What is the best sweetener?

[Jamesiv1]

I am trying to get off white sugar (I'm a big sugar-head!)

What is the best sweetener? as a substitute for white?

I love my sweet coffee... and mushing up berries and sweeten them (if not quite ripe) - then mix with some Greek yogurt.

I have some Stevia. Is that a good one?


*By 'best' I mean the healthiest.

[Zippyjuan]

Stevia is kinda bitter on its own so it is usually blended with other sweeteners- usually some form of artificial one but sometimes sugar- some are just listed as "natural flavors" like Erythritol which is an alcohol compound made from corn. Honey or fruit?

[Suzanimal]

I am trying to get off white sugar (I'm a big sugar-head!)

What is the best sweetener? as a substitute for white?

I love my sweet coffee... and mushing up berries and sweeten them (if not quite ripe) - then mix with some Greek yogurt.

I have some Stevia. Is that a good one?


*By 'best' I mean the healthiest.

I don't like Stevia and I don't like sweet coffee but I have a great substitute for your yogurt. I keep frozen berries around and I take a pot of them and cook them on low for hours with just a bit of water. You don't need much water because they'll release a lot of juice. Anyway, take your cooked berries and stick them in the fridge for use whenever you want something sweet. They are a lot sweeter cooked, btw.

[Ender]

I am trying to get off white sugar (I'm a big sugar-head!)

What is the best sweetener? as a substitute for white?

I love my sweet coffee... and mushing up berries and sweeten them (if not quite ripe) - then mix with some Greek yogurt.

I have some Stevia. Is that a good one?


*By 'best' I mean the healthiest.

ZULKA

It's a Mexican sugar- unprocessed, flavorful and healthy. You can usually buy it at Walmart or most Mexican food stores. At Walmart it is about the same price as reg sugar.

It's the only sweetener I use- I muscle test everything and this actually makes me react stronger.

[Ronin Truth]

FWIW, I've become a fan of Stevia.

[Jamesiv1]

I don't like Stevia and I don't like sweet coffee but I have a great substitute for your yogurt. I keep frozen berries around and I take a pot of them and cook them on low for hours with just a bit of water. You don't need much water because they'll release a lot of juice. Anyway, take your cooked berries and stick them in the fridge for use whenever you want something sweet. They are a lot sweeter cooked, btw.

Very nice - gonna try that one.

Do they usually add sugar to frozen berries?

Have you looked into nutritional benefits of frozen vs. fresh?

Strawberries get moldy so fast... but I love them. Especially mixed up with blueberries or bananas!

(saw the pics about Banana Girl - too skinny lol )

[Jamesiv1]

ZULKA

It's a Mexican sugar- unprocessed, flavorful and healthy. You can usually buy it at Walmart or most Mexican food stores. At Walmart it is about the same price as reg sugar.

It's the only sweetener I use- I muscle test everything and this actually makes me react stronger.

That sounds awesome. I live in a very hispanic part of town - neighborhood Fiesta grocery store has a ton of mexican stuff - probably half the store. Produce, seafood, meats... they got it all.

I'm going to try it.

[Jamesiv1]

FWIW, I've become a fan of Stevia.

I just did some Stevia in a raw veggie shake with some cinnamon and vanilla protein powder. Churn it up with water, then smooth it out with Greek yogurt.

Really good!

[Suzanimal]

Very nice - gonna try that one.

Do they usually add sugar to frozen berries?

Have you looked into nutritional benefits of frozen vs. fresh?

Strawberries get moldy so fast... but I love them. Especially mixed up with blueberries or bananas!

(saw the pics about Banana Girl - too skinny lol )

The ones I buy don't have added sugar. I buy dole whole frozen strawberries at Sams because we eat a lot of them.

Fresh fruit versus frozen–which is better?

I found two good studies comparing fresh to frozen fruit. One on strawberries and one on raspberries. They both found the same thing: “no statistically significant differences between the…[antioxidant levels] for fresh and frozen strawberries” and “It is concluded, therefore, that freshly picked, fresh commercial, and frozen raspberries all contain similar levels of phytochemicals and antioxidants per serving.”

http://nutritionfacts.org/questions/...ich-is-better/

[Natural Citizen]

ZULKA

It's a Mexican sugar- unprocessed, flavorful and healthy. You can usually buy it at Walmart or most Mexican food stores. At Walmart it is about the same price as reg sugar.

It's the only sweetener I use- I muscle test everything and this actually makes me react stronger.

Yeah, that's the best stuff, I think. I use it, too.

[specsaregood]

Xylitol is a natural sweeter (sugar alcohol) that is low calorie, helps prevent cavities by killing the bacteria that causes them AND has been found to remineralize teeth. Its worth trying.

[Jamesiv1]

Xylitol is a natural sweeter (sugar alcohol) that is low calorie, helps prevent cavities by killing the bacteria that causes them AND has been found to remineralize teeth. Its worth trying.

Where do you find it?

[Jamesiv1]

Awesome guys and girls. I appreciate it.

Good to hear about frozen berries - thanks Suz.

[specsaregood]

Where do you find it?

They have bags of it at my local grocery in the hippie foods section. Or there is always amazon.

[dannno]

Stevia is the only sweetener, artificial or non, that actually has health benefits.... with the possible exception of raw honey, but while the raw honey will be much better than sugar in terms of insulin response it will still raise your blood sugar.. but raw honey may have other health benefits, and it is certainly beneficial over sugar... but the point is, the people here talking $#@! about stevia without learning how to use it properly are potentially ruining other people's good health. Stevia actually reverses the negative effects that artificial and non-artificial sweeteners have on your blood sugar and insulin response...(I'm not just talking about ppl in this thread talking $#@! on stevia, but other threads where we've had this discussion as well)

People that say they don't like stevia don't know wtf they are talking about. First of all, stevia is extremely potent. It's something like a quarter teaspoon equals 5 or 10 cups of sugar potent.. So people who say they don't like stevia I guess had a scale out that measures in 1/1000th of a gram, because they smoke crack I suppose, and they measured out various doses to add to their tea or coffee.. They went all the way down until the bitterness left, and then were disappointed that the coffee or tea wasn't sweet enough... riiighhttt.. Then they are clearly comparing it to other zero calorie sweetners, which also all have the same bitter aftertaste, because comparing it to a sweetener that has carbs like honey or sugar would just be retarded...

Here is the trick to stevia - either use it in very tiny amounts and expect some type of artificial sweetener aftertaste and just accept it for what it is, or another really cool trick is to add some raw honey, or even some sugar, just use about a quarter or a third of the amount you normally would, then add a tiny bit of stevia.. I make desserts for people that have stevia and very very low sugar content in them all the time, and people have no idea there are artificial sweeteners in them and they taste fantastic.

I have two chocolate protein powders sitting here side by side, one has sucralose (is said to cause cancer, destroy gut bacteria and cause other health problems) and 3g of sugar per serving - the other has stevia and 3g of sugar per serving. Guess which one tastes better?? The stevia one actually tastes MUCH MUCH better than the sucralose one. It's not even close. So stevia beats out the most popular artificial sweetener, which is also really bad for you, and stevia is really good for you. Sounds like a winner to me.

Maybe the people who don't like stevia should just make a blanket statement about artificial sweeteners in general.. now there are some like erythritol which are not good for you, but not really bad for you per se, and these aren't bad. I've seen them mixed in with stevia products and they tend to taste pretty good, still slightly bitter and diety.. but that comes from the erythritol as well. But I would recommend using stevia, even if it is a tiny amount to the point where you can't taste it, along with any other artificial or non-artificial sweeteners because it reverses the negative effects that BOTH tend to have on people regarding their blood sugar and insulin response.

edit: I have xylitol tooth paste, haven't tried it in desserts but it would probably make a great mixer like erythritol w/ stevia, and like I said above if you want it to actually taste good and not know there is artifical sweetener u can use a small amount of non-artificial sweetener.

[PaulDiggsJazz]

I am trying to get off white sugar (I'm a big sugar-head!)

What is the best sweetener? as a substitute for white?

I love my sweet coffee... and mushing up berries and sweeten them (if not quite ripe) - then mix with some Greek yogurt.

I have some Stevia. Is that a good one?


*By 'best' I mean the healthiest.

There are many healthy substitutes for white sugar (which is actually a refined drug, not a food). Here are the 3 most obvious in order of healthiness:

1. Honey is actually 3 times sweeter than processed sugar (and tastes great in coffee) If you use 1 tsp of sugar you need less than 1/2 that with honey. If you buy local honey it also helps build resistance to hayfever and pollen allergies.
2. Molasses (unsulphured blackstrap) is the concentrated nutrients that are removed when making white sugar. A "superfood". Its even good for diabetics used moderately. Great source of iron, chromium and other trace minerals, and b-vitamins. Everyone should consume a tablespoon per day.
3. Mexican sugar is just unprocessed cane sugar that does not have the nutrients removed to make molasses.

Think of white sugar like cocaine (your brain does). Coca leaves have been a healthful food (chewing raw leaves or making tea) for thousands of years. But when the processed purified cocaine is extracted and concentrated, and all the other nutrients removed it becomes a dangerous addictive drug. Sugar cane is likewise. Deep roots make it very efficient at extracting trace minerals our bodies need. But when the processed purified sucrose is extracted and concentrated, and all the other nutrients removed it becomes a dangerous addictive drug.

[donnay]

Real maple syrup.


The Health Benefits of Maple Syrup: Why You Should Replace Processed Sugar with Maple Syrup
http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/the....LBhHhe33.dpuf

[specsaregood]

Stevia is the only sweetener, artificial or non, that actually has health benefits.... with the possible exception of raw honey,

No, as I pointed out Xylitol has health benefits, especially in regards to dental health. Also, it is being researched as a treatment for osteoporosis. I like xylitol; I tried stevia and didn't like it. To each their own.

[Zippyjuan]

ZULKA

It's a Mexican sugar- unprocessed, flavorful and healthy. You can usually buy it at Walmart or most Mexican food stores. At Walmart it is about the same price as reg sugar.

It's the only sweetener I use- I muscle test everything and this actually makes me react stronger.

Zulka is cane sugar. Nutritionally, no different from regular sugar. It may have a tiny bit more molasses which gives it a bit different flacor in it but not much more on the nutrition sided. http://www.nongmoproject.org/2012/09...-verification/

Zulka Pure Cane Sugar is real sugar pressed from fresh sugar cane, which gives it a distinctively pure taste, natural aroma and rich color.

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/hea...better-for-you

Are Natural Sugars Better For You?

Advertisers claim that raw sugar retains more of the nutrients from the original plant. But sugar cane doesn’t have many nutrients to start out with.

Advertisers try to make it sound as if these less-refined sugars are also more nutritious than regular white sugar. They claim that they retain more of the nutrients from the original plant. And, technically, that may be true. But sugar cane doesn’t have many nutrients to start out with. Any traces that remain in raw sugar are so trivial, they can barely be measured.

Nutritionally speaking, there really is no meaningful difference between any of these kinds of sugar. Although some are definitely less processed, they all provide the same number of calories, and when it comes to digestion and metabolism, your body cannot tell the difference.

In other words, if you prefer a less-processed product (and you don’t mind the premium price), raw sugar or evaporated cane juice is great. But you’d want to limit your intake of these natural sugars exactly the way you would limit your intake of refined white sugar.

[donnay]

No, as I pointed out Xylitol has health benefits, especially in regards to dental health. Also, it is being researched as a treatment for osteoporosis. I like xylitol; I tried stevia and didn't like it. To each their own.

I like Xyiltol better than Stevia too. Xyiltol has many good benefits--especially on cavities. Stevia leaves an after-taste in my mouth.

[tod evans]

Made the boys a batch of no-bake cookies over the weekend, real sugar, butter, oats and cocoa harvested by lame children...

Looking for sugar substitutes is a waste of time and money, cut down or don't.

[TheCount]

I like Xyiltol better than Stevia too. Xyiltol has many good benefits--especially on cavities. Stevia leaves an after-taste in my mouth.

I can't get over that aftertaste. Stevia is a complete no-go for me.

Haven't tried xylitol.

[oyarde]

I am trying to get off white sugar (I'm a big sugar-head!)

What is the best sweetener? as a substitute for white?

I love my sweet coffee... and mushing up berries and sweeten them (if not quite ripe) - then mix with some Greek yogurt.

I have some Stevia. Is that a good one?


*By 'best' I mean the healthiest.

I just use raisins , dried blueberries , cranberries for ice cream , baked goods etc I drink my coffee black

[Lindsey]

Personally, I am a fan of honey for sweetening most things. However, I don't drink coffee and somehow I feel like honey won't go well in coffee.

[PursuePeace]

Xylitol. (For the reasons listed above by others.)

I normally buy this brand because it's made in the USA and from birch instead of corn:

http://www.amazon.com/Xylitol-Health..._6_a_it&sr=8-6

[Ender]

Zulka is cane sugar. Nutritionally, no different from regular sugar. It may have a tiny bit more molasses which gives it a bit different flacor in it but not much more on the nutrition sided. http://www.nongmoproject.org/2012/09...-verification/



http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/hea...better-for-you

Not my experience with Zulka, Zippy.

Like I said, I muscle test every food I intake an Zulka builds strength- not weakens.

[oyarde]

Personally, I am a fan of honey for sweetening most things. However, I don't drink coffee and somehow I feel like honey won't go well in coffee.

My Wife does it , gross as hell .

[Natural Citizen]

Where do you find it?

Some companies sell xylitol produced from genetically modified corn while some others sell non-GMO xylitol.


http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.c...cked-up-to-be/

[Mike4Freedom]

I buy a brand of stevia called truvia. I get it at costco. I hardly use sweeteners for anything, but my wife likes it in her tea. As far as the taste goes, it seems to taste a lot better then some other stevia brands.

[fisharmor]

Looking for sugar substitutes is a waste of time and money, cut down or don't.

Thanks for injecting that into the conversation Tod. It is an option to simply not eat the sugar!

When my wife and I were first married we put 2 teaspoons of sugar in our coffee every morning. That didn't last long and went down to 1, then eventually we were only putting a level teaspoon in, and as of a few months ago we were putting even less than that. Then one morning my wife handed me a cup of coffee I drink it and said hey what did you do to this? Her response was I just didn't put sugar in, it's only cream. And I cant imagine not drinking coffee this way now.

Likewise with the sweets. When we make sweets we do what Tod did, we generally bake something that has other nutritious stuff in there like oatmeal or flour or eggs. We get plenty of sugar in pancakes. And our daughters generally still have Halloween candy well after Easter, because we're bringing them up simply not to eat sugar all the time.