My son, who's seven, is pretty much powered by candy. I mean, if he could, he'd have it for every meal. He actually asked me once, dead serious, "Mom, my toothpaste tastes like bubblegum, so why can’t I just brush my teeth with candy?" And you know, for a second, his logic almost made sense.
I think every parent has a list of things they've just had to let slide. The occasional McDonald's run, grandparents spoiling them rotten, a little too much screen time just so you can get a minute to yourself... you just have to pick your battles to get by.
But for me, and this is just my thing, I really try to draw the line when it comes to the whole organic vs. non-organic food debate. We all hear about why organic is better for produce and meat, but I’ve been thinking a lot about sugar lately. Why bother choosing organic sugar over the regular stuff?
Before I really get into it, I should probably sort out the difference between all the types of sugar, mostly for my own sake. So there's refined sugar, which has gone through a bunch of chemical processes to strip out the molasses that's naturally in it. Raw and white sugars are both refined in some way. Then you have unrefined sweeteners, which is the good stuff, like honey, maple syrup, agave, and so on.
Growing up, we never really had the super-white sugar in our pantry. Instead, we had these blocks of 'panela,' which is this unrefined, unprocessed sugar that's everywhere in Latin America. It's just... better. It’s sweet but also has this amazing flavor and smell. It’s made in a way that’s good for the environment, too. A huge part of the Cauca river valley back in Colombia is just fields and fields of sugar cane.
It's pretty wild to think that sugarcane can be turned into almost forty different types of sugar. All of them get cleaned up a bit to remove impurities—that's the "refining" part. But the sugars like panela, or brown sugars and muscovado, they're the least messed-with, so they keep a lot of their original molasses. That’s what gives them that dark color and rich flavor. Raw sugar is a step up from white sugar because it’s less refined and keeps some molasses, but it’s still been processed.
Now, I get it. You probably can't just run out and find panela, and a lot of these other sugars can be pretty pricey compared to the cheap white stuff. So, if you don't have another option, I really think it’s important to at least choose organic over conventional sugar.
The word 'Organic' isn't just a gimmick; it's super regulated by the USDA. A lot of people think organic sugar is automatically unrefined, but that’s not always true. So you might be asking, why is it actually better?
Here’s what I keep in mind:
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Organic sugars don't have pesticides. Sugarcane is a magnet for bugs like grasshoppers and termites. So to stop them, farmers just douse the crops in a ton of chemicals. When the sugarcane gets processed, those toxins can get concentrated right into the sugar you end up eating. The thought of that just gives me the creeps.
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It’s more flavorful. Regular white sugar goes through so many chemical treatments—I read somewhere they use things like sulfur dioxide and phosphoric acid. When you take all that junk out of the process, you're left with a sweetener that just tastes cleaner and more, well, like sugar.
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It has a low carbon footprint. Farmers who go organic aren't just growing healthier food; they're doing it in a way that's kinder to the planet. It means less pollution, it helps prevent soil erosion, and it saves water. That’s a choice I can feel good about.
Look, cutting out sugar completely probably isn’t going to happen in a house with kids who think sugar is a food group. As a mom, all I can really do is try to be a little more informed on my next trip to the grocery store. My best advice is to just try and sneak in better quality sugar where you can. And like with everything else... moderation is probably the real secret.
I guess that’s the thing with parenting, right? You just try to make a slightly better choice today than you did yesterday and hope it all adds up to something good in the end.
