Best "Sweet n' Low" Alternative?

dherrmanmom

I'm totally clueless about artificial sweeteners so I'm putting this question out there...

I don't use artificial sweetener much except for two packets per cup of coffee. But I drink two cups of coffee a day, so... okay... I guess I DO use it a lot. I never started until this year though. I always hear how sweet n low or equal is really bad because of the aspartame it (maybe?) contains. I hear about these other alternatives that are supposed to be better like Stevia or Truvia but I don't know anything about them. What's your take?

Aross83

Buy Stevia in the Raw. Turvia has other things in it..
get rid of the sweet and Low.. that stuff is no good for you.

TinkrBelz

I still use packet of sweet n low in my coffee. I really like it...so I figure the 2 packets/day won't hurt me. I hope!! haha!

mdink620

I like Truvia or Stevia, I was using Stevia and then my small town grocery store quit carrying it so I switched to Truvia.

NWFLDeaconsWife

I am not a nutritionist. I am a regular person like you, but with CLL so I had to educate myself about many food replacement items so I would not aggravate my condition with the foods I choose to eat. With that said, here is what I can offer you in the way of information:

Sweet n' Low is Sodium Saccharin which has been linked to some cancers in some people.
Equal is Aspartame. Both of these are man-made. Sweet n' Low is entirely chemically produced. Equal is a combination of two proteins that aren't normally found combined in nature. So while it is a protein derivative, it is not a natural one. Because of this, some people have reactions to it such as a sensitivity to the combination triggering migraine headaches or increased fluctuations in blood sugar levels causing headaches or wooziness.

Truvia and Stevia are the same thing. Stevia is a plant that the ancient Maya and Inca cultures knew about and probably used when Agave wasn't plentiful enough to meet demand. Unlike sugar which grows in a cane and is a member of the grass family (like bamboo but grows slower) which produced a lot per pound of plant, Stevia is found in the leaves of the plant and it takes a lot more of it to get the same amount of product as the sugar cane (or sugar beet, for that matter) can produce. This is why Stevia isn't the food industries' choice as a sweetner. With that said, keep in mind that sugar, no matter what the source plant it is derived from, is still sugar and still needs moderation.

Now, personally I have trouble with chemical replacements for what is already in our food. Did you know that margarine is only one molecule different from plastic? And the Stevia is expensive because it is not as plentiful or easy to extract. My suggestion would be to use sugar in your coffee...each teaspoon is only 16 calories....but stick to one in each cup or try a lighter roasted coffee that won't taste as strong when you brew it so you won't feel the need to use so much. I found a medium-roast version of my favorite Foldgers and now I don't need sugar in it at all. See if that helps you, too!

TrailRunner61

I use whatever I like, whatever doesn't affect me and nothing ever has. Right now I'm using Splenda, sugar, honey and equal.

About the previous post of the 'one molecule off' thing, sugar is one molecule away from being antifreeze. That's why dogs drink it. I just thought I'd toss that out there.

dherrmanmom

Great suggestions so far! And NWFL... lots of info there, thanks for that. I have wondered if using a limited amount of actual sugar might be a better alternative. About margarine... not surprising as it both looks and tastes a bit like plastic.