Stevia Natural Sweetener

jeffsgirl2142006
jeffsgirl2142006 Posts: 1
in Food and Nutrition
Has anyone had stevia before? And if so what did you think of it? I really want to cut back on the sugars I eat/drink but I really love having my coffee in the mornings.

Replies

  • brevislux
    brevislux Posts: 1,093 Member
    I use it and I love it, it tastes great. :) You can also use it for baking if I'm not mistaken.
  • petehastwofeet
    petehastwofeet Posts: 1 Member
    Tastes loads better than splenda, but it costs more too. Worth it in my opinion. Apparently you can buy a concentrated liquid version that you add with a pipette, but I haven't tried that yet.
    I've tried Purevia too, it cost less, but also wasn't as nice. It's not as concentrated, and I think the bulking agent they use gives it a kind of malty taste.
  • AmandaInGA
    AmandaInGA Posts: 122 Member
    I love stevia. I use it for everything I would normally use sugar for.
  • Skeebee
    Skeebee Posts: 740 Member
    If you get it, don't get the packets since most of them aren't 100% stevia. Get the liquid extract. Goes MUCH further. For example...about 5-7 drops in a 72 bottle of water with some lemon juice is sweet enough for me to have as lemonade. Costs more initially for the extract, but goes MUCH longer
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
    I've been a diabetic for 26 years and Stevia is one of the better sweeteners out there.....
  • Mama06
    Mama06 Posts: 110 Member
    I've actually tasted the plant itself (and, of course, it's consumer friendly crystals). I love that it is all natural, no chemicals, etc. but it tastes just like artificial sweeteners to me, it has that tangy taste so, I just prefer Splenda if I'm gonna use an alternative sweetener.

    :smile:
  • sdmillman
    sdmillman Posts: 9
    I like Truvia - it contains stevia, but also some other ingredient that I don't know anything about, which is called Erythritol. If you're concerned about that, stick with the straight stevia.
  • erinnstreeter
    erinnstreeter Posts: 82 Member
    I wish I could get on the stevia bandwagon. I really want to like it, because of the appeal of being able to cut my sugars but still have something sweet. But I just can't. The bitter after taste gets me every time. It's like taking medicine that lingers on your tongue and makes you do the 'yuk' face for minutes after you take it.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I like Truvia - it contains stevia, but also some other ingredient that I don't know anything about, which is called Erythritol. If you're concerned about that, stick with the straight stevia.

    Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, which gives Truvia the nice sugar-like granular consistency. Basically it's a (almost) indigestible carbohydrate. Sugar alcohols (because you don't digest them) can give some people digestive problems if you use too much.

    Real, pure stevia is much more powdery, and a little bit goes a long way. A serving size, sweetness equal to a teaspoon of sugar, is 42 mg....very tiny! Comes with a teeny miniature spoon. I use Kal brand- which I love. I buy it from amazon- it's like $18 bucks for a spice-jar size of it, but it's 2381 servings. Works out to $0.007/serving. Not that expensive. Truvia is way more expensive in the grocery store, at $6.00 for 80 servings, works out to $0.075/serving. 10x the price for a lot of sugar alcohol. But the granular texture of truvia is good for some things, like fresh berries and yogurt. I use the Kal for 99% of things, but I keep truvia on hand to use occasionally.
  • SpiritRockBernie
    SpiritRockBernie Posts: 135
    i use it in hot tea, iced tea, and smoothies. I use the 100% powder. It's very sweet but can taste bitter if you use too much.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    I use the truvia baking blend, it's mostly stevia blended with a little real sugar. It's perfect for recipes. I love it!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    It tastes nasty to me, just like other artificial sweeteners. The only way to know if you'll like it is to try it.
    Personally I'd rather log the 16 cals in a spoonful of regular sugar than drink something that tastes so horrible.
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    I use sweet leaf liquid stevia. And there are flavors also. I've tried the English toffee. I like it. You just want to use a little bit. A little bit is sweet. Too much and it won't taste good.
  • Jennyisbusy
    Jennyisbusy Posts: 1,294 Member
    I just bought some nectresse which is monk fruit powder and liked it better than truvia (stevia + ??) I don't mind splenda, but it makes my Mom sick and I am so similar to her medically that it makes me nervous.
  • herrytews
    herrytews Posts: 38
    I am on a very low carb diet. Some Stevias have carbs (1g per packet), some have no carbs. Choose your stevia brand carefully.
  • lovetobethin86
    lovetobethin86 Posts: 202 Member
    Nunaturals Stevia people...they took the bitter stevia taste out and its JUST stevia. I have powder and the liquid flavored kind...sooooo good!
  • JulieMarie01453
    JulieMarie01453 Posts: 14
    AH-MAY-ZING.Stevia, (or Truvia) is great! To me, it tastes better than sugar, and its all natural, so its a win/win. I dont get a bitter after taste. Not even a little bit. I add it to my coffee, tea, oatmeal, and whenever something needs a little sweetness. I have one of those huge cases of packets of it you get from the wholesale store. Lasts FOREVER, since you never need to use more than one packet. WORTH IT. Try it
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    It tastes nasty to me, just like other artificial sweeteners. The only way to know if you'll like it is to try it.
    Personally I'd rather log the 16 cals in a spoonful of regular sugar than drink something that tastes so horrible.

    Ruby- have you tried pure stevia, or just the ones like truvia and purevia that are mostly eurythritol(sp?)? I bet its the sugar alcohol you dislike- it's used in a lot of artificial sugar stuff, so it would all have that same taste.
  • citygirl04
    citygirl04 Posts: 286 Member
    I haven't but I've heard it's one of the better ones.
  • spangey13
    spangey13 Posts: 294
    If you're not into the sweetener, just try cutting the sugar a bit. I used to have a teaspoon of sugar in my coffee, and then knocked it back to half, then one day completely forgot to put it in and actually didn't mind the taste at all.
  • sweetchildomine
    sweetchildomine Posts: 872 Member
    I've never understood why people say stevia tastes weird. I use Truvia in coffee, tea, and sometimes I sprinkle some on top of strawberries. To me, it tastes no different than regular sugar. Well, it does have kind of a TEENY bitter taste if you eat a spoonful of it plain...but why would you do that? lol
  • LLRider
    LLRider Posts: 65
    I use Now liquid stevia. Just a few drops goes a long way. Too much and it can taste bitter. I put it in tea, salad dressings, plain yogurt, lemon water ...

    It will not affect your blood glucose :)
  • mollyonamission
    mollyonamission Posts: 268 Member
    Yum
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    It tastes nasty to me, just like other artificial sweeteners. The only way to know if you'll like it is to try it.
    Personally I'd rather log the 16 cals in a spoonful of regular sugar than drink something that tastes so horrible.

    Ruby- have you tried pure stevia, or just the ones like truvia and purevia that are mostly eurythritol(sp?)? I bet its the sugar alcohol you dislike- it's used in a lot of artificial sugar stuff, so it would all have that same taste.

    Hmmm, interesting, you're probably right about the sugar alcohols.
    The one I tried was a blend of cane sugar with stevia but I'm not sure what else was in it - must check out the labels at the supermarket. Maybe I'll give the pure stevia a go, thanks for the suggestion.
  • jdforshort
    jdforshort Posts: 269 Member
    I've actually tasted the plant itself (and, of course, it's consumer friendly crystals). I love that it is all natural, no chemicals, etc. but it tastes just like artificial sweeteners to me, it has that tangy taste so, I just prefer Splenda if I'm gonna use an alternative sweetener.

    :smile:

    Totally agree! I have been using Splenda for a while and decided to buy Stevia (packets) just to try, did not like the "funny" aftertaste at all! Also, I only like Splenda in cold stuff e.g. if I want to turn my Cottage cheese into a dessert. In hot stuff, I still get that aftertaste! Never cooked with either.

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