Ditch the Sugar for These 12 Better-for-You, Natural Sweeteners

Grapes

In their natural state, grapes are only three calories each, and are rich in the type of fiber that keep you regular, says Julia Levine-Axelbaum, RD. The obvious use may be to throw grapes into a smoothie, but you can also process them in a blender and use them in place of sugar in batter for food like muffins, or instead of raisins in a salad or rice dish (Craisins, for example, are very high in sugar). “Grapes are packed with health-protecting antioxidants that have been shown to protect the body against damage that can put you at higher risk for things like heart disease and cancers,” says Levine-Axelbaum. “Many people falsely believe that they should stay away from all fruit because of its high sugar content, but while fruits do contain sugar, the sugar in fruit is not processed by the body in the same way as table sugar.”