More on the agave nectar debate

Here's an interesting article on the allegations against agave nectar. It seems to be well researched and along the lines with what I had found when I wrote an article a couple of years ago.

Agave nectar is one of the sweeteners I use and I really like it for liquids like lemonade and ice cream because it dissolves so well and doesn't change the flavor of the food. As I've said before, any sweetener that is over-consumed is not healthy but in moderation, I think agave nectar is a good choice.

Dairy-free Lavender-Blueberry Ice Cream

Yay! Just got my first blueberries of the summer . . . and made this scrumptious ice cream. 

You can find this recipe, Blueberry Ice Cream, and lots more in my new cookbook Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love.

Lavender-Blueberry Ice Cream

Makes 1 quart

I thought my original Blueberry Ice Cream couldn’t get any better, but this flavor proved me wrong! This recipe is actually worth growing fresh lavender for—but if it’s not in your garden, look for it at a farmers’ market or natural food store.

1/2 cup soymilk or other nondairy milk

2 tablespoons fresh lavender flowers and buds (about 4 large sprigs) 

2 cups blueberries

1 (14-ounce can) full-fat coconut milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar or agave syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pour the soymilk into a small saucepan and warm it on medium-low heat until it just begins to boil. Stir in the lavender flowers and buds. Cover and remove from the heat. Steep for 20 minutes.

Place a fine-mesh strainer over a blender jar. Pour the soymilk mixture through the strainer to remove the lavender. Add the blueberries, coconut milk, sugar, and vanilla extract to the blender and process until smooth. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. Then freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

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Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Agave Nectar: Which Should You Choose?

Someone told me recently that they'd stopped using agave nectar because they'd heard it was as bad for you as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). I was rather stunned because I use agave nectar and like it a lot. Long before HFCS and agave nectar were even on the market, health experts warned about the overconsumption of refined sugar. But lately, it's like sugar is fine and HFCS and other high fructose sweeteners are the bad guys. What is this opinion based on? As I researched, I found that the negative press about HFCS started when researchers put a graph of the rise of obesity in the U.S. over a graph showing the increased use of HFCS. The rises were similar, so they assumed that HFCS must be causing obesity. Well, that's not enough proof for me. I decided to find out more about sugar, HFCS, and agave nectar and how different sweeteners are metabolized before coming to any conclusions. 

See the results of my research here.