Sugar Replacement?

bunnypanther

Has anyone discovered anything to replace sugar that is actually any good?

One of my comfort things is milky sweet tea. I've tried sweetex and splenda but both have a funny after taste. Honey doesn't work the same and is for things like lemon and ginger tea in my mind

Anyone got any suggestions please?

Alatariel75

Why replace the sugar? Are you diabetic? Can't you just fit it into your calories?

lemonsnowdrop

I use Stevia in my coffee. It's a little funny tasting at first and very sweet, but I got used to it quickly and prefer it to any other sugar replacement.

Whiskeytub

If you are just trying to replace highly refined sugar, keep honey, pure maple syrup, and agave nectar around. Honey is really good for you, maple syrup is the best substance ever discovered, good for adding a dark, rich sweetness to coffee or baking, and agave is good for when you don't want to impart honey or maple flavoring to what you're making.

Phrick

I like powdered Xylitol for sweetening, but if you try it be sure to keep it away from any pets you have (especially dogs) as it is toxic to them.

ETA: worse than dark chocolate, toxic. Dead, toxic.

SezxyStef

I like powdered Xylitol for sweetening, but if you try it be sure to keep it away from any pets you have (especially dogs) as it is toxic to them.

ETA: worse than dark chocolate, toxic. Dead, toxic.

Xylitol isn't bad...mine looked like coarse sugar...looks very pretty on cookies.

It isn't cheap...10$ for a bag here where I live but I do like it. I personally don't use it anymore as real sugar only has 5 calories more than xylitol and I don't have "issues" with sugar like I did xylitol

Now mind you it does have some effects on you as well...you will be very very very regular...and for me it wasn't necessarily in a good way and when I stopped using it I rebounded back the other way and it took about 2 weeks to get back to "normal"

RHachicho

I use Splenda it was the closest I found. Sorry if that's disappointing. Remember though don't cut sugar completely. I totally get it if your a big tea drinker and don't wanna chalk up two spoonfuls of sugar every time you want to enjoy a cuppa though.

bunnypanther

Why replace the sugar? Are you diabetic? Can't you just fit it into your calories?

Generally I do, or don't have sugar in it, but some days require more comfort tea than others!! Just pondering as currently stricken by evil man flu and the time of month so today I could potentially have a lot of tea based calories!!

xx

mishtery

i'm just trying to cut the sugar down slowly rather then replace it. Tea is fine without it. Coffee is a slow process of cutting it out.

psuLemon

Why replace the sugar? Are you diabetic? Can't you just fit it into your calories?

Generally I do, or don't have sugar in it, but some days require more comfort tea than others!! Just pondering as currently stricken by evil man flu and the time of month so today I could potentially have a lot of tea based calories!!

xx

Best advice for lowering sugar.. eat more proteins and fats. Sugar isn't bad for you as long as you maintain a deficit and get all your nutrients, but many find lowering carbs to be replaced by fat and protein helps with cravings.

Shalini_15

Good question.. Any thoughts on jaggery? nt sure how the tea or coffee would taste with jaggery though

BoxerBrawler

I like Truvia. Very sweet and light with no funny after taste

40DayFit

Re. jaggery: Jaggery is simply another form of sugar, but far less refined than the white granulated sugar most Western diets incorporate today. You can get some additional nutrients from jaggery, and a different, "darker" or "earthier" taste than the refined white stuff.

Most important thing about jaggery is trying to figure out the source, whether it's from cane or dates or palm sap, and trying to be sure it's as pure as possible (no added color, etc.).

Re. sugars in the diet: I imagine that regulating the use of whatever sugar/sweetener we wish to use is the most balanced way to approach its use, if there are no medical issues at hand. I like sugar in my coffee; I use sugar in my coffee. Most of the time, that's the only sugar I'm adding in. Recent bouts of baked goods excluded. Ahem.

Balanced with a nutritive diet of wholesome foods, plenty of protein and fibrous vegetables, some sugar can be incorporated and enjoyed without too much fuss. If one is on their third day of unplanned sweets and feel they cannot easily say no to more sugary treats, then sugar might bear a closer examination.

Shalini_15

Re. jaggery: Jaggery is simply another form of sugar, but far less refined than the white granulated sugar most Western diets incorporate today. You can get some additional nutrients from jaggery, and a different, "darker" or "earthier" taste than the refined white stuff.

Most important thing about jaggery is trying to figure out the source, whether it's from cane or dates or palm sap, and trying to be sure it's as pure as possible (no added color, etc.).

Thanks a lot Lets say in India the main source of jaggery is sugarcane. Any idea how tea or coffee would taste with it. One way I like the sweets made in India with jaggery, they have nice rich brown color plus taste yummy But not sure how good or bad it is for weight loss..

40DayFit

Thanks a lot Lets say in India the main source of jaggery is sugarcane. Any idea how tea or coffee would taste with it. One way I like the sweets made in India with jaggery, they have nice rich brown color plus taste yummy But not sure how good or bad it is for weight loss..

If you're familiar with that rich, full flavor of Indian jaggery...well, your coffee or chai will taste of coffee or tea with jaggery, should you add jaggery to it. I think it would be *different* than the taste of coffee/tea with white sugar, which generally adds sweetness without any particularly noticeable additional flavor. I don't think it would be a bad taste, though, just earthier and perhaps somewhat caramelized from the cooking-down process of making jaggery from sugarcane.

Every natural sweetener has its own distinctive taste; honey, brown rice syrup, molasses...generally people who choose natural sweeteners are doing it for the taste or preferences about the refining process and the full nutritional profile of wholefood sweeteners. But there's not going to be any real calorie difference.

Nutritionally, jaggery would be likely equal to sugar in calories, but with trace minerals retained that the white-sugar-refining process removes.

So if one prefers coffee/chai with white sugar, not much is changed by substituting jaggery other than mouthfeel, depth of flavor, and trace minerals. In this case, I'd go with what tastes best to the drinker or best suits their personal nutritional philosophy.

Would you be willing to try a cup of coffee or tea with jaggery and let us know what your experience was and if you'd recommend it?

Aaron_K123

Has anyone discovered anything to replace sugar that is actually any good?

One of my comfort things is milky sweet tea. I've tried sweetex and splenda but both have a funny after taste. Honey doesn't work the same and is for things like lemon and ginger tea in my mind

Anyone got any suggestions please?

I like aspartame myself.

AwesomeGuy37

I think they probably all taste funny until you get used to them. I used to use Equal (aspartame) and it tasted okay when I didn't use too much. After hearing all the uproar about it I changed to Sweet'n Low (saccharin) and I like it better. Now when I try Equal, I shiver it tastes so horrible to me. Splenda doesn't taste right in tea to me either. I haven't tried Stevia or anything else.

jennifries227

I personally find that Stevia has an incredibly bitter taste to it. Apparently my bitter taste receptors are extra sensitive to it. I know plenty of people who swear by the stuff, though.

I use Xylitol and Splenda. Splenda tastes a little weird at first, but you do get used to it in a short amount of time. I haven't really noticed a weird taste with the Xylitol, but it is more expensive, and very, very deadly to cats and dogs. Acute liver failure deadly.

If I don't have Splenda or xylitol around I will use Sweet'n'Low or Equal, but I feel both have a kind of funky taste if you aren't used to them.


ETA: Typo. Oops.

Aaron_K123

"After hearing all the uproar about it (aspartame)"

What uproar? There is nothing wrong with aspartame unless you have PKU.

asciiqwerty

I use sugar for sugar

I just work on not using as much of it

no sugar in hot drinks etc,

if you want to wean yourself off sugar, you may find gradually using less is more usefull than continuing to eat sweet stuff that isn't sugar

Mummysskinnymission

I am a major sugar addict like reallly bad i am on day 4 of no sugar what so ever and im the same tea is my down side with 2 sugars and really strong mmmmm but i just cut it down for a week to 1 sugar the cut it out completly. Iv started drinking alot more tea than normal im craving it really bad. I feel like im coming off drugs but im sticking to it cut it out completly theres enough sugar in foods and one tea spoon of sugar is 16gs of sugar your daily allowance is 50gs a day so add it all up and see what your actually consuming add me if lyou like an wewill do it together im on the verge of rippoing out sombodys eyeballs but ill get there hehhe ITS SUMMMER SOON!!!!! Xxxxxxxx