If you use Stevia...

[Amy+2]

Did you have a hard time transitioning?:bigear:

 

Also, what do you use for baking? Xylosweet? Palm Sugar?:

Edited July 6, 2012 by Amy+2

[CalicoKat]

Did you have a hard time transitioning?:bigear: :

For some things, but not others.

 

I still can't use it in my coffee. I do like it in my ice tea or on berries. And I use it instead when a recipe calls for 1T or so of sugar.

[justLisa]

I couldn't get used to the taste of it. In baked goods it didn't taste sweet enough. In liquids it tastes horribly bitter to me. I tried several brands. I just can't stand the stuff.

 

Right now I mostly use Xylitol products.

 

Yeah, it is pretty bitter. It does not provide enough bulk for most baked goods. Xylitol is a really good one. It is sweet like sugar with a "fresh" taste afterwards. I don't know how to describe it.

[My3Boys]

I can use it in cold beverages, no problem. In fact, one of my favorite summertime drinks is ice water with fresh lemon and stevia. The only exception is iced coffee. I tried making it with stevia once and no one, including me, could drink it.

 

In hot drinks, no. I have tried to get used to it with herbal teas, but I just can't do it. The aftertaste is much more pronounced, IMO. I guess I could try a little lemon juice in there too? I think I'll just be sticking with raw honey in my tea.

 

For the very few times I use sugar, like in iced or hot coffee, I use the organic sugar I get at BJs (Costco has it too). It's made from cane juice or something and has the word "whole" in it's name. It's not supposed to be as bad for you as refined white sugar.

[Ferdie]

I had a hard time using Stevia until I switched to Truvia, which is a Stevia blend. I use Truvia in my drinks and on oatmeal.

 

I still use sugar to bake. However, I find that for many recipes the amount of sugar can be greatly reduced.

Edited July 6, 2012 by Ferdie

[Chocolate Rose]

I went totally sugar/sweet free (including all fruit) for several weeks before I added stevia in to my diet. I don't know if that made a difference as far as transition or not. I use Truvia and also liquid stevia. I found flavored liquid stevia that I also use - chocolate raspberry, vanilla creme, etc.

I find that if I use too much, I get the bitter after taste. The trick is using enough to sweeten but not too much. And, I still don't know the secret to that.

[KrissiK]

I use the powdered Stevia and I do like it better than sugar. To bake - this doesn't work with everything, and you just need to experiment, but for a few things I'll use non-fat dried milk in place of sugar and then to make it sweet I'll put Stevia in.

[Momof3littles]

I use erythritol and stevia. I prefer to add them both in myself, as it is less expensive than buying Truvia, and sometimes I just want one or the other.

 

I never acquired a taste for stevia in hot beverages. I learned to like it in some forms, like the liquid vanilla sweetleaf drops in yogurt, but it took time to get there. Then I read about NuNaturals brand, and I loooove their product. It is the best IMO, with the least bitterness. I buy the pure stevia, not the one bulked with maltodextrin. The straight stevia is tougher to measure, but maltodextrin is really high on the GI index and I just prefer to skip it. When you use the straight (non bulked) stevia, you just need the teensiest pinch in things.

[LG Gone Wild]

Works great for me. I usually use it in coffee and smoothies. My favorite brand is Sweet Leaf which is at Henry's.

[Amy+2]

Thanks so much for all the responses!

 

I am a complete sugar addict and need to find a way to cut most of it out. I drink a gallon of sweet tea a day- not "Southern" sweet;), but sweet, and am starting to look into alternatives. I am definitely going to research the Xylitol products and maybe Truvia.

 

Now, if only M&M's could be altered...:tongue_smilie:

[happyhomemaker25]

Crystal Light now makes water flavoring packets with Truvia. They are awesome. I wish they would switch their tea over.

[justLisa]

I LOVE Crystal Light! I do not OD on it so I don't worry about it.

[Chocolate Rose]

They have a Stevia soda too. I haven't tried it yet though.

 

Maybe I'll try the flavoring packets.

 

Yes, Zevia is the brand that I've found. They have just about any regular soda flavor (Mt Zevia, Dr. Zevia, etc). It is pricey, though. And, it has too many carbs for me to drink on a regular (or irregular) basis.

Yesterday I found some flavored water that uses stevia - Twist Essence Water. I bought several flavors (I'm always on the lookout for low carb, non-artificially sweetened, non-carbonated drinks). I tried one yesterday and liked it - West Indies Lime. I'm taking the rest to work with me for something to drink other than plain water. These were also pricey at $1.79 for 19 ounces, but they only have 1 carb.

[black_midori]

I didn't have a big problem with the Stevia in drinks. I haven't used it much in cooking because I don't have any bulk stuff yet. I found the liquid Stevia wretchedly awful & can't use in at all in anything - my dh bakes with it on occasion because he thinks it is fine in his drinks, but any time he does I can immediately tell ("hhmmm... this tastes weird... did you use that liquid stuff again?").

[Momof3littles]

Yes, Zevia is the brand that I've found. They have just about any regular soda flavor (Mt Zevia, Dr. Zevia, etc). It is pricey, though. And, it has too many carbs for me to drink on a regular (or irregular) basis.

Yesterday I found some flavored water that uses stevia - Twist Essence Water. I bought several flavors (I'm always on the lookout for low carb, non-artificially sweetened, non-carbonated drinks). I tried one yesterday and liked it - West Indies Lime. I'm taking the rest to work with me for something to drink other than plain water. These were also pricey at $1.79 for 19 ounces, but they only have 1 carb.

Most people don't count the carbs in zevia since they are sugar alcohols...most diabetics find erythritol and stevia do not affect their sugar levels. So they contain "carbs" but kind of like fiber, not really usable. YMMV and I know some people prefer to count them. No biggie, just mentioning it.

 

I do like zevia. We aren't big soda drinkers but it can be nice to have the option on occasion. I've made a pretty good LC margarita using the lemon lime one with some True Lime, erythritol, and of course a little rum ;) Not ideal, but great for once or twice a year when I want to have a margarita. Zevia is on sale in my area this week for 3/10 dollars, which is a good price. We don't use it frequently, but when the price gets low I pick up some to have on hand for summer bbqs, vacation, or camping trips. It is a nice treat. The rootbeer one is good with a splash of heavy cream :)

 

WFs in my area sells Virgil's soda made with stevia (they have sugar sweetened ones too). They are quite pricey, but the cream soda one is really, really good!

 

I also like the sugar-free Steaz. The iced tea is okay, nothing to write home about, but the half lemonade/half iced tea with erythritol is very good! (I guess that's an Arnold Palmer?).

[Chocolate Rose]

Most people don't count the carbs in zevia since they are sugar alcohols...most diabetics find erythritol and stevia do not affect their sugar levels. So they contain "carbs" but kind of like fiber, not really usable. YMMV and I know some people prefer to count them. No biggie, just mentioning it.

 

I keep reading that sugar alcohols do affect blood sugar levels and that's why I try to avoid them. I guess maybe at some point I'll need to do my own experimenting to see how they affect me.

I LOVE your idea about adding cream to the root beer. I'm definitely going to try that. Oh, and the margarita suggestion is on my list, too. I was just just feeling sorry for myself yesterday for not being able to have margaritas any more.

Also, I did see Virgil's at one of our stores, but I only saw that it had sugar. I'm going to keep looking for the stevia sweetened version.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[Mom in High Heels]

There is a lot of controversy here in Europe about the safety of Stevia and you they don't sell it. I've tried it and think it's gross. You should look at agava nectar. It's also controversial (everything is), but IMO is far less bitter and doesn't leave a weird after taste. It comes in liquid form (it looks like syrup), and is on the low glycemic index.

[Momof3littles]

I keep reading that sugar alcohols do affect blood sugar levels and that's why I try to avoid them. I guess maybe at some point I'll need to do my own experimenting to see how they affect me.

I LOVE your idea about adding cream to the root beer. I'm definitely going to try that. Oh, and the margarita suggestion is on my list, too. I was just just feeling sorry for myself yesterday for not being able to have margaritas any more.

Also, I did see Virgil's at one of our stores, but I only saw that it had sugar. I'm going to keep looking for the stevia sweetened version.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Well, I think sorbitol and malitol (two common sugar alcohols) are known to have a much bigger impact on blood sugar. Most diabetics I know who test find erythritol doesn't bother them. Malitol is pretty terrible for some people-the GI effects, and then many people find it does impact their blood sugar.

 

THe margaritas were gooood. I haven't made them in a year, but I was thrilled when I tweaked enough to figure it out. My mom and I both LC and really enjoyed them :D It makes me feel human to know I can have those things, even if they are a very rare thing for me.

[Momof3littles]

There is a lot of controversy here in Europe about the safety of Stevia and you they don't sell it. I've tried it and think it's gross. You should look at agava nectar. It's also controversial (everything is), but IMO is far less bitter and doesn't leave a weird after taste. It comes in liquid form (it looks like syrup), and is on the low glycemic index.

If someone is insulin resistant though, that is super concentrated fructose and not great for fatty liver disease, which is a big risk for those who are IR. I like the taste of agave, but between concerns over adulteration and concern over fatty liver disease, I stopped a few years ago. I agree though, there is no perfect solution so each person has to find what is acceptable to them. Ideally we wouldn't do any sweetener, but I do find we need something on occasion, so we make the choice that works best for us, as I'm sure you do.

 

I think some of the issue at least in the US about stevia is related to the political power of sugar. Look up the Fanjul family and their wealth and empire. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/business/14fanjul.html?pagewanted=all They are extraordinarily wealthy and powerful, which comes with political influence. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/wikileaks-fanjuls-among-sugar-barons-who-muscled-l/nL2wg/

 

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/01/11/Business/Sugar_strike_short__s.shtml

 

this is from Daily Kos, which is obviously a political site, but some backstory there about the Fanjuls and their connections to various presidents.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/04/09/200660/-Vegetables-of-Mass-Destruction-Sugar-Coated-Edition

Edited July 8, 2012 by Momof3littles