HELP: Trying to get away from using artificial sweeteners. Need advice.

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kaitcb92
kaitcb92 Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am a (was..) a big fan of artificial sweeteners. Diet pop, splenda, Twin, etc. I always used them because of the 0 calories, but now I am wanting to get away from using them and start with something more natural. I don't like the idea of unknown health risks that have been circulating about the artificial stuff, and studies even show that despite having no calories, they still contribute to obesity.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can replace them with? I would mainly be using it in coffee, tea, smoothies, etc. as opposed to baking/cooking. I was looking into Stevia (although that was found to be not entirely good for you either), or honey (more natural but does have calories).

Thanks!
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Replies

  • dfargher
    dfargher Posts: 37 Member
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    With Stevia it depends on what kind you get. I use Stevia sometimes - it is the only zero calorie sweetener that (in it's unprocessed form) is not "artificial". The biggest issue is just that adding sweeteners in general changes your palette to like overly sweet things rather than being able to enjoy the natural sweetness of foods.

    For coffee, tea, and smoothies - can you just go without sweeteners? It can take some adjustment at first, but it is worth learning to enjoy beverages with no sweeteners at all. I sometimes add cinnamon to coffee and lemon to my tea, but both are enjoyable unsweetened. Smoothies are so sweet already from the fruit!

    As for baking - it depends on what you're making. I sweeten with dates and bananas (and sometimes a small amount of stevia) but these won't caramelize like actual sugar. Sometimes, it's just better to enjoy a real-sugar treat in moderation.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    I hated both Stevia and agave. They both left me with a nasty aftertaste, though it doesn't seem to bother a lot of people. You might try Splenda. It's not my sweetener of choice, but I can actually use it with only a mild taste difference vs. sugar.
  • ryanhorn
    ryanhorn Posts: 355 Member
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    I'm all about some honey. It's worth every calorie in my opinion especially for the uses your talking about (coffee, tea, etc)! Give it a try, and let me know what you think!
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    I hear a lot about xylitol. I also use Stevia. A lot of diet gurus that talk about sugar substitute use xylitol. I have yet to try it but I do use Stevia.

    Stevia is really sweet and is 0 calorie and I have found it to taste ok with little after taste. Stevia is 2nd to xylitol. Maybe someone knows about or have tried it..
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    kaitcb92 wrote: »
    I am a (was..) a big fan of artificial sweeteners. Diet pop, splenda, Twin, etc. I always used them because of the 0 calories, but now I am wanting to get away from using them and start with something more natural. I don't like the idea of unknown health risks that have been circulating about the artificial stuff, and studies even show that despite having no calories, they still contribute to obesity.

    Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can replace them with? I would mainly be using it in coffee, tea, smoothies, etc. as opposed to baking/cooking. I was looking into Stevia (although that was found to be not entirely good for you either), or honey (more natural but does have calories).

    Thanks!

    Most of those studies are just fear mongering.
  • Amitysk
    Amitysk Posts: 705 Member
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    I would go with raw, local honey. It's worth the calories for what you're using it for. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and upsets some people's tummies...
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
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    gia07 wrote: »
    I hear a lot about xylitol. I also use Stevia. A lot of diet gurus that talk about sugar substitute use xylitol. I have yet to try it but I do use Stevia.

    Be very careful with the xylitol! It does actually taste good, but it's a laxative. I found that out the hard way! I'm more sensitive to it than most people, so you might be ok with it, just be aware of it.

  • gszollos
    gszollos Posts: 4 Member
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    Swerve is great. Easy to bake with two. I cut most of the recommended additional sweeteners and most recipes by about 50%
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,659 Member
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    Studies CORRELATE obesity with artificial sweeteners and don't state they cause it. As for unknown health risks, while there are some who are sensitive to it and some who should avoid it completely (PKU), artificial sweeteners are one of the most studied additives and peer reviewed clinical study hasn't shown that moderate dosage of it is detrimental.
    If you're trying to get away from it, then just add sugar (since practically anything with an "ose" ending is going to be broken down in the end) and account for the calories.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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  • kaitcb92
    kaitcb92 Posts: 12 Member
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    Thanks for the suggestions! Got myself some organic honey to try out.
  • MyFitnessMyWellness
    MyFitnessMyWellness Posts: 14 Member
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    Honey or maple syrup are great alternatives... Yes they have calories but a lot better than artificial sweeteners
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
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    I like to use bananas and dates when I bake. For drinks, smoothies are naturally sweet, and tea and coffee I've learned to enjoy as is. Maple syrup and honey are also good.
  • alyssafisher0903
    alyssafisher0903 Posts: 1
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    My family uses trivia! It's great!
  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
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    stevia, honey are great, best substitute I think is monk fruit 'sugar' if you can find it. It is a sweetner but is very natural. texture and taste of sugar. I was amazed when I tried it

    www.monkfruit.org check it out. If you can find it it is worth it
  • jlang143
    jlang143 Posts: 13 Member
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    In my breakfast smoothies I add a bit more ripe pineapple or another sweet fruit in the place of sweetener. I quit using splenda in my coffee cold turkey! I was shocked how easy it was once I made up my mind that I wanted to stop using it. :) You can do it!
  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    kaitcb92 wrote: »
    I am a (was..) a big fan of artificial sweeteners. Diet pop, splenda, Twin, etc. I always used them because of the 0 calories, but now I am wanting to get away from using them and start with something more natural. I don't like the idea of unknown health risks that have been circulating about the artificial stuff, and studies even show that despite having no calories, they still contribute to obesity.

    Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can replace them with? I would mainly be using it in coffee, tea, smoothies, etc. as opposed to baking/cooking. I was looking into Stevia (although that was found to be not entirely good for you either), or honey (more natural but does have calories).

    Thanks!

    Most of those studies are just fear mongering.

    can you back that up please?
  • SamLD88
    SamLD88 Posts: 111 Member
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    Artificial sweeteners trigger migraines for me. This, unfortunately, includes stevia. The number one thing you need to do is read ingredients, because they hide them EVERYwhere. Why does a toaster strudel need sucralose, when the generic version doesn't have any and has the exact same calorie count? No one knows. Why do they need to put it in Swiss Miss? Probably because they hate me.

    I admit, I still drink a decent amount of coke. I leave some calories for it, and just leave it at that.
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    edited January 2015
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    On the rare occasions I want a sweetener, I use stevia. It doesn't have the negatives artificial sweeteners do. But even that is just every once in a while...I now even drink my coffee black and don't need things to taste as sweet as I used to.

    For smoothies, I would just sweeten with fruit. I sometimes add raspberries to my yogurt if I want it a little sweeter. Low calorie, and a relatively small amount of sugar.
  • kaitcb92
    kaitcb92 Posts: 12 Member
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    jlang143 wrote: »
    In my breakfast smoothies I add a bit more ripe pineapple or another sweet fruit in the place of sweetener. I quit using splenda in my coffee cold turkey! I was shocked how easy it was once I made up my mind that I wanted to stop using it. :) You can do it!


    Thanks for the encouragement! Definitely need to wean myself down from the sweet coffee - I used to only take a bit of splenda but somehow managed to work myself up to two whole packets! Yuck!

    Adding sweet pineapple to my smoothies is a great idea! I usually stick to a berry mix but I use frozen so I often find them sour. I'll have to pick up some fresh pineapple and give that a try next time I'm at the grocery store.
  • kaitcb92
    kaitcb92 Posts: 12 Member
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    samdavis88 wrote: »
    Artificial sweeteners trigger migraines for me. This, unfortunately, includes stevia. The number one thing you need to do is read ingredients, because they hide them EVERYwhere. Why does a toaster strudel need sucralose, when the generic version doesn't have any and has the exact same calorie count? No one knows. Why do they need to put it in Swiss Miss? Probably because they hate me.

    I admit, I still drink a decent amount of coke. I leave some calories for it, and just leave it at that.

    I just started reading ingredients instead of just the nutritional label and I was really surprised. Off topic from the sweetener issue, but I just went to the store to buy a little carton of egg whites and one of the boxes I picked up had a list of around 10 ingredients - stuff I didn't even know what it was. I was glad to find the store brand box only had one ingredient: egg white.

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