Non-aspartame sugar alternatives for morning coffee?

miko482
miko482 Posts: 21 Member
edited November 30 in Food and Nutrition
I like my coffee, but I am looking to cut down on the amount of sugar I consume. Any suggestions for sweetener alternatives that I might be able to get in the UK? I usually use about 2.5-3 teaspoons demerara sugar per mug (350-600 ml) of coffee.

Problem is, I get migraines and aspartame (edit: and sucralose!) are consistent migraine triggers for me. (Thankfully my only other big migraine trigger is lighting!)

Every now and then - usually when I have to take a pain pill - I'll have a can of coca cola to stay functional, and I'd like that to not throw me way over my sugar goal like it did today.

I've used international delight type coffee creams, especially french vanilla regular or fat-free which I do like, but can't easily get here. Currently I add a bit of cinnamon to the coffee grounds as I can usually tolerate it a little less sweet with that. Any suggestions?

--

Edit: Thanks for the great suggestions! Admittedly I'm probably inordinately attached to my morning routine of which coffee, npr, and journal article reading is a significant part, but it's a good start to the day for me and leaves me ready to get to work. :) Will post back after I try a few of these suggestions!
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Replies

  • serenityfrye
    serenityfrye Posts: 360 Member
    I use xylitol instead of sugar and it works great for me without making me shaky like sugar does. Many people do well with stevia too, though I'm allergic to it myself.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    You'll just have to experiment. My mom gets migraines from both aspartame and Splenda, but good old fashioned saccharine (Sweet n Low, pink packet) works great for her. I, on the other hand, am sensitive to it, but have no problem with splenda and aspartame.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Canderel "Ideal for baking", which used to be called Canderel yellow.
    Maltodextrin , Sweetener: Sucralose (1.23%)

    Canderel green.
    Maltodextrin , Sweetener: Steviol Glycosides (2.2%) , Flavourings

    Both available in the UK.
  • briegirl28
    briegirl28 Posts: 121 Member
    I really like Splenda, but I have found Truvia (or Stevia in the Raw) to be even better! I literally added Truvia to my iced tea, and it tasted like little sugar crystals in my tea (for a short while before normally dissolving). Yummy!
  • miko482
    miko482 Posts: 21 Member
    Thanks, I can't stand the taste of stevia, but I'll check out xylitol and truvia and see if either works. (Maybe even some experiments where I have my partner put the sweetener in my coffee and not tell me which it is.)

    I forgot to mention that sucralose has the same effect as aspartame, I've been avoiding it for so long that it didn't even occur to me.

    Has anyone heard anything about coconut sugar?
  • jesse1952
    jesse1952 Posts: 68 Member
    I drank coffee with sugar for many years. One day I just quit the sugar and have not missed it one bit. Now I think my coffee would be too sweet if I added any. Why not just try that for a week and see if you can eliminate the sugar (and substitutes) altogether.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Splenda is made from Sucralose. You may want to check out the great Torani coffee flavours.
  • jesscran815
    jesscran815 Posts: 37 Member
    I use a liquid stevia extract (similar to Truvia). It comes in a little squirt bottle, and it says it's zero calories. One squirt is enough to sweeten any mug of anything (tea, coffee, etc...) to my liking, so a $3 bottle lasts forever. There is a slight aftertaste but coffee can usually mask it. If it's available around you I would definitely recommend it!
  • miko482
    miko482 Posts: 21 Member
    edited February 2016
    jesse1952 wrote: »
    I drank coffee with sugar for many years. One day I just quit the sugar and have not missed it one bit. Now I think my coffee would be too sweet if I added any. Why not just try that for a week and see if you can eliminate the sugar (and substitutes) altogether.
    I have tried coffee without sugar, multiple tries lasting weeks and I just don't like it - they only exception is espresso which I'll happily consume without sugar - hence the wanting to find something that works with my morning routine.
    jesscran815 wrote: »
    I use a liquid stevia extract (similar to Truvia). It comes in a little squirt bottle, and it says it's zero calories. One squirt is enough to sweeten any mug of anything (tea, coffee, etc...) to my liking, so a $3 bottle lasts forever. There is a slight aftertaste but coffee can usually mask it. If it's available around you I would definitely recommend it!
    Do you mean something like this? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wisdom-Natural-Sweetleaf-Stevia-Extract/dp/B0014ATCU4/ref=zg_bs_74166031_17 and/or http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stevia-Liquid-Sweetener-Dropper-Bottle/dp/B013RVF3G4/ref=zg_bs_74166031_16
  • jesscran815
    jesscran815 Posts: 37 Member
    miko482 wrote: »
    jesse1952 wrote: »
    I drank coffee with sugar for many years. One day I just quit the sugar and have not missed it one bit. Now I think my coffee would be too sweet if I added any. Why not just try that for a week and see if you can eliminate the sugar (and substitutes) altogether.
    I have tried coffee without sugar, multiple tries lasting weeks and I just don't like it - they only exception is espresso which I'll happily consume without sugar - hence the wanting to find something that works with my morning routine.
    jesscran815 wrote: »
    I use a liquid stevia extract (similar to Truvia). It comes in a little squirt bottle, and it says it's zero calories. One squirt is enough to sweeten any mug of anything (tea, coffee, etc...) to my liking, so a $3 bottle lasts forever. There is a slight aftertaste but coffee can usually mask it. If it's available around you I would definitely recommend it!
    Do you mean something like this? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wisdom-Natural-Sweetleaf-Stevia-Extract/dp/B0014ATCU4/ref=zg_bs_74166031_17 and/or http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stevia-Liquid-Sweetener-Dropper-Bottle/dp/B013RVF3G4/ref=zg_bs_74166031_16

    Ya, those are kind of like what I'm thinking of. One looks to be a vanilla flavor which could be tasty. But trust me...a little goes a long way! I learned that the hard way. I caught my mom adding it to her tea using her tablespoon (like she would for her honey which I don't even keep around anymore) and I had to be like "NOOO! DON'T DO ITTT!!" from across the house. Definitely comical! One or two drops is plenty.
  • miko482
    miko482 Posts: 21 Member
    Ordering the vanilla one and the xylitol now to try first, thanks everyone! =)
  • jesscran815
    jesscran815 Posts: 37 Member
    miko482 wrote: »
    Ordering the vanilla one and the xylitol now to try first, thanks everyone! =)

    Sweet! (ha...get it? :smile: ) Let us know what you think!!

  • Pinkylee77
    Pinkylee77 Posts: 432 Member
    be careful for some people xylitol can give some people gi bathroom issues. My husband uses Monkfruit in the raw and likes it.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    Have you tried slowly reducing the amount of sugar you use?

    I used to use about 3 tsps of sugar in my large mug of hot tea (probably more because I spooned it out of a container) and I slowly reduced down to one 5 gram packet (which is a more consistent pre-measured serving).

    I don't know if you have it available where you live, but I use Sugar In The Raw which is turbinado cane sugar. It has more molasses than white sugar so it's probably close to demerara sugar.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Another splenda vote her. Xylitol is too "minty" to work well with coffee. Don't take my word for it because I've always had my coffee black, but I do know what xylitol tastes like and I don't feel it would go well with coffee.
  • miko482
    miko482 Posts: 21 Member
    seska422 wrote: »
    Have you tried slowly reducing the amount of sugar you use?

    I used to use about 3 tsps of sugar in my large mug of hot tea (probably more because I spooned it out of a container) and I slowly reduced down to one 5 gram packet (which is a more consistent pre-measured serving).

    I don't know if you have it available where you live, but I use Sugar In The Raw which is turbinado cane sugar. It has more molasses than white sugar so it's probably close to demerara sugar.

    Used to use sugar in the raw regularly when I lived in the US. I preferred the taste over white sugar by far. And yes, I have tried decreasing the amount over time, but I typically don't like the taste unless the coffee is flavoured or as I said above, espresso style strong. I tend to level off my teaspoon measure anyway. I can get down to 2 teaspoons, I just find myself not enjoying it.
  • Littlemissweber
    Littlemissweber Posts: 15 Member
    Xylitol also has amazing benefits for oral hygiene, I'm not too hot on the science but it actively helps you keep your teeth and gums healthy by creating a hostile environment for bacteria plus no laxative effects like some other sweeteners :)
  • mccraee
    mccraee Posts: 199 Member
    I don't use sugar in my coffee but everyonce in a while I will throw a dried date into my cup. It has a deeper, richer flavor (more like brown sugar but maybe that is a U.S. thing). Then, I eat the date at the end
  • Kimo159
    Kimo159 Posts: 508 Member
    I slowly tapered down the amount of sugar I used and now I love black coffee. Might work for you. But always get good coffee...drinking crappy black coffee is not enjoyable.
  • miko482
    miko482 Posts: 21 Member
    Kimo159 wrote: »
    I slowly tapered down the amount of sugar I used and now I love black coffee. Might work for you. But always get good coffee...drinking crappy black coffee is not enjoyable.

    As stated above, I have tried that, many times. It's simply not a solution for me that I'm happy with over a longer period of time. When it comes down to it, I need a solution that works for my patterns/tastes/goals. Which is why I started this post - not to cut a sweetener out, but to try to find an alternative. :)

    I do buy good quality coffee, I'm quite lucky to live near an excellent coffee bean and tea shop.
  • Strawblackcat
    Strawblackcat Posts: 944 Member
    I like to put stevia in mine. Sometimes I'll put homemade marshmallows in it and let them dissolve if I feel like having a treat.
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  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited February 2016
    sirenjo wrote: »
    give it a couple of weeks you will get used to not having sugar or sweeteners in your coffee..or you could try maple syrup or pure honey?

    Both of those are still sugar but perhaps the OP can use a bit less of them and still get a satisfying flavor.
  • miko482
    miko482 Posts: 21 Member
    Before a fifth person suggests it: I have cut sweetener out, both sudden and gradually before for significant periods of time. I simply don't enjoy it, I enjoy my coffee sweeter. That's great if it works for you, but I'm looking for a satisfying and sustainable solution for me, and cutting sweetener out isn't it. I've tried honey as a substitute, but for calories and sugar content the difference is pretty negligible.

    So, in the nicest way possible: no.

    -- in other news, the vanilla stevia liquid should arrive tomorrow! *fingers crossed*
  • Shells918
    Shells918 Posts: 1,070 Member
    Good luck. I get migraines and the s$&k!!! I use so much aspartame in my coffee I'd probably get a migraine if I gave it up! I get migraines from Splenda.
  • srujana_kanneganti
    srujana_kanneganti Posts: 63 Member
    edited February 2016
    I really like Erythritol.

    It's pretty natural, and tastes closest to sugar to me. I believe it also has a lower GI than other subs. It's just not as easy to find....but it's on Amazon.

    I find stevia has a bitterness I can't get past in drinks.
  • NaturalNancy
    NaturalNancy Posts: 1,093 Member
    Honey or agave syrup?
  • Red13
    Red13 Posts: 287 Member
    1. Stevia tastes bitter to some users and if you look at most of the "stevia" brands like truvia, a sugar alcohol is actually the first ingredient.
    2. Sugar alcohols can cause diarrhea in some people.
    3. I'm surprised people are suggesting a lot of artificial sweeteners. If you want natural, go with coconut palm sugar. It has a lower GI. It is less sweet than normal sugar and more gritty so not sure how it dissolves in coffee.
  • jesscran815
    jesscran815 Posts: 37 Member
    Red13 wrote: »
    1. Stevia tastes bitter to some users and if you look at most of the "stevia" brands like truvia, a sugar alcohol is actually the first ingredient.
    2. Sugar alcohols can cause diarrhea in some people.
    3. I'm surprised people are suggesting a lot of artificial sweeteners. If you want natural, go with coconut palm sugar. It has a lower GI. It is less sweet than normal sugar and more gritty so not sure how it dissolves in coffee.

    Thank goodness some of us are educated.
  • miko482
    miko482 Posts: 21 Member
    Update: Thanks for the alternate suggestions, especially jesscran815! Copying to a paper list just in case I need them in the future. :smile:

    The vanilla stevia liquid arrived yesterday, so I only got to have it in my second cup. Got to try it in full today, so far no ill effects and it tastes lovely, rather similar to a vanilla cappuccino.

    The one I got is made by Pinksun, it only takes 2-4 drops depending on the size of the mug. Might get another eyedropper for my vanilla extract to add a drop more in each day. Cheap alternative to coffee syrup found. It's not as flavourful as something like international delight (oh sometimes I miss the US!) but so far it's done the job.

    Still going to try the dried date trick, that just sounds like a good treat.

    * for the person talking about ingredients: Stevia extract (Rebaudioside A at 95% purity), purified water, vitamin C, vegetable glycerine, natural vanilla flavouring.
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