Stevia! The "new" sweetner

incircles_lp2

So I just thought I would share my ideas about the plant based sweetener called Stevia.

I just recently discovered Stevia as a great sweetener in my Earl Grey Tea. I love having a bit of sweetness in my tea, but I always feel regret when I use Splenda or asparatame. My gut tells me that both of these unnatural sweeteners are going to kill us all! Years down the road scientists will tell us we shouldn't have consumed these sweeteners because they are making us fatter-this is just my hypothesis!

Just a little bit of Stevia and my tea was just as sweet as I needed it, and even more.

Check this stuff out. It's made from a plant!

The stevia plant is a perennial shrub native to Paraguay and Brazil. Native Americans in these regions realized that the leaves were sweet, and used them to season teas and other foods. The plant is also sometimes called sweetleaf or sugarleaf, in a reference to the natural sweetness held in the leaves. As Europeans began to explore the foods consumed by Native Americans, they were introduced to stevia.

Source: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-stevia.htm

stormieweather

I don't use sugar or sweeteners, but I bought this for my husband (who is diabetic). He loves it!

dragonfly81

I can't find it in my area. I was hoping to buy some last week.

I've heard that it can leave a bitter after taste, and also, if you use too much, it can be bitter.

tpleus

I also use Blue Agave Nectar. It tastes similiar to honey and works great in teas, oatmeal, as a syrup and it's all natural!

tpleus

Sorry - I meant Blue Cactus Farms - Agave Nectar!!1

Chenoachem

I had read about Stevia a coupld months back in Runners World magazine. I really like it in my tea. I don't find the bitter taste at all. We typically have the Agave Nectar in my house too. Both are good for different things. I don't find that Agave is easy to disperse in cold liquids.

twilight1542

I can't find it in my area. I was hoping to buy some last week.

I've heard that it can leave a bitter after taste, and also, if you use too much, it can be bitter.

Stevia goes by more than 1 name, including "Truvia"-which is how it is sold in my area.

tree43605

I actually grow 2 stevia plants. The leaves are sweet you could eat them plain. I make a pitcher of iced tea and add 1 or 2 leaves, it's sweet with out being too sweet! ROCK ON STEVIA!!!:drinker:

jb_sweet_99

Bump, thanks for the idea, I wasn't sure what Stevia was, now I'll try it :flowerforyou:

BrendaLee

I can't find it in my area. I was hoping to buy some last week.

I've heard that it can leave a bitter after taste, and also, if you use too much, it can be bitter.

You can find it with the herbal supplements and vitamins here.

jessmomof3

Yep, I use Stevia also. You can find it in the *natural* section of most stores now, Kroger and Meijer sell it around here. It comes in a bottle w/ a dropper. Truvia comes in packet form and is in the baking goods right by the Splenda.

I don't use much sweetener, but have to have a little Stevia in my tea.

jb_sweet_99

So I went and bought the Stevia in packets and it was gross. The aftertaste is terrible, I tried it in my tea and in my coffee and I cannot tollerate it. If you are used to artificial sweetener I'm sure it would be fine, but I can't stand that bitter type aftertaste. I just wanted to put this out there to people who are wanting to try it, before going and spending 7 dollars on a bag, try someone else's. :ohwell:

July24Lioness

It's not new though..............

I have been using it for 6 years and it was around long, long before I started using it!!

So I just thought I would share my ideas about the plant based sweetener called Stevia.

I just recently discovered Stevia as a great sweetener in my Earl Grey Tea. I love having a bit of sweetness in my tea, but I always feel regret when I use Splenda or asparatame. My gut tells me that both of these unnatural sweeteners are going to kill us all! Years down the road scientists will tell us we shouldn't have consumed these sweeteners because they are making us fatter-this is just my hypothesis!

Just a little bit of Stevia and my tea was just as sweet as I needed it, and even more.

Check this stuff out. It's made from a plant!

The stevia plant is a perennial shrub native to Paraguay and Brazil. Native Americans in these regions realized that the leaves were sweet, and used them to season teas and other foods. The plant is also sometimes called sweetleaf or sugarleaf, in a reference to the natural sweetness held in the leaves. As Europeans began to explore the foods consumed by Native Americans, they were introduced to stevia.

Source: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-stevia.htm

July24Lioness

So I went and bought the Stevia in packets and it was gross. The aftertaste is terrible, I tried it in my tea and in my coffee and I cannot tollerate it. If you are used to artificial sweetener I'm sure it would be fine, but I can't stand that bitter type aftertaste. I just wanted to put this out there to people who are wanting to try it, before going and spending 7 dollars on a bag, try someone else's. :ohwell:

You are using too much if you get an after taste or bitterness to it..............

July24Lioness

Yep, I use Stevia also. You can find it in the *natural* section of most stores now, Kroger and Meijer sell it around here. It comes in a bottle w/ a dropper. Truvia comes in packet form and is in the baking goods right by the Splenda.

I don't use much sweetener, but have to have a little Stevia in my tea.

Truvia is stevia mixed with Maltodextrin to it.....................They are processing it - so I stay away from it!!

Pure stevia for me from a natural food store.

jb_sweet_99

So I went and bought the Stevia in packets and it was gross. The aftertaste is terrible, I tried it in my tea and in my coffee and I cannot tollerate it. If you are used to artificial sweetener I'm sure it would be fine, but I can't stand that bitter type aftertaste. I just wanted to put this out there to people who are wanting to try it, before going and spending 7 dollars on a bag, try someone else's. :ohwell:

You are using too much if you get an after taste or bitterness to it..............

I actually started with a tiny sprinkle, with which I couldn't taste anything, sweet or bitter. So I added a bit more, only one tiny pack and tried it, it was still terrible.

jlefton1212

I know that my husband can't stand the flavor of Equal or Splenda either, because he doesn't like artificial sweetener at all. For those of us that are transitioning from either of those sweeteners, the flavor might not be that bad. I tried some PureVia (generic stevia) in my coffee and it was fine. It is great to have different view points though.

dragonfly81

Equal and Splenda are two totally different tastes though! I can't stand Equal or Sweet-n-low, but use splenda all the time. I haven't gotten around to trying the Stevia yet.

BrendaLee

I remember back in the day I used to really like Sweet and Low or was it Sugar Twin...one of the two. My mom uses Splenda, and I can't stand the taste- particularly in baking.

liz72

Yeah, I just started using Stevia too. I wasn't a big Splenda user, but I'm definitely not going to touch the stuff after I saw this video. The guy explains how Splenda was made. It's a chemical compound found in insecticides.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYh5bkwyuRs

July24Lioness

Yeah, I just started using Stevia too. I wasn't a big Splenda user, but I'm definitely not going to touch the stuff after I saw this video. The guy explains how Splenda was made. It's a chemical compound found in insecticides.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYh5bkwyuRs

Splenda is chlorinated sugar............So technically they add bleach to it to change the molecular make up of it.

SassySouthernGirl

Lioness: Ewww! I didn't know that about Splenda ...and that is what I was using for couple of years before I just recently switched to Stevia -- glad I switched! Ewww! :noway:

July24Lioness

Lioness: Ewww! I didn't know that about Splenda ...and that is what I was using for couple of years before I just recently switched to Stevia -- glad I switched! Ewww! :noway:

I was using it too and my husband still uses it. He is not quite ready to give up sugar whole and soul.............having to take baby steps with him.

It was hard to switch him from sugar to splenda. Now to switch from splenda to stevia will be another 5 year battle. :laugh: :sad: :bigsmile: