of potassium, which helps lower blood pressure naturally.
Porridge oats or the instant variety are both fine - just avoid those with added free sugars like honey and golden syrup. Wheat biscuits, shredded wheat or muesli (with no added sugar) are also great alternatives. For sweetness, add chopped fruit.
Liquids/milks. Not only does milk make your oatmeal creamier, it can also add some sweetness! I typically use cow's milk. But other good options would be unsweetened plant milks, like almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or oat milk.
Honey Health Benefits
"Honey's advantages over sugar include a slightly lower glycemic index (i.e. it doesn't affect your blood-sugar levels as much)," Dr. Dixon says. "It also contains more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, such as calcium, potassium, vitamin C, zinc, phenolic acids, and flavonoids."
Brown Sugar Substitute: Maple Sugar
Another unrefined sugar, this substitute comes from the maple tree and has a distinct maple flavor. It doesn't result in the same texture as brown sugar, so it's best used in recipes like granola, or for sprinkling over your morning oatmeal.
Adding fruit is a great way to sweeten your oats without added sugars. However, if you need a little more sweetness, consider maple syrup, coconut sugar, honey, agave, etc. My go-to way to sweeten oats is to add 1 tablespoon maple syrup per serving of oats.
Porridge is our top choice for a heart healthy breakfast – when it is made with low-fat milk or water and unsweetened. All porridge oats are wholegrains and they all contain a soluble fibre called beta-glucan, which can help lower your cholesterol level if you have 3g or more of it daily, as part of a healthy diet.
Allulose is a favorable natural sweetener because it has a remarkably similar flavor to sugar, without any funky after taste. It's also about 70% as sweet as table sugar, so serves as a pretty simple sugar substitute, that you can trade spoon for spoon, while tapering your sweet tooth.
The worst of the worst culprits include aspartame (found in Equal and NutraSweet), sucralose (found in Splenda), and Saccharin (found in Sweet 'N Low). Many people who cut artificial sugars out of their diets report the improvement of many health problems including migraines, depression, IBS, weight gain, and more.
So, for most people, natural sugars are a far better alternative to either artificial sweeteners or regular table sugar. For people living with diabetes or prediabetes, though, you still need to go easy on some natural sugars.
If you replace added sugar with sugar substitutes, it could lower your risk of getting tooth decay and cavities. Sugar substitutes also don't raise the level of sugar in the blood.
Add fibre. Adding soaked flax seeds and chia seeds to your porridge is a great way to reduce the blood sugar spike and improve satiety, as they are both high in fibre. Furthermore, flaxseeds have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and improve oestrogen detoxification.
The healthiest way to eat oatmeal is cooked in milk with fresh fruit on top. The milk helps add extra protein and makes the oats creamy. The fruits add a delicious sweetness! You can also use almond milk or your favorite non-dairy milk.