Advice on Sweetener

eoberle27
eoberle27 Posts: 14 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello! I'm pretty new to this app (been on less than a month!) and I'm still adjusting to the healthy eating. Thing is, I love tea and it's just awful drinking it without sugar. Are no calorie sweeteners such as Splenda or Stevia a viable alternative? Or more natural substitutes like Agave Necter or Honey?

Any advice is very appreciated, thanks!
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Replies

  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    If you don't want calories and you don't mind the taste, use sweeteners.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Sweeten it with whatever tastes the best to you, just remember to log whatever you use.

    Personally, I don't like the bitterness of stevia. I do use Splenda for some things because I prefer the taste over other artificial sweeteners.

    There really isn't a better or worse option as far as natural sweeteners are concerned, all types of sugar get used by the body the same way. Agave nectar is actually worse than high fructose corn syrup as far as fructose is concerned. Brown sugar is white sugar with molasses added back in. Honey is a combination of glucose and fructose. Maple syrup is mostly sucrose. Table sugar is sucrose. Demerara sugar is sucrose with some of the molasses left in it (and is my personal favorite in tea).
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    As long as they don't make you sick (some people can be affected by them), they're fine.
  • fidangul
    fidangul Posts: 673 Member
    I can't drink tea or coffee without the sweet taste so I use sweetener. Honey has quite a bit of calories and my total calorie for the day(only for hot beverages) will be really high so I probably won't have room for other things.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    There's nothing unhealthy about sweetners, they do not spike insulin (as some may suggest). If you like the taste they are a low cal alternative to full fat (and yes I know they replace sugar - carb, it's just an expression).
  • DoreenaV1975
    DoreenaV1975 Posts: 567 Member
    I prefer real sugar but since I don't have a lot of room for calories, I use the no calorie sweeteners. I say if you have room, use the real stuff... but if not, the sweeteners are fine. FYI - I drink coffee every day, sometimes 2 times a day, and occasionally a cup of tea...
  • DoreenaV1975
    DoreenaV1975 Posts: 567 Member
    Oh great.. I killed another thread... Hahahahahahahaha!!!
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    I use truvia or pure via at home. Out and about I use splenda usually. Just depends on how you personally feel about artificial sweetners.
  • TnTWalter
    TnTWalter Posts: 345 Member
    I like stevia. Truvia above is one brand. Splenda makes me sick. And don't like others based on my research.
  • AnaPaulaKayser
    AnaPaulaKayser Posts: 7 Member
    Take a look at Lakanto. 0 calories - tastes like sugar!
    Not bad for you like Splenda!
  • debtay123
    debtay123 Posts: 1,327 Member
    i use truvia or stevia- but my husband prefers splendar which is fine.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I love tea. I've gradually reduced my sugar in black tea so that now I am using 1 scant teaspoon for two tea bags of Earl Grey. I use 1/2 t for one bag of Twinings cold brewed peach. I don't need any sweetener for the Celestial Seasonings varieties that have stevia (I haven't had luck adding stevia myself.)
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
    To me, Splenda is the best tasting in tea. Sometimes I use Truvia, or honey (which does have calories).
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    I drink my tea with either no sweetener or with sugar. I don't care for the artificial stuff in my tea. I would use artificial sweeteners if I liked them. I use 3/4 cuo sugar and 1/8 cup lemon for 3 quarts of tea. So at least it has less calories than a can of soda.

    Agave or honey won't really save you calories. Agave might save a calorie or two as fructose is sweeter than glucose. Agave is ~90/10% fructose/glucose and, sucrose (table sugar) is ~50/50% fructose/glucose.

    So, use whatever you like the taste of and log the calories if applicable.
  • Leslierussell4134
    Leslierussell4134 Posts: 376 Member
    I like the liquid stevia, it's not bitter like powdered versions. I buy the trader Joe's or Whole foods little bottle and keep it in my purse. Perfect for going out. Other sweeteners give me headaches, took me a long time to correlate, but now I won't go back to them or eat products with it in them.
  • eoberle27
    eoberle27 Posts: 14 Member
    Hey, thanks for all the responses, guys! Seems like it's mostly up to preference. I think I'll just try a little of everything and see how it goes, lol!
  • OldHobo
    OldHobo Posts: 647 Member
    I don't drink tea so maybe my experience isn't relevant to your situation, but I find that after a while, like maybe a month, my taste buds get used to change.

    My concession to the 90's Starbucks epidemic was to start adding creamer and sweetener. By the way, I'm proud to have never actually been inside a Starbucks. Early this year I decided to switch back to black coffee. It seemed like a sacrifice at first, but now, once again, I enjoy that strong, slightly bitter flavor and the idea of going back to "creme and sugar" not only doesn't tempt me, but seems downright unappealing.

    Similarly, I have gotten used to come to enjoy the tastes of beer, bourbon, broccoli, whole wheat flour, brown rice, yogurt, strong cheeses etc, etc, etc.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    eoberle27 wrote: »
    Hey, thanks for all the responses, guys! Seems like it's mostly up to preference. I think I'll just try a little of everything and see how it goes, lol!

    That works. Just remember to log any calories!

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  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    I like stevia, if it has calories, it's minimal. I have the powder and I have the actual plant
  • br3adman
    br3adman Posts: 284 Member
    I use splenda because it taste the most like sugar to me. I lucked out and bought 7 big bags for $1 last month plus its the fiber one I like.
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
    Hmmm ... no one is talking about monk fruit sweetener here. I like that the best. It doesn't have the aftertaste that stevia can have. I like it in both tea and coffee. Stevia seems best in cold stuff only to me. Skinnygirl has liquid monkfruit sweetener that I carry in my purse but I also get it in the orange packets.

    Oh, and if you don't mind spending a few extra coins, look into a product called SugaVida. It is a natural sweetener made from the palmera jaggery plant (I believe) and it is naturally high in B vitamins. It's got a caramel like back taste which makes it taste great in coffees and certain flavors of hot tea. I was ordering it from Amazon but just found it at my local HEB grocery store.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I had not heard of monk fruit before. Interesting. "The fruit contains 25 to 38% of various carbohydrates, mainly fructose and glucose."
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
    If you brew loose leaf tea, you can add dehydrated stevia leaves to the brewing process. :)
  • cronus70
    cronus70 Posts: 191 Member
    My preference is Truvia as well, fantastic sprinkled on my morning porridge or weetabix.
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    I had not heard of monk fruit before. Interesting. "The fruit contains 25 to 38% of various carbohydrates, mainly fructose and glucose."

    monk fruit comes in the same form as the stevia - in a loose powder or in packets. It is one serving is essentially 0 calories using one packet but it tastes good with little aftertaste. You can find it in the sugar section of supermarkets and the best brand is Monk Fruit in the Raw in the orange boxes (much like Stevia in the Raw that comes in the green ones).
  • erimethia_fekre
    erimethia_fekre Posts: 317 Member
    So... What I just read in your original post is that you don't like tea unless you use sweeteners. I would just give it up at that point.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    edited August 2015
    You could try different types and flavors of tea. Constant Comment, I think, is pretty good without milk or sugar. I'm also drinking my coffee black now, which I thought I'd never do, so you can adjust if you need to. Otherwise, find a sweetener you like and go with it.
  • coco_bee
    coco_bee Posts: 173 Member
    I would suggest Stevia or honey. Please stay away from aspartame which comes in the form of Equal and Nutrasweet.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    stevencloser wrote: »
    If you don't want calories and you don't mind the taste, use sweeteners.

    This.

    I've never really liked sweetened tea, so might not understand, but there are loads of teas that I think would taste sweetish without sweetener even for those used to it, like various fruit-based herbal teas.

    I love unsweetened Earl Grey, though, and am also a fan of this weird Yogi tea: Aztec Sweet Chili. Also always enjoy Russian Caravan.

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