Scientists at Tufts have found a way to turn common glucose into a rare sugar that tastes almost exactly like table sugar-but with far fewer downsides. Using engineered bacteria as microscopic factories, the team can now produce tagatose efficiently and cheaply, achieving yields far higher than current methods. Tagatose delivers nearly the same sweetness as sugar with significantly fewer calories, minimal impact on blood sugar, and even potential benefits for oral and gut health.
Cups of applesauce frequently made their way into lunchboxes and topped off lunch trays, but we don't have to abandon them in the past once we get older. Even if the nostalgic ingredient no longer functions as a midday snack, it still serves a deliciously important role. A cup of most sweetened and unsweetened applesauce contains about 1/7 the amount of calories that a cup of sugar has, making it a more nutritious way to enjoy your favorite toothsome treats.