Do you use STEVIA as a sweetener?

mrswibbs
mrswibbs Posts: 31
edited September 25 in Food and Nutrition
I am slowly reading through Isabel de Los Rios's manual for the Flat Belly Solution, much of which makes 100% sense to me and which I am slowly beginning to integrate into my life, as I think it is brilliant :happy:

Anyway, she advocates using Stevia as an alternative sweetening product. According to her, artificial sweeteners must be avoided at all cost. (read this for an explanation! http://www.thedietsolutionprogram.com/content/2010/05/how-artificial-sweeteners-are-making-you-fat/ )

I am now desperately trying to look into Stevia, and was wondering if any of you people out there use this product?

If so what do you think of it? Do you find it easy to dose it? Does it have an after-taste? etc etc…!
Would LOVE some answers and know I can count on everyone here at MFP!

Thanks y'all :bigsmile:
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Replies

  • CassieLEO
    CassieLEO Posts: 757 Member
    Stevia works great. It doesnt dissolve very good, but sweetens very nicely!
  • iamnox
    iamnox Posts: 39
    I like the truvia one
  • Romira
    Romira Posts: 41 Member
    Yes I use Stevia quite often when I want to sweeten something. I really like it. I do not find there is any after taste. I prefer it over any other sweetener. Give it a try :)
  • sltpt3691
    sltpt3691 Posts: 1 Member
    I have used it for about 1 year got it from the health mart at a local grocery store. I don't ever used any thing but stevia and honey.:smile:
  • mgreen10
    mgreen10 Posts: 229 Member
    yes I do...it tastes a bit off but it's worth it for me personally..i drink a lot of coffee and would be eating way more sugar if not for stevia.
  • Cashley21
    Cashley21 Posts: 15
    I like stevia in the raw.
  • mnkarp
    mnkarp Posts: 38 Member
    I use stevia - but in moderation. It can have a funky aftertaste so I tend to pair it with things that are more strong in flavor. I agree with not using any artificial sweeteners as there are so many problems associated with them and they haven't been show to aid weight loss. Instead, think of the stevia as a step to get you to not adding sweetener at all.
  • Jill_newimprovedversion
    Jill_newimprovedversion Posts: 988 Member
    I have used it- in both the liquid and powder form (prefer the powder). It is the ONLY one I have tried without any undesirable side effects- I cannot tolerate aspartame ( instant migraine!) and sucralose - if I ingest it more than once a week- helps me get my exercise ( if you get my drift?)

    Right now, I have not overcome my insatiable sugar appetite, so my "sweet tooth" isn't the least bit tricked by this substitute either. The claims that it's 100% sweeter than real sugar is pure hype ( imo)
  • ekicinsk
    ekicinsk Posts: 92 Member
    I like Truvia (and bonus - there's often coupons for it floating around the internet!) and I also once bought a Stevia plant and used it to sweeten tea - worked great!
  • Bootzey
    Bootzey Posts: 274 Member
    I use the liquid
  • motherhippo
    motherhippo Posts: 33 Member
    You can usually find the liquid Stevia in the health food store. It works great and has no more if any aftertaste than any other sweetener.
  • warmachinejt
    warmachinejt Posts: 2,162 Member
    so which sweetener has no aftertaste at all other than sugar? Only zsweet? dang it
    I was looking up on threads about sweeteners because I have been on a carb cycle for about 3 weeks and I want some sweet coffe or coca or something. Apparently I'm going to have to go on amazon and order some zsweet :\
  • AlexandraR2011
    AlexandraR2011 Posts: 114 Member
    I use Stevia and Truvia and they are both very good! My mother has them in little individual packets which are easy to take on the go!
  • Sarahr73
    Sarahr73 Posts: 454 Member
    I use it and I like it. You only need a little to add enough sweet too. I put it in my coffee everyday and I only dip the end of the spoon in the container for 6 oz of coffee. It is very strong! It is a little bitter depending on what you use it for though. If you are going to try to bake with it, I would try Truvia instead. While it is still and artificial sweetener, it is about half Stevia so it is better than the other options out there.
  • tiggy73
    tiggy73 Posts: 52 Member
    Thanks for posting that link about artificial sweeteners. Very eye opening and informative!

    I like Stevia. It has a little bit of a different taste, but it's fine once you get used to it. After reading that article, I will be using it all the time now!

    Good luck on your journey! :)
  • ishtar163
    ishtar163 Posts: 25 Member
    I tried to, I really did. Unfortunately, I really just cannot stand the taste. I used one packet and was so grossed out that I tossed the rest of the box. I also notice a bad taste in other generic-brand artificial sweeteners. For some reason, regular Splenda and Sweet n Low don't bother me. I still limit my consumption as much as possible, but if I must use something, it's one of those.
  • mielikkibz
    mielikkibz Posts: 552 Member
    unfortunately, I learned today, it sucks as a sugar substitute for cooking :p
  • mielikkibz
    mielikkibz Posts: 552 Member
    unfortunately, I learned today, it sucks as a sugar substitute for cooking :p
  • WarmDontBurn
    WarmDontBurn Posts: 1,253 Member
    I bought some and when I got home and it said : KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN
    I put it back in the cupboard and there it sits...lol.
  • mrswibbs
    mrswibbs Posts: 31
    I live in the UK where it is illegal for shops to sell Stevia... So am going to order the stuff online. Only using to sweeten my daily homemade cappuccino which I really cannot go without!
    If baking, I honestly think it's best to just use unrefined cane sugar wherever possible... If you're treating yourself to cake I reall don't see why you shouldn't go "full fat" :):wink:
  • mejustmichael
    mejustmichael Posts: 109 Member
    I dont care for the aftertaste its so... BAD! try to get a few packs from a friend before investing in a big box... lol.

    I'm from the south and drank sweet tea my entire life... but one day i didnt have sugar or splenda around so i just went without it... havent had sweet tea since.
  • Cbandelier
    Cbandelier Posts: 217 Member
    To me it has sort of a licorice taste, which I don't love but I think I could get used to it. I really like Splenda but I am trying to switch over. Mostly it's just for my coffee, I'm just not a fan of black coffee yet.

    Does anyone use the liquid stevia for baking, and if so how do you know how much to use (in place of sugar)? And do I have to make any other changes to the recipe to keep the baked items at the right consistency?
  • boomer6
    boomer6 Posts: 1
    I love the liquid Stevia. You can find it at a lot of health food stores. I can also buy it at Whole Foods where I live. I love to get the cinnamon liquid and put it in my morning coffee. I have the chocolate and add it to my morning smoothies. I also alternate between orange and grape and add it to seltzer water to make a calorie free version of "grape soda" or "orange soda". I have lemon as well and use it to sweeten iced or hot tea. I would definitely agree that the powdered form is not great, the liquid forms are much better, the flavored forms rock! Although make sure to use only a small amount at a time, it goes a long way!

    If you garden, you can also purchase Stevia plants and use the leaves for sweetening as well. I try to grow one or two each summer and use them to sweeten summer drinks etc.

    Hope this helps.
  • mrswibbs
    mrswibbs Posts: 31
    I love the liquid Stevia. I would definitely agree that the powdered form is not great, the liquid forms are much better, the flavored forms rock! Although make sure to use only a small amount at a time, it goes a long way!

    If you garden, you can also purchase Stevia plants and use the leaves for sweetening as well. I try to grow one or two each summer and use them to sweeten summer drinks etc.

    Hope this helps.

    Really helpful yes! Thank you
    I love the idea of growing my own sweetener, lol :laugh:
  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
    i got some little individual packets of it, and its sooo sweet ive had to chuck my coffee out each time ive tried it.
    Hard to use less when its in a tiny sachet. Cant judge how much to use.
    I prefer splenda tbh
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
    There is a HUGE difference in where you get the stevia from. I have bought the Truvia and Stevia In The Raw from the grocery store and both had a wierd aftertaste, and didn't seem as sweet as what everyone had been saying. THEN I bought a box I found in the vitamin suplement area of the drug store (twice the size and half the price). The box says it is 100% pure stevia (just an anti clumping agent added) and non chemicaly processed. HUGE difference!!! Just a tiny sprinkle from the packet is all you need versus the entire packet or two of the grocery store items. Very slight aftertaste, NOTHING like the Truvia and Stevia In The Raw. This box of 100 packets will last me a year or more!
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
    I use it (although I am off all processed sugars this month), and think it's great. It doesn't have the nasty aftertaste that splenda does. However you have to be careful about using too much or you will get an alcohol aftertaste which is just as bad.

    My favorites are the liquid, flavored stevias. Those are fun!
  • Deelited2cu
    Deelited2cu Posts: 1 Member
    Since my husband, daughter, and I started our weight loss journey in January, 2011, we have used Stevia almost exclusively. At Whole Foods, you can get flavored liquid Stevia which is great! A dropper of Vanilla cream in a blender with a handful of frozen strawberries and a bit of water makes a yummy smoothie for our evening snack! My daughter likes to put a bit of the Lemon Drop Stevia in her iced tea.

    I have a friend who is diabetic and it's the only sweetener she'll use as well. Does not affect her sugar levels at all.
  • adevereux
    adevereux Posts: 17 Member
    I use it intermittatly with sugar and sweetner (depending on where I am) I have a box at home and work, as well as their french vanilla version, which is awesome for that fix. It's a different flavour but I like it. I found it at CO-OP and have seen it at Shoppers Drug mart.
  • ilsie99
    ilsie99 Posts: 259
    Truvia and PureVia are not 100% stevia. They also contain erythrytol, which is another sugar alcohol.
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