Hi! Welcome!
My name is Brenda and I am a mom to 3 beautiful children, a puppy and a fabulous husband who I absolutely adore after almost 15 years!
Over the course of the last 25 years of my life, (Yikes I’m feeling OLD!) and numerous diet failures, yo-yo-ING weight, crying and praying to God for a solution to maintain a healthy weight and stop the cravings, I have come to the decision that I simply cannot have certain sugars in my life! YES, it is true, no white refined sugar and other products that contain it. BUT that has not stopped me from enjoying this life! My passion is cooking and entertaining friends and family, which makes it pretty cool that I can always try out new, healthy (insert sneaky laugh here) recipes on them!! SO finally after quite some years experimenting and creating recipes without white refined sugar and white flour, and receiving requests for these very recipes, this blog has come to be!
Here you will find recipes that are healthy for you and your family. I use sugar replacements that do not cause me to crave after eating these substitutes and which I believe are healthier than white refined sugar. I am not a nutritionist, never took a cooking class, not a fabulous photographer, but I’m learning to be better. I am just a health conscious mom who tries her best to eat foods as natural as possible. My sugar substitutes of choice are Sucanat, raw, unfiltered honey, and SweetLeaf Stevia. You will not find any recipes that include using white refined flour or sugar, brown sugar, agave nectar, Splenda or other artificial sweeteners.
You will also hear weekly tips about weight loss as well as how to maintain your weight loss. I have been successfully maintaining a 50 pound weight loss for the last 6 years since my third child was born. My experience is my own and I share what I’ve learned. I hope to help others achieve their weight loss goals through healthy eating tips and recipes! If you’d like the full details of how I became sugar-free, please read My Journey.
Other interests beside my cooking passion, is spending quality time with my family, homeschooling, and exercising because I love it and want to set a good example for my children.My priority to myself and family is maintaining balance with all things we are involved with.
If you are a woman who has recently lost weight and desires to maintain it, you will find encouragement and fabulous recipes here!
If you are a mom who is struggling to take that baby weight off, you will find help here!
Even if you may not need to lose weight but you desire healthier recipes for yourself and family, you are at the right place!
If you are striving to get to that goal weight (yep, that’s me!) but still love to entertain (me again!) and don’t know what to make, seek no further! Sugar-Free Mom is the site for you my friend!
Come on in and enjoy!
Blessings,
Brenda
PLEASE NOTE DISCLAIMER:
Brenda Bennett is not a medical professional or nutritionist. She does not have formal weight loss training. This blog is her own experience as examples and guidelines for healthy eating, exercise and weight loss strategies. Consult a medical professional before making exercise and dietary changes.
This is awesome! i read the whole thing! It’s going to be FAB once all the pic’s are up! oh no! Apple cake is NOT sugar free, is it =(
xo
Good Luck!
Just came across your blog. I love it and am excited to try your stuff!!!!
Thanks Holly! Welcome!
I notice that you choose Sucanat, honey, and Stevia for your sugar choices … can you help me understand why these and why you don’t use refined sugar, brown sugar, or agave nectar. I read your stuff on Splenda and agree with all that. Just in my journey of healthier living and eating, I’m trying to figure out why those 3 aren’t as good of choices for me and why the other 3 would be better choices. Can you help with my understanding in this area? Thanks!!!
HI Holly! When I did the Prism weight loss program in 2004, they recommended only those sweeteners as they are minimally less processed and refined than other sugars today. I have a great article in my side bar about agave you can read, but its just not as healthful and organic as people believe so I don’t use it. Sucanat and honey are still sugars and I try to use them only in moderation. Sweetleaf Stevia is a sugar-free plant based sweetener which again is not refined like white sugar and more natural than even honey or sucanat. Hope that helps some!
Brenda i absolutely love this site and i’m off to try alot of these recipes this weekend. I need to get back and focus on me. I’m going to try the chili and the meatloaf. Can’t wait to see how the family likes it. Great work and keep posting healthy receipes:) Miss you.
Thank you Laura! You can do it! I think your family will love the recipes!!!
I just found your blog via pinterest. I am trying the crockpot oatmeal tonight with steel cut oats, I was out of oatmeal. We’ll see how that goes. I am excited about your blog and trying new recipes. I have been wanting to replace sugar in our house but with so many options I have not been sure which way to go. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Now it is time to finally get rid of this baby weight. I would love to hear more about how you fit excercise into your schedule. I am also a homeschooling mom and have three young children. I find it difficutl to make the time to take care of myself properly with so much to do all day. How do you do it?
HI Marni! Welcome! Thanks for visiting! I will definitely write a post about exercising and fitting it in! Thank you for the suggestion! God bless!
Brenda,
I’ve had to be off sugar for 20 years now. I’m excited about your blog for new and healthier ideas for myself and my family. I found you because of the blogging class.
Sharon
Hi Brenda,
Thanks so much for sharing your story, and for the inspiration that living sugar-free is possible! I hope to be able to say the same for myself someday soon, as I am only now beginning this sugar-free journey. I do have a question about brown rice syrup however. Do you know if this is an acceptable sugar-free substitute?
I have had brown rice syrup in products and it does not seem to cause a reaction and negative effects, but I only have it very rarely. My top 3 sweetener choices is a post I wrote in the “Tips & Articles” tab.
So excited to come across your site. I am a mother of three two kind and handsome boys and my youngest about to turn 1 my precious sweet baby girl. I am 5’1 and although i was never skinny ever since I had my first born I never returned or even got close to my pre baby weight of 130. With my daughters birthday around the corner and my weight at 165 I am excited to try some of your recipes.
Welcome Vanessa! You can do it. Stay disciplined. And Congrats on your little baby girl, how sweet!
Hello Brenda, I need some direction… where do you go for your pudding (chocolate and vanilla especially)? Are there any brands or recipes the come to mind that you could suggest?
My family is in sugar-free, real-food transition (2months deep). I enjoy your recipes and blog so very much…always feeling encouraged and challenged to dig deeper into how God made these bodies (and what these bodies need for fuel so that we can go out a be a light)!
Thank you so much! I don’t buy the puddings for the kids. I usually make them the coconut “cream” from the whipped cream recipe. That’s pudding to them.
I found out about a year ago that I’ve gone from being hypoglycemic to border-line diabetic. So I have been sugar free since then. I feel 110% better!!! I am curious about your sugar substitutes….are they ok for diabetics?? I have been using artificial sweeteners and I know they are not the best.
Hi Mel, Nice to meet you! I have quite a few readers that are diabetic and enjoy and use the recipes I make with stevia since it is naturally sugar free and doesn’t spike blood sugar. I have some recipes that use sucanat and honey and they are basically still a form of sugar but much less refined than white sugar. I am not a doctor so you will need to clear any changes you make to your diet with your doctor. If you look at the tips and articles I’ve written, you might be interested in reading: 3 Splenda Myths Busted as well as, Top 3 Best Refined Sugar Free Products.
Hi Brenda, I just found your blog today, after a posting on pinterest. I have to say, your recipes look awesome and delicious. And I am absolutely thrilled about you including the Weight Watchers points+ with the recipes!!!!!! That makes me super duper happy and I am so glad I will be able to read up on all your postings while my kiddos are napping! I look forward to changing the way we eat in our family and becoming healther! Thanks again!
Thanks so much Amy and I am so happy to have you on board!
One of my friends on FB posted a recipe for sugar free muffins today and it couldn’t have come at a better time! I just found out my son has ADHD and I’ve decided that I want to cut out sugars from his diet. I also need to lose a big amount of weight and thought we could do this as a family. I can’t wait to try your recipes!!
I do have a question though…..how come you don’t use agave nectar? I heard that it was a good substitute for sugar and was healthier. Can I find Sucanat and SweetLeaf Stevia at any regular grocery store?
Thanks! =D
This post explains the sweeteners I use and why agave isn’t on the list, http://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/top-3-refined-sugar-free-sweeteners/
I buy sucanat and stevia online through iherb.com. My coupon code is YAJ035 for you to use. I have not looked for them at a regular grocery store, only at a health store like Whole Foods.