Other than fruit, jam is chock full of sugar. If you are trying to follow a diet or just cut down on your sugar, you know finding a sugar-free jam can be difficult. The difficulty is increased with all the low-sugar, no added sugar, and organic options dispersed throughout the mix. We've included a buying guide reviewed by a registered dietitian to help you understand your options when it comes to sugar-free jam.
We've also created a top 5 list of the best sugar-free jams we could find. We made our choices based on the points listed in the buying guide below, as well as reviewer comments when available. Our top choice is Nature Hollow's Sugar-Free Blueberry Jam because it is a low-calorie and sugar-free jam made with fresh, wild blueberries. Keep reading to check out the rest of the jams that made the list.
Andrea Marincovich (aka The Realistic Dietitian), is a registered dietitian and macros nutrition expert. She helps individuals reach their weight, body composition, and specific health goals through nutrition. Andrea specializes in altering diets in order to meet the needs of each client, such as: macro-centered, keto, paleo, Mediterranean, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, diabetic, renal, cardiovascular, IBS/IBD, and GERD diets.
mybest US' editing team consists of experienced members who have backgrounds in writing, editing, translation, and more. We are dedicated to researching what makes a product or service the best to users in the US in order to create top-quality articles. From skincare, to kitchen appliances, and to DIY supplies, our mission is to find the best ones for you.
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
Jelly, jam, preserves, and marmalade are all made of fruit and sugar, but they have some slight differences. Jelly is made with fruit juice. It has the smoothest texture and is the most gelatin-like. Jam is made with chopped or pureed fruit. The texture is looser than jelly and often contains fruit seeds or skin.
Preserves are made with large pieces of fruit or whole fruit. Sometimes preserves are held together with a loose syrup, but other times the liquid is more jam-like. Marmalades are the same as preserves, but they are made with citrus fruits and have a more jelly-like texture. They often include the rinds, inner fruit, and pulp of citrus fruits.
Here is all the information you need to choose the best sugar-free jam or preserves for you. The most important factor is to think about sugar substitutes!
There are a variety of jam and preserves sugar substitutes, so you have to decide which sweeteners will work best for you.
Xylitol is found naturally in fruits and vegetables, and it has the same sweetness and taste as sugar. If eaten in large quantities, it may cause diarrhea due to its laxative properties. Xylitol has a small impact on blood sugar, while other sweeteners like erythritol won't raise your blood sugar.
Erythritol is a sweetener that occurs naturally in fruits and mushrooms. It has no calories or aftertaste and is commonly used as a bulk sweetener in reduced-calorie products.
Erythritol may be a preferred sugar substitute for people with diabetes, and it's better for tooth health than xylitol. It can be fully absorbed into our bodies, causing less digestive distress than xylitol. However, erythritol may lead to acid reflux, dehydration, and low electrolytes if eaten in large quantities.
Polydextrose is a carbohydrate made in a lab that can be used as a sweetener. It can also be used to help improve the texture of food products. Polydextrose is okay in small amounts.
Maltodextrin is used as a filler, thickener, and sweetener. It's a carbohydrate that can quickly spike blood sugar, especially when eaten in large quantities. This makes it a less favorable sugar substitute for people with diabetes. It is okay to consume in small quantities and moderation, like other sugars and sugar substitutes.
Sucralose is also known as Splenda. It is 600 times sweeter than regular sugar, which means a little bit will go a long way. This sweetener has no calories and has no aftertaste. It is a common sweetener in yogurt, candy, ice cream, soda, and sugar-free jams and preserves.
Stevia is a natural sugar substitute made from the leaf of a stevia plant. It is 100 to 300 times sweeter than regular sugar and adds no carbohydrates or calories to a product. Some people say that stevia has a bitter taste. It can also be bought in powder or liquid forms in supermarkets and health food stores.
Monk fruit sweetener comes from the monk fruit. It is a zero-calorie sweetener that is 100 to 250 times sweeter than table sugar. There may be some health benefits when using monk fruit sweetener, but there hasn't been much research yet.
There are a few other low-sugar jam varieties if you don't need to go completely sugar-free. Food may be labeled as sugar-free, free of sugar, sugarless, no sugar, or zero sugar. Food labeled "sugar-free" has less than half a gram of sugar per 100 grams or per serving. That amount includes both natural and added sugars.
Products labeled "no added sugar" may include naturally occurring sugars, but no sugar is added in processing or packaging. These items will be labeled as no added sugar, without added sugar, or no sugar added.
Jams may also be labeled as reduced sugar, less sugar, low in sugar, or lower sugar. Low-sugar products contain less than five grams of sugar per 100 grams. Reduced sugar items have at least 25 percent less sugar than the regular version of the product.
Sometimes finding the perfect jam or preserves can be very difficult, so you may want to consider making your own. For gardeners, this is a great way to use a lot of fruit all at once or utilize overripe fruit and reduce food waste. Even if you don't garden, you can often find fresh fruit at a local farmer's market or grocery store.
Making your own is a great way to know exactly what is going into your jam, and you can personalize the flavors for you and your family. There are a lot of recipes out there for different kinds of jam and preserves, including some sugar-free options.
Nature's Hollow offers sugar-free jams in a variety of flavors. Their blueberry jam is sugar-free and only 15 calories per serving. It's a great option if you are trying to reduce your sugar intake or just want a healthier jam. This jam is made with fresh, wild blueberries.
Reviewers said that this jam is easy to spread and tasty, with some even saying that it was the same or even better tasting than regular jam. Keto dieters mentioned that it's a nice addition to their meals.
This is a sugar-free, seedless jam with only 10 calories per serving. It's sweetened with Splenda sweetener. This jam contains zero grams of total fat and only five grams of total carbohydrates per serving.
Some reviewers mentioned that it has a thicker consistency that feels like jelly rather than jam. However, many reviewers said that this jam has a delicious taste and goes well with a variety of foods.
Nature Hollow's mountain berry jam is filled with different berries and has only 15 calories per serving. This fruity flavor includes strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.
Reviewers said this jam has great flavor, with some reviewers even mentioning that they can't tell that it's sugar-free. They also liked that it's not overly sweet.
Great Value's sugar-free seedless blackberry jam works well for people trying to cut down on sugar or calories, as it has only 10 calories per serving. This jam uses Splenda brand artificial sweetener instead of sugar.
Overall, reviewers, including those with diabetes, said this jam is tasty. They liked using it on breakfast foods, such as toast, muffins, bagels, and yogurt.
Smucker's sugar-free concord grape jam is sweetened using Splenda brand sweetener. This jam has 10 calories per serving with five grams of total carbohydrates. It's a great option for classic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!
Reviewers that had to watch their sugar intake said this was a great option for jam. They said it tastes delicious, noting that it's very similar to regular grape jam in flavor and texture.
Are you looking for more sugar-free foods to add to your table? Here are some other products that we recommend.
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