Sugar is the sweetener with which the majority are most familiar. But there are others out there, each with its own characteristics and which can add good surprise and a touch of class to a dish.
As with all Gourmet-O-Matic tm Substitution Guides, the following list is non-exhaustive. It comprises foods that are readily available at chain groceries, fruit markets, specialty shops, by mail order or on-line.
Agave Syrup
Amazake
Aspartame
Barley Malt Syrup
Brown Rice Syrup
Brown Sugar
Cane Juice
Carob
Corn Syrup
Date Sugar
Demerara Sugar
Dried Dates - whole, chopped - e.g., Medjool, Deglet Noor
Evaporated Cane Juice
Evaporated White Grape Juice
Evaporated Whole Cane Juice
Flavored Sugar - e.g., lemon, lime, orange
Fructose
Grape Sugar
Honey - e.g., bamboo, clover, orange blossom
Maple Syrup
Molasses - e.g., blackstrap, light, medium, dark, treacle
Molasses Sugar
Mixed Fruit Juice Concentrate
Muscovado Sugar
Rice Syrup
Sorghum
Sugar Beet Syrup
Stevia
Sucralose
Turbinado Sugar
Example - Make a fruit salad and add chopped dates as the sweetener instead of sugar.
Example - Make a chutney and add sorghum for sweetening.
Recipes using sugar, sugar substitutes and other sweeteners can be found in The FitnessMed tm Guide To Healthy Eating.
The strategies used by The Gourmet-O-Matic tm can be found in Dr. Applebaum's meal strategy guide, The FitnessMed tm Guide To Healthy Eating. That book contains recipes for over 1 trillion (yes, with a "T") meal combinations.
All of Dr. Applebaum's books can be found here.