Jaggery & Sugar – Which One Is Better For Your Diet?

When you are cooking a dish, the first thing that comes to mind is usually "What can I put in it?" Jaggery OR Sugar, which one should you use?

Jaggery powder and sugar have both been staples in Indian kitchens for centuries. In this article, we will compare Jaggery with Sugar so that you can decide what's best for your dishes!

Ingredient

Jaggery Powder is made from sugarcane juice as well as palmyra palm sap.

Sugar is made from sugarcane juice as well as sugar beet.

Texture

Sugar has a fine grain texture that dissolves quickly in liquids.

Jaggery powder has coarse-grained because they contain crystals of sugar that dissolve slowly in water.

Ease of Use

Sugar is easier to use because it dissolves quickly in liquids. Jaggery Powder can be a bit more difficult to dissolve, but the result is worth to wait because of its rich taste and flavour.

Sugar is delightful but lacks any distinctive flavours or aromas.

Grades

Sugar is graded according to size as Large, Medium, Small and Extra Small.

Jaggery is not graded, but it is available in different forms like Jaggery Blocks, Jaggery Powder (or Jaggery Chini), Jaggery Nuggets and Jaggery Cubes.

Purity

Jaggery powder can have impurities if made from sugarcane juice or palm sap, so you might want to check with the brand before buying!

Brands like Sunfarm Jaggery Powder use modern processing techniques to produce jaggery powder in the utmost hygienic condition.

Manufacturing Process

Jaggery Powder making involves juice extraction, boiling of juice and evaporation of water, cooling of juice to form a thick syrup, which is further dried into different forms of jaggery, i.e. Jaggery Powder, Blocks, Cubes etc.

Sugar making process involves two distinct operations

1. Processing sugar cane or sugar beets into raw sugar and 
2. Processing the raw sugar into refined sugar

Raw sugar making involves liming, heating, clarifications, evaporation, and crystallisation. This raw sugar is then further melted to remove impurities and form sugar syrup, further crystallising to obtain sugar crystals.

Nutritional Values: Jaggery Vs Sugar per 100g

Following is comparison of Jaggery vs Sugar (1) nutritional values for serving size of 100g 

Jaggery Vs Sugar Nutritional Comparison for 100g serving size

 Following is graphical comparison of Jaggery and Sugar nutritional values for 100g serving size.

Benefits of using Jaggery Powder over Sugar

Jaggery is an unrefined sugar and has more minerals than refined sugar. Jaggery contains vitamins and other antioxidants which are beneficial for health. On the other hand, sugar is not much nutritious. It is also called an empty nutritional profile because it contains calories but no other minerals or vitamins.

Jaggery offers the following health benefits over sugar due to its rich in minerals, vitamins :

1. Rich source of calcium and iron.
2. High in minerals like potassium, zinc, copper, phosphorous, and magnesium are essential for health.
3. It helps in preventing constipation.
4. It helps in fighting the common cold and flu.
5. Detoxifies the Body.
6. Blood Purifier
7. Prevents anaemia
8. Good source of energy

Recipe Ideas using Jaggery Powder :

Jaggery can be used as a healthy substitute for sugar, and simply replacing sugar with jaggery powder is beneficial in your diet.

There are a lot of recipes wherein you can replace sugar with Jaggery powder. Some of the recipes are:

1. Laddoo
2. Halwa,
3. Kheer,
4. Jaggery Cake, Cookies, Biscuits
5. Traditional Sweet dishes like Puran Poli, Modak
6. Jalebi

You can also use Jaggery powder in your tea or coffee for a healthier and delicious beverage.

Jaggery tea or coffee is a great way to start your day and provides you with sustained energy throughout the day.

Replace sugar in tea with Jaggery Powder

Conclusion:

Compared to Jaggery and Sugar, Jaggery is a healthier alternative to refined sugar. Jaggery powder is a great way to add flavour and nutrition to your diet.

Try incorporating Jaggery powder into your favourite recipes, or enjoy a delicious jaggery tea or coffee for breakfast!

Tell me in the comment section which recipes you tried using Jaggery Powder.