Best Gluten-Free Vegan Products Volume 3 (Malaysia) - Vegan Sweeteners

Gluten-Free Vegan Sweeteners

Imagine life without your favorite desserts...
Imagine your desserts without its sweetness...
Thanks to life's natural sweeteners!
Life, as we know it, offers many types of sweeteners that are healthier alternatives to white sugar or high fructose syrup.

Any gluten-free vegan kitchen won't be complete without a gluten-free vegan sweetener.  However, a truly great kitchen should possess more than one sweetener.  Different sweeteners have different flavors and each one can affect the outcome of any given recipe.  The right sweetener can make all the difference.

Try the gluten-free vegan sugar-free chocolate brownies and cupcakes from the Gluten-Free Vegan Baker!  All ingredients are 100% gluten-free vegan.  The brownies and cupcakes are prepared in a 100% gluten-free vegan environment.

The Gluten-Free Vegan Baker ONLY uses a variety of healthy sweeteners like raw organic sugar, coconut palm sugar and maple syrup. 

Try Country Farm Organics Raw Cane Sugar.
It's certified USDA Organic, pesticide-free and a great alternative to white sugar.

For food ideas and everything & anything else in between:

Contact the Gluten-Free Vegan Baker @ myglutenfreeveganhaven@yahoo.com.

The Gluten-Free Vegan Baker is based in Malaysia.

Best Gluten-Free Vegan Products Volume 2 (Malaysia) - Coconut Butter Or Coconut Paste

Gluten-Free Vegan Butter - Coconut Butter or Coconut Paste

The Gluten-Free Vegan Baker considers coconut butter or coconut paste as one of the best gluten-free vegan products in the world.

Coconut butter or coconut paste is not coconut oil.  The butter is made from coconut meat.  It has a creamy texture and adds amazing flavor and taste to many different recipes.  It's an excellent butter substitute and can be eaten on its own.  It's a great addition to a gluten-free vegan kitchen. 

Try Wize Food Gluten-Free Pure Coconut Paste.
Wize Food Pure Coconut Paste is gluten-free, cholesterol-free, rich in fiber and has no artificial flavoring.

For food ideas and everything & anything else in between:

Contact the Gluten-Free Vegan Baker @ myglutenfreeveganhaven@yahoo.com.

The Gluten-Free Vegan Baker is based in Malaysia.

Best Gluten-Free Vegan Products Volume 1 (Malaysia) - Unrefined/Virgin Coconut Oil

Gluten-Free Vegan Oil - Unrefined/Virgin Coconut Oil

The Gluten-Free Vegan Baker regards unrefined or virgin coconut oil to be the best gluten-free vegan product in the market anywhere in the world.

Aside from its numerous health benefits and great coconut flavor, unrefined coconut oil is an important staple that must be included in every gluten-free vegan kitchen.  It's naturally vegan and gluten-free.  And most importantly, it's affordable.  It's a product that never disappoints!!!

Try Country Farm Organics Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.
Country Farm Organics Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is certified organic, cold-pressed and unrefined, trans fat-free and and has no added chemicals or GMOs.

For food ideas and everything & anything else in between:

Contact the Gluten-Free Vegan Baker @ myglutenfreeveganhaven@yahoo.com.

The Gluten-Free Vegan Baker is based in Malaysia.

 

Is Sugar VEGAN?

As a vegan, I have been frequently asked this question which doesn't come with an easy answer.
What you think is vegan might not be so...
"Not all sugar are created equal."

White sugar (also known as refined sugar) is a common all-around sweetener found in many food products from baked goods to beverages and is a regular kitchen staple.  Source-tistically, sugar comes from plants --- the most common is sugar cane.  Sugar from sugar cane goes through a refining process known as bone char filter to remove impurities.  This filter produces sugar that has a pristine, white crystalline appearance and texture.  Bone char, often referred to as natural carbon, is derived from cow bones.  To make bone char, animal bones are heated at incredibly high temperatures and reduced to carbon before being used in refinery.  The sugar that is filtered through bone char doesn't actually contain bone char particles but the SUGAR COMES INTO CONTACT WITH BONE CHAR.

Bone char filter has worked well in the food industry as a whitening filter and the practice has become the standard and preferred filter.  There are other whitening filters that don't use bone char, however, bone char filter is the most efficient and most economical whitening filter.  

Supermarket brands of sugar obtain their sugar from different refineries making it impossible to know whether it has been filtered with bone char.

Brown sugar and confectioner's sugar (also known as icing sugar) are processed using bone char filter.  Brown sugar consists of sugar crystals that have been combined with molasses for taste and color.  Confectioner's sugar is pulverized white sugar. 

Therefore, if you're consuming sugar from sugar cane, it MIGHT not be VEGAN.

HOWEVER, NOT ALL SUGAR ARE CREATED EQUAL.
Not all sugar is refined with bone char.
There are sweeteners that do not come from sugar cane and therefore, do not go through bone char filter.
Here is a list of the most commonly used and easy to find vegan alternatives:
-Beet sugar
-Xylitol
-Coconut palm sugar
-Agave nectar
-Stevia
-Maple syrup
-Brown rice syrup
-Fruit juice concentrates
-Date sugar
-Fructose

Any certified USDA organic cane sugar is also a good alternative.  USDA organic sugar is affordable and is not filtered through bone char.  It is only milled and never goes to refineries which use bone char filter.



If you want to avoid sugar that have been refined through bone char, look for the following words on the labels:
-USDA organic
-Unrefined
-Raw
-Evaporated cane juice



Bone char filter process is unacceptable to many vegans.  When consuming refined sugar, although you are not actually ingesting an animal product, the money you pay to the company funds the animal industry that uses bones or bone char.  Animals don't have a choice --- YOU DO!!!

Even if you're not vegan, you have reason to be concerned.  Think wisely and use your better judgment when choosing products for you and your family.

Try Hexa Organic Cane Sugar.
It is free from preservatives, chemical additives and pesticides.

For food ideas and everything & anything else in between:

Contact the Gluten-Free Vegan Baker @ myglutenfreeveganhaven@yahoo.com.

The Gluten-Free Vegan Baker is based in Malaysia.

My Gluten-Free Vegan Haven Allergy Management Guide 101 (Malaysia)

Food allergies have been on the rise for the past 30 years.  For many sufferers, it's more than an inconvenience and a discomfort --- it's a problem.  Food allergies can begin at any age and can affect anyone of any race and ethnicity.  Some can be lifelong and unfortunately, there is no cure for food allergies.  Whatever the causes, allergies are part of our lives and they affect the way we live.  Life doesn't have to become unbearable, just manageable.

Foods Commonly Associated With Food Allergy:

-Milk
-Eggs
-Peanuts
-Tree nuts
-Soy
-Wheat
-Fish
-Shellfish


Milk, egg, soy and wheat allergies eventually may be outgrown.
However, peanut and tree nut allergies, fish and shellfish allergies tend to be lifelong.

What is the difference between food intolerance and food allergy?
Food intolerance refers to the body's reaction to food that doesn't involve the immune system.  It tends to have multiple causes and multiple symptoms and more difficult to diagnose.
Food allergy is the result of the body's immune system over-reacting to a substance that is normally harmless.  Reactions occur within minutes of exposure to food.  The most serious reactions (known as anaphylaxis) occur very quickly and have symptoms widespread within the body.

THERE IS NO CURE FOR FOOD ALLERGIES.

Don't despair!
The solution is learning to manage your life in spite of the allergies.
Early recognition, diagnosis and management & strict avoidance of the food allergens are crucial measures to control the allergies and to prevent serious health problems.  Family support is necessary as well.  But the most important tools in allergy management are education and research.  As a sufferer and a family member, keep yourself informed at all times!

For food ideas and everything & anything else in between:

Contact the Gluten-Free Vegan Baker @ myglutenfreeveganhaven@yahoo.com.

The Gluten-Free Vegan Baker is based in Malaysia.

My Gluten-Free Vegan Haven Essential Allergy Guide 101 Part 3 (Malaysia)

If you're suffering from certain food allergies, intolerance or sensitivities, here is a comprehensive list of foods to avoid.


Foods To Avoid On A Nut-Free Diet:
-All nuts
-All products that contain nuts:
peanut butter
almond butter
cashew butter
hazelnut butter/spread (Nutella, etc.)
cream (cashew cream, etc.)
milk (cashew milk, almond milk, etc.)
flour (peanut flour, almond meal, etc.)
bake mixes
oil (peanut oil, etc.)
baked goods and pastries
cookies, biscuits and crackers
peanut brittle
cereals and cereal bars
granola bars, fruit bars and energy bars
chocolate
frozen desserts (ice cream, etc.)
nougat
marzipan
pralines
pesto
creamed soups
sauce (peanut sauce, etc.)
Middle Eastern desserts

Foods To Avoid On A Sesame-Free Diet:
-Sesame seeds
-All products that contain sesame:
sesame oil
dips and spreads
butter and margarine
sauces (stir-fry sauce, curry sauce, etc.)
salad dressings and chutneys
baked goods (bagels, pretzels, bread, burger buns, etc.)
cookies, crackers and biscuits
confection bars
granola and protein bars
food that contain sesame garnishes
soups
processed meat
Middle Eastern food

For food ideas and everything & anything else in between:

Contact the Gluten-Free Vegan Baker @ myglutenfreeveganhaven@yahoo.com.

The Gluten-Free Vegan Baker is based in Malaysia.

My Gluten-Free Vegan Haven Essential Allergy Guide 101 Part 2 (Malaysia)

If you're suffering from certain food allergies, intolerance or sensitivities, here is a comprehensive list of foods to avoid.


Foods To Avoid On An Egg-Free Diet:
-Eggs (fried, boiled, poached, baked, scrambled, omelet/omelette, etc.)
-All products that contain eggs:
baked goods (cakes, pastries, biscuits, cookies, bread, buns, rolls, etc.)
pancakes
puddings, custards and mousses
icing and marzipan
sauces and condiments
stock cubes
gravy
mayonnaise
pasta and noodles that are made from eggs
ice cream and sorbets
sausages, burgers, meat balls and fish fingers
marshmallows
chocolate confectionery
kaya spread (Malaysian coconut jam spread)
tempura and anything made in/from batter

Foods To Avoid On A Soy-Free Diet:
-Soy beans
-All products that contain soy:
soy milk
tofu
soy-derived meat alternatives
soya oil
edamame
miso
foods that contain soy protein
foods that contain soya lecithin
cereals
pancake and waffle mixes
butter and margarine
ice cream
chocolate
noodles and pasta
canned soup
gravy and sauces
processed meat products
sauces (soy sauce, tamari sauce, etc.)
baked goods (cakes, bread, biscuits, crackers, etc.)
chocolate (regular chocolate, chocolate syrup, baking chocolate, etc.)

For food ideas and everything & anything else in between:

Contact the Gluten-Free Vegan Baker @ myglutenfreeveganhaven@yahoo.com.

The Gluten-Free Vegan Baker is based in Malaysia.