Stevia, does it get better???

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clafairy1984
clafairy1984 Posts: 253 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've heard good things about the Stevia sweetener. Claims to be naturally sourced and 0 calories. So I decided to try it, but I've found that it really doesn't taste nice, it tastes artificial and leave a horrid after taste. Im deciding whether to stick with and hope I get used to the taste, or switch back to sugar. Has anyone tried it and got used to it?
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Replies

  • Edie30
    Edie30 Posts: 216
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    Gahhhh I never got used to it! I just have the odd spoon of organic sugar in my coffee now and think sod it :-)
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
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    Well like many natural herbs sold these days it's not very well studied over the long term, unlike a safe well tested additive like aspartame, so there could be unknown long term effects.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    you dont need much to get the sweetener effect. Maybe you are using too much? even a small packet might be too much for a cup of coffee. I use it and like it. It has been very well studied and is just as "approved" as any other thing in the store.
  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    Stevia tastes like pure trash. I go wit Splenda. It like 3 calories per packet. If you're worried about the calories you have an eating disorder.
  • clafairy1984
    clafairy1984 Posts: 253 Member
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    Im not worried about the calorie side of it, but trying to go for something naturally sourced, as read so many bad things about sweeteners
  • therocpile
    therocpile Posts: 54 Member
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    I personally like the taste of Stevia. I use 2 packets in my coffee every morning, I also use it on homemade pancakes & french toast. Stevia is all natural and not artificial. If you don't like it, don't use it. There are other options, but most of them are artificial and not very healthy for you.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    Really not a fan of artificial sweeteners at all. I'd prefer to just use real sugar, but less often and less of it.

    What are you using it for? If it's to sweeten coffee or tea, try skipping it altogether and just drinking it black or with a bit of milk or cream. Yeah, takes some getting used to, but after a little while you won't even remember how you ever drank coffee with sugar in the first place.

    If it's for baking, stick with the real sugar amounts in the recipe, and just eat baked sweets sparingly or whenever they fit in your calorie goals.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
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    Dave198lbs wrote: »
    you dont need much to get the sweetener effect. Maybe you are using too much? even a small packet might be too much for a cup of coffee. I use it and like it. It has been very well studied and is just as "approved" as any other thing in the store.

    ^^I agree. I use a very small amount, maybe 1/4 tsp, otherwise it is way to sweet. I like it also. Saves a lot of calories and is not a man made sweetener. Sugar in excess is bad for us. Stevia is a natural sweetener like sugar, but a lot less calories. I do not notice an after taste at all.

  • marekdds
    marekdds Posts: 2,206 Member
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    It is from the stevia plant, so no additives. I have a plant and make my own sweetener with it. You need very little to make something sweet. I use a drop or two in a big coffee cup, don't really taste it. Too much and it is not good. You have to watch what you buy. Some of the "stevia" products have additives, so no better than other sweeteners. I still use the occasional "spoon full of sugar". Really not that big a deal.
  • twinkles2121
    twinkles2121 Posts: 137 Member
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    DH used Stevia for a while, he did get used to the taste after a while, but the longer he used it the sicker he felt. He started getting dizzy spells and bad headaches. I would just switch back to sugar and take the calorie hit. (Same advice I gave DH ;) )
  • lolly715
    lolly715 Posts: 106
    edited November 2014
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    marekdds wrote: »
    You have to watch what you buy. Some of the "stevia" products have additives, so no better than other sweeteners. I still use the occasional "spoon full of sugar". Really not that big a deal.

    This is what I was going to post. Many of the stevia based products have a tiny percentage of stevia (around 1% - enough to market themselves as such, basically) but are bulked out with sugar alcohols and the like. This may or may not be a concern (depends whether you have issues with these - I don't) but I think they would lose a lot of popularity if people actually read the label.

    ETA: I don't use it, FWIW. I don't add extra sugar/sweetener to anything, and use real sugar in any baked goods I happen to make. So I would only come across any form of sweetener in an already processed food. But as already mentioned, I don't have issues with them myself.
  • CorlissaEats
    CorlissaEats Posts: 493 Member
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    I don't think the taste of stevia gets better in time. It hasn't for me anyways. I just stick with Coconut Palm sugar now. Its a natural sugar source too but I don't think you could make a case for it not being a "refined" source. It has to get from being flower sap into granulated crystals somehow. Coconut sugar has a bit of a unique taste too but never leaves me with that horrid aftertaste effect and when you bake with it its not there. I also like to use Maple syrup as an alternate sweetener sometimes.
  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
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    I have started using Truvia in place of Stevia for the same reasons. Have you looked into Erythritol? It's one of the few sugars that is considered zero calorie but does not affect your digestive bacteria or teeth. It's coupled with Stevia to make Truvia and is also sold by itself. Tastes great, too! If you do want to continue with Stevia, try the liquid from NuNaturals. It's the only one I've tried that does not have the funky aftertaste. I have even mixed it in with plain water and drank it. Tastes ever so slightly like tea but without the possible dental consequences.
  • JagerLewis
    JagerLewis Posts: 427 Member
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    I rarely use stevia, but if I use only a small amount it tastes fine. You really can't use the same amount as you would with sugar. I've switched to using honey as my sweetener. It's not zero calories...but it's good and I know the ingredients. ;)
  • aylajane
    aylajane Posts: 979 Member
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    twinkles2121 wrote: »
    DH used Stevia for a while, he did get used to the taste after a while, but the longer he used it the sicker he felt. He started getting dizzy spells and bad headaches. I would just switch back to sugar and take the calorie hit. (Same advice I gave DH ;) )

    THis! Stevia is touted for diabetics because it will not only NOT spike blood sugar, it can lower it in some people. But if you are hypoglycemic or generally on the lower blood sugar side normally, stevia can send you into tunnel vision, dizziness etc. I can only use it in things that have enough other carbs (sugar) to offset the tanking it gives my blood sugar, and in general I just avoid it.
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
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    I've only tasted it once and that was when I accidentally grabbed my girlfriends coffee instead of mine. It was awful and I don't recommend it at all. Stick with the real stuff and count the calories.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    clafairy1984 wrote: »
    I've heard good things about the Stevia sweetener. Claims to be naturally sourced and 0 calories. So I decided to try it, but I've found that it really doesn't taste nice, it tastes artificial and leave a horrid after taste. Im deciding whether to stick with and hope I get used to the taste, or switch back to sugar. Has anyone tried it and got used to it?

    It's distgusting and far from natural, unless you are talking about the actual stevia plant and not the powder you buy from the store. If it were me and I was trying to save calories, I'd just try using less sugar. Or if you want something natural, switch to honey.
  • LeonCX
    LeonCX Posts: 862 Member
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    It has a nasty aftertaste, natural or not.
  • Alwayssohungry
    Alwayssohungry Posts: 369 Member
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    I'm in the middle of the exact same thing - Yuk. Trying to switch from Splenda to Truvia. I don't have much in my life that is 'controversial' - Splenda might have to be it.
  • Linnaea27
    Linnaea27 Posts: 639 Member
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    For me, it's not worth using, because I find it to be really disgusting tasting. After trying xylitol and getting a horrible migraine from it, I decided to learn to like coffee with just half and half in it; using a liberal amount of half and half still results in a lower-cal coffee than one with milk and sugar. If I want to sweeten other things, like tea, I just deal with having the extra 30-60 calories.

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