Adding sweeteners and other thing to food

KCoyoteco

There are two types of sweeteners that I find acceptable to add to foods - tastewise. One is G & W pure cane sugar - there is a difference in brands. The other is agave nectar. I just need sugar for my hot tea. Does anyone know if there is really a difference between the two relative to raising sugar levels. I'll probably do some tests in a week or so to see.

The other thing that I have noticed is that there are some things to which I previously added sugar that I have learned don't taste better with sugar. Years ago a young woman told me she didn't eat cheesburgers because, though she liked cheese, the cheese didn't really add anything to the hamburger. I thought she was right. That same thing seems to appy to some sweet foods. I really have a sweet tooth, btw. I don't use sugar in coffee at all, but I was always ok with that. I no longer use sugar in oatmeal, and now find that it is just as good to me without it. I add cinnamon to plain whole oats.

Anything else where you just add something to another food just because you alwayd did?

hsmithway

If I recall correctly, cane sugar is mostly glucose, and agave nectar is mostly fructose. Some people may tolerate one better than the other, but I don't think there's a universal advantage of one over the other.

These days I can't stand to eat pasta sauces with added sugar. I grew up eating Prego, and at some point switched to using either Classico or homemade. A while back, DH bought a jar of Prego, and it was disgustingly sweet.

And that's a really good point. I'll have to think about whether or not I do that with anything I cook.

KCoyoteco

Oh, I so agree with you on the pasta sauces. My sil uses the Prego, and I was really shocked when I first tasted it. For the most part, I do not like sweet taste in my savory foods, but I do love sweets.

Blugal1

I like honey in tea. I guess I have bought into the whole "it's more natural and not refined". Plus I just like it. However, I am trying not to add it to tea except occasionally now.

In an effort to reduce sugar (so that I can enjoy it where I want - such as fruit or a bit of chocolate), I have tried using Splenda sometimes. I don't really like the taste, so that has helped me just avoid some foods that otherwise I would have eaten. (e.g. hot cocoa)

jingoace

I've never liked the agave necter stuff. It seems too sweet to me. Maybe that is just my tastebuds being picky? IDK.

I use the packets of "Stevia in the Raw" - comes in a little green box, & you can find them at any Albertsons store. Zero calories, and easy to carry a packet in my pocket if I'm going out. I add them to my water bottle, or sprinkle 1 packet over a cup of sliced strawberries. It works for me. I also LOVE the liquid chocolate-raspberry flavor stevia, and the liquid apricot flavor stevia ("sweet leaf" brand), ohh and the vanilla creme flavor too - it goes well in coffee or water. I try to use stevia instead of any other sweetener, and have found that now that I am used to stevia... almost anything else tastes too sweet.

SophinMaine

I am very suspicious of artificial sweeteners, especially the zero calorie ones.
I don't need anything in tea ( which is a good thing because I drink lots of tea), but I do use a 1/2 teaspoon of real sugar in my home brewed coffee. I tried not to, but it really is much better with a little sugar. I use the Florida Crystal's organic raw sugar, in the hopes that it's less refined, so better than plain old sugar. I very rarely buy cups of coffee, but when I do, I find it so weak I never need any sugar in it.

I try to use as little sugar as possible when baking, or to replace part of it with honey.

I love sweet savory dishes, for instance, pork with pineapple, chicken or rabbit with prunes...yum.

I was raised with home made meals and never really got into the habit of buying prepared food (except for the occasional pizza when pressed for time). I thank my parents for that. Real, tasty food is very simple to make...and much healthier.

KCoyoteco

IIt's interesting. I used to hand out at a small local supplement and vitamin store when my kids were in Karate. I got to know the owners very well, and the man was really quite knowledgeable. He recommended stevia so many years ago. I have tried it and tried it and tried it. I do not like it. That is too sweet for me (which is interesting in light of someone finding agave nectar sweeter) and I just don't like the taste for hot drinks which is my focus. For cold drinks it would be fine but then I don't need them sweetened. My agave nectar is local and is very mild and not very sweet. The only thing I need sweetner for is hot black tea.

People's tastes are so different, It's interesting.

justagirl2013

I am allergic to artificial sweeteners (including stevia, have not tried agave yet), and that limits my choices severely. Instead, I try to use honey, or fruit to sweeten things up. A peach cut up into a glass of tea makes it sweet enough for me, and gives me some fruit to add to my day. I also just count on moderation. I do believe a lot of the issues today is that people do not understand proper portion controls. Instead of the 1tsp serving size, people are using 1 tbsp, which is triple the serving size. They then don't allot for those additional calories. I know it's been a real eye opener for me!

KCoyoteco

Hi Razzarez. It's probably not a bad thing to be allergic to artificial sweeteners. It surprises me that true stevia falls into that category, and that's very interesting.
I think everyone's metabolisms and bodies are so different that I never speculate on what other people do. I know for most of my life I could eat pretty much anything I wanted without gaining weight. I know that changed so that eating in moderation is not an option for me now - even eathing healthy and moderately.

oharabear

One of my surgeons at the hospital where I work was telling me a while back that she uses agave because it's 1.5x sweeter than sugar, so you can use less of it, and it also helps stabilize blood sugar levels, so you don't have the spike and crash that you can get with other sweeteners/sugar. Something about insulin release or some such medical stuff that I wish I had paid more attention to. At that point I just nodded and smiled and zoned out.

Anyway, so the central thesis of what she was telling me was that agave nectar rocks.

I haven't tried it yet, but I'm considering it, since this same surgeon also won the "Abs Contest" that their clinic held. Plus, I'm slightly hypoglycemic and very sensitive to blood sugar fluctuations. When I try it I'll definitely let everyone know...