To sweeten or not to sweeten?

tomaattikastike
tomaattikastike Posts: 62 Member
edited October 2017 in Food and Nutrition
I tend not to use pure sugars much, and if I have a choice, go for the unsweetened option (e.g. I buy "unsweetened" soy milk rather than the regular one that is sweetened with sugar). so that I have a choice later. However, I am also a bit of a sweet tooth...

So, for example, if I eat oatmeal for breakfast (from either pure oats or pure oat bran) with 1/3 unsweetened soy milk, 2/3 water, and some salt, it can taste a bit "tasteless". I can change that by adding fruits (e.g. some banana or frozen berries), but if I wanted to make it "to taste", I would either have to add a lot of fruit (which obviously also contain sugar), add some kind of sugar (e.g. honey, agave or maple syrup, or something similar), or add sweetener.

What's your experience with sweetener, particular if you have a sweet tooth?

I don't have any strong beliefs about sweetener itself, I just suspect that sweetening my food will make me want to eat more. It seems to be more sensible to use sweetener than sugar. Or should I try to eat what tastes a bit "bland" food for a while, and hope I'll warm up to it? But then, if my taste actually changes, wouldn't my appetite simply adapt, too?

Replies

  • cs2thecox
    cs2thecox Posts: 533 Member
    Or go a different route... how about vanilla or cinnamon?

    Having said that, I have a hopelessly sweet tooth, and I've literally given up trying to fight it. I'm a fan of the sugar free syrups from MyProtein. I just try not to think too hard about what's in them!
    I've also tried the pancake syrup from Walden Farms, which was nice too, but more expensive to get in the UK since it's a US brand.
  • browneyes1520
    browneyes1520 Posts: 94 Member
    What's wrong with putting a tablespoon of brown sugar or honey or maple syrup on your oatmeal? It makes it tasty with only a moderate amount of extra calories (60 cals for honey or maple syrup and 45 for brown sugar). I make my oatmeal using water and I add frozen blueberries cinnamon and vanilla and once it's cooked I top it with 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1/4 cup of milk. It's delicious and filling!
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
    I use liquid stevia in things to sweeten them, or I'll add a flavoured protein powder for sweetness and taste. The powder will bump up the protein content and helps keep me fuller longer..
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I prefer oatmeal with just some fruit, no sweetener (including sugar). (I also like savory oats.) However, if you think it tastes a lot better with some sugar or sweetener, there's no harm -- presumably you aren't using so much that it affects the calories too much, right?

    If you think you need to add a lot of calories to make it taste good, maybe it's not for you or you can wean down the amounts some.
  • iamthemotherofdogs
    iamthemotherofdogs Posts: 562 Member
    I'm all about the stevia.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    I add cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardomom to my oatmeal and haven't used sugar or sweetener for years. A banana helps too because it's so sweet. 1 banana per 2 serving pot bulks it up to 3 servings so your calories per serving is About the same and you have an extra bowl to reheat in micro later.
  • fitdragon484
    fitdragon484 Posts: 46 Member
    tomaattikastike wrote: »
    I tend not to use pure sugars much, and if I have a choice, go for the unsweetened option (e.g. I buy "unsweetened" soy milk rather than the regular one that is sweetened with sugar). so that I have a choice later. However, I am also a bit of a sweet tooth...

    So, for example, if I eat oatmeal for breakfast (from either pure oats or pure oat bran) with 1/3 unsweetened soy milk, 2/3 water, and some salt, it can taste a bit "tasteless". I can change that by adding fruits (e.g. some banana or frozen berries), but if I wanted to make it "to taste", I would either have to add a lot of fruit (which obviously also contain sugar), add some kind of sugar (e.g. honey, agave or maple syrup, or something similar), or add sweetener.

    What's your experience with sweetener, particular if you have a sweet tooth?

    I don't have any strong beliefs about sweetener itself, I just suspect that sweetening my food will make me want to eat more. It seems to be more sensible to use sweetener than sugar. Or should I try to eat what tastes a bit "bland" food for a while, and hope I'll warm up to it? But then, if my taste actually changes, wouldn't my appetite simply adapt, too?

    Hi there!
    I started my weight loss program a month ago, so I am a newbie. I started because I got inspired by Christmas Abbott, don't know if you heard of her. That was until I installed this application. But when I started following CA program, i cut the sugars, all substitutes, so no maple, no honey... Nothing. It was hard for few days until I got used to the taste, but now I don't even miss it. It's like less you take sugar less you need it. It's working for me.
    I picked up few advices fro Christmas Abbott book and this was one of those. Good luck with your journey.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
    I have no problem adding a tisp of honey to oatmeal or tea, if I want it. I typically pick one or the other. (I love the Nature Nate's raw honey from Costco.)
  • tomaattikastike
    tomaattikastike Posts: 62 Member
    browneyes1520 wrote: »
    What's wrong with putting a tablespoon of brown sugar or honey or maple syrup on your oatmeal? It makes it tasty with only a moderate amount of extra calories (60 cals for honey or maple syrup and 45 for brown sugar). I make my oatmeal using water and I add frozen blueberries cinnamon and vanilla and once it's cooked I top it with 1 tbsp brown sugar and 1/4 cup of milk. It's delicious and filling!

    Nothing wrong with adding sugar, and it is also a matter of taste, of course (some recipes just need sugar, too). I already eat plenty of fruits, however, and if I want to limit my total calorie intake, I feel that reducing sugar in my regular meals would be one of the easiest ways to do that.
  • Kalex1975
    Kalex1975 Posts: 427 Member
    I use liquid sucralose (e.g. Splenda Zero) to sweeten my overnight oats and for tea, etc. I think it tastes better than stevia which can taste bitter. I have no issues with artificial sweeteners (contrary to popular belief, actual peer-reviewed scientific research has not shown them to have any adverse affects).

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