Non-aspartame sugar alternatives for morning coffee?

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2

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  • Strawblackcat
    Strawblackcat Posts: 944 Member
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    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.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited February 2016
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    Honey or agave syrup?
  • Red13
    Red13 Posts: 287 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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.
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
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    I'm responding without reading the replies, but have you considered eliminating the sweetener from your coffee all together? Anything that comes in a little packet is inevitably adding unnecessary chemicals to your system, and of course, traditional sweeteners like sugar add calories. I made the switch to unsweetened coffee with just milk by slowing reducing the amount of sweetener and now it's how I prefer my coffee.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
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    I haven't read through the replies, so my apologies if I'm repeating anyone... You could try Stevia, if you can tolerate the taste. When I was weaning myself off sugar in my coffee, I found almond milk was a great alternative since it has a bit of sweetness to it.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    michelle172415 wrote: »
    I'm responding without reading the replies, but have you considered eliminating the sweetener from your coffee all together? Anything that comes in a little packet is inevitably adding unnecessary chemicals to your system, and of course, traditional sweeteners like sugar add calories. I made the switch to unsweetened coffee with just milk by slowing reducing the amount of sweetener and now it's how I prefer my coffee.

    If someone wants to avoid unnecessary chemicals, then the coffee should be tossed too. But there is no inherent value in simply avoiding chemical consumption.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,982 Member
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    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.

    I know the OP isn't interested in this strategy, but for others reading, gradually reducing sugar did work for me.
  • Red13
    Red13 Posts: 287 Member
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    miko482 wrote: »
    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.

    Yep, good choice with the liquid form, those tend to actually be stevia!
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    michelle172415 wrote: »
    I'm responding without reading the replies, but have you considered eliminating the sweetener from your coffee all together? Anything that comes in a little packet is inevitably adding unnecessary chemicals to your system, and of course, traditional sweeteners like sugar add calories. I made the switch to unsweetened coffee with just milk by slowing reducing the amount of sweetener and now it's how I prefer my coffee.

    If someone wants to avoid unnecessary chemicals, then the coffee should be tossed too. But there is no inherent value in simply avoiding chemical consumption.

    Well, I drink Organic coffee, so there's that.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    michelle172415 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    michelle172415 wrote: »
    I'm responding without reading the replies, but have you considered eliminating the sweetener from your coffee all together? Anything that comes in a little packet is inevitably adding unnecessary chemicals to your system, and of course, traditional sweeteners like sugar add calories. I made the switch to unsweetened coffee with just milk by slowing reducing the amount of sweetener and now it's how I prefer my coffee.

    If someone wants to avoid unnecessary chemicals, then the coffee should be tossed too. But there is no inherent value in simply avoiding chemical consumption.

    Well, I drink Organic coffee, so there's that.

    Organic foods still have chemicals. All foods are made of chemicals. We're made of chemicals. Since we don't require coffee to survive, it is -- by definition -- a collection of unnecessary chemicals.
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    michelle172415 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    michelle172415 wrote: »
    I'm responding without reading the replies, but have you considered eliminating the sweetener from your coffee all together? Anything that comes in a little packet is inevitably adding unnecessary chemicals to your system, and of course, traditional sweeteners like sugar add calories. I made the switch to unsweetened coffee with just milk by slowing reducing the amount of sweetener and now it's how I prefer my coffee.

    If someone wants to avoid unnecessary chemicals, then the coffee should be tossed too. But there is no inherent value in simply avoiding chemical consumption.

    Well, I drink Organic coffee, so there's that.

    Organic foods still have chemicals. All foods are made of chemicals. We're made of chemicals. Since we don't require coffee to survive, it is -- by definition -- a collection of unnecessary chemicals.

    But at least my Organic coffee isn't known to cause Cancer like aspartame.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    michelle172415 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    michelle172415 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    michelle172415 wrote: »
    I'm responding without reading the replies, but have you considered eliminating the sweetener from your coffee all together? Anything that comes in a little packet is inevitably adding unnecessary chemicals to your system, and of course, traditional sweeteners like sugar add calories. I made the switch to unsweetened coffee with just milk by slowing reducing the amount of sweetener and now it's how I prefer my coffee.

    If someone wants to avoid unnecessary chemicals, then the coffee should be tossed too. But there is no inherent value in simply avoiding chemical consumption.

    Well, I drink Organic coffee, so there's that.

    Organic foods still have chemicals. All foods are made of chemicals. We're made of chemicals. Since we don't require coffee to survive, it is -- by definition -- a collection of unnecessary chemicals.

    But at least my Organic coffee isn't known to cause Cancer like aspartame.

    Ah, so we're moving the goalposts now. When you said "unnecessary chemicals," you didn't mean that we should avoid "unnecessary chemicals." You meant we should avoid aspartame . . . which is only in some of those "little packets." In that case, you may enjoy this thread: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p1
  • Deadcat66
    Deadcat66 Posts: 18 Member
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    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.

    this. I went from 2 sugars to 1 then 1/2 then nothing over a month. Over the years at 5 or 6 cups a day that's a lot of sugar not going into me. The problem is people expect drinks to be sweet when there's no real need for them to be. They need to be wet, thats all.

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