Wondering about Stevia....

I use Stevia in the Raw and no issues here. I really like it!!!

It tastes different than Splenda, so you may not care for it as much if you really like Splenda.

That being said, chemically it's waaaaay better for you.
Splenda is bad news.

I use Stevia in the Raw. I absolutely love it!

I did not like Truvia at all but Stevia in the raw I don't mind and it's like 4 calories for a packet I think, so no it's not calorie free but it's less.

I use it as well, mostly for my hot tea. There is a slight taste difference between it and sugar, and I remember it took me a few days to get accustomed to it, but like she said, when I try to use other artificial sugars now, I can't stand them! The only other one that I like is xylitol, which is from the sugars in fruits, but around here it is really hard to find so.. ya. I typically stick with the stevia off brands, since truvia can be pricey.

Everything I've read about Stevia has been positive, I saw Jillian Micheals recommend it on "The Biggest Loser," and I've also been using Stevia in the Raw and love it! It is sweeter than sugar, so you may end up using less of it. If anyone is concerned about it not being "natural" out of a packet, you can get a Stevia plant and dry out the leaves and use that instead. I'm pretty sure nothing is truly zero calories if you use enough of it, but no one should have a reason to use so much Stevia it adds very much caloric value to their day.

Splenda caused me to have, for lack of a better term..."black out sessions". I can not use it at ALL. I have been using Stevia in the Raw for probably 6-8 months with no issues at all. It's a Godsend for me.

I have heard it tastes "different" but I honestly can't tell a difference. I just know that Splenda, to me, is the Devil!

I primarily use sweeteners in my coffee and occasionally in my smoothies .After using Truvia for the past couple years, I recently switched to Stevia and I noticed a distinct difference in the flavor. Although, I only notice the difference in taste when I use it in my coffee. I wouldn't say that Stevia tastes "bad" ...it's just noticeable.

I've been curious about Stevia and other sugar substitutes too! I cannot stand aspartame, agghhhghg the aftertaste. I have heard that Stevia has a hint of licorice taste, is that true?

I tried the Truvia and it had an odd taste. I prefer the granular sweetener, rather than the "powdery" ones. Stevia in the raw is my fave, because you don't need to adjust the amount you use. It's spoon to spoon. The Truvia required less of it. Kroger actually has an organic raw sweetener section in their organic department that I love. Make sure it's USDA marked! Side note: Baking with Truvia can be odd. Prepare to adjust amounts required. LOL

I use Truvia. Love it.

Did you know splenda is 2 molecules from DDT....the use DDT in pesticides.

Did you know that water is one atom from hydrogen peroxide... they use that to bleach hair and if you drink it, it will kill you nastily?

And yet water is considered by many to be HEALTHY.

Learn the truth about this invasive chemical that causes death and destruction worldwide at

http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

R

Also curious about this.

Is it *actually* natural?
Is it *actually* zero calorie, or is it like on other food labels where if the serving size is <5 cals they can just say it's zero? Cause I'm sure the serving size is like a teaspoon, so for baking or whatever it might add up...

That's a good question because I use to use about 10 packets of Truvia every day :ohwell:

I have some Stevia-based hot chocolate which is really nice.

I couldn't care less about a handful of calories so that is no big deal (I believe a healthy metabolism can handle a reasonable variance in daily calories). And it is clearly way better for me than other sweeteners.

But I am not sure about training my body to like 'sweet' things as a rule so I limit my consumption.

Since cutting the sugar and most refined carbs I am more sensitive to the natural sweetness in food so I guess I just don't need it.

Shedloads better than something that contains Aspartame though

I find Stevia to be sweet, for sure, but not an exact match to the taste of sugar. I am absolutely fine sprinkling it over fruits or making small subs in recipies, but I find too much stevia can give a "bitter" aftertaste when used in a recipe. I'm not sure if this is due to the brands I've tried, or that's just what stevia does in large quantities (1/3 cup+).

stevia is all natural and chemical free unlike splenda. That being said, make sure what you are buying is actually stevia and not stevia + added chemicals.

If you don't like the "diet" sugar taste you should try xylitol (can find it at any natural food store). It has the best sugar taste and texture and is safe for diabetics and is 100% natural. I think it actually tastes better than sugar! The only downside is it's pretty expensive.