Avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners by switching to stevia

In a land neither near nor far, there lives  a magical sweetener, named Stevia. It comes from a plant that is a cousin of Chrysanthemum and sister of Sunflower. But it is incredibly sweet. The truth is Stevia is 300 times sweeter than her ugly stepmother, Sugar. Better yet, Stevia is sweet without any added calories. And best of all, Stevia is so much kinder than any of her catty artificial friends, who promise the same calorie-free hit but deliver nothing but trouble. I’m referring of course to the chemical sweeteners Splenda, Aspartame, Saccharine, Sucralose, and Acesulfame.

Stevia is a real sweetheart

Evidence suggests that these artificial sweeteners are contributing to cancer, brain disorders, and sugar dependency problems. They are used in soft drinks, packaged puddings and jellos and many other processed food that are labeled  sugar free.

Sugar imposters

Avoiding sugar

Many people want to cut back on sugar. To hide the  sugar in processed food, companies sometimes use different members of the sugar family in their products. That way, sugar is not listed as the first ingredient at the top of the label.

Here are some of the more notorious of Sugar’s relatives:  Corn sweetener, Dextrose, Fructose, Fruit-juice concentrate, Glucose, High-fructose corn syrup or HFCS (a particularly lethal individual),  Lactose, Maltose, Molasses, and  Sucrose.

But sweetness is a treat we often want to indulge in. And there are ways we can sweeten food that allow us to reduce our sugar intake. We just have to make our treats at home so we can control the amount of sugar used. We also might have to adapt our favorite recipes to reduce the sugar content.

Honey and maple syrup

For example, I use maple syrup or honey in place of  white sugar because they have some nutritional benefits. Maple syrup is made from the sap that nourishes the maple tree. And Honey is produced by bees to feed their young.

But volume-for-volume they provide the same number of calories as white sugar and other sugar products..  To get ahead of the game, I reduce the amount I use in the recipe. Maple syrup and honey are a good choice as long as the recipe calls for only a little sweetener.

Stevia

If I need a lot of sweetener, I’ve been learning to use the natural plant product Stevia for help. It has no calories, it’s safe, and if you use the right amount, it’s sweet without any aftertaste.

For centuries South Americans have used  Stevia in herbal teas. Decades ago, the Japanese used it in Diet Coke. By 2000,  Agriculture Canada was experimenting with Stevia in various processed foods, as a safe, calorie-free substitute for sugar.

Since 2008 when Stevia was approved for use in food in the US, it has been edging out other sugar substitutes.

Stevia – it’s natural!

Is Stevia safe?

Studies show that Stevia is safe at normal consumption rates. Some stevia products combine Stevia with other substances to reduce its sweetness. Truvia for example combines Stevia with a sugar alcohol so that it can be used in the same amounts as sugar. But the additive can cause diarrhea in some people, especially people with bowel problems.

I prefer to use a pure stevia powder to avoid these problems. I have learned to dilute it with water so that I can sweeten my food without any after taste. Instructions appear in Your Key to Using Stevia.

So I say give Stevia a whirl. Stay tuned for recipes and more episodes in the Stevia Story. Good night and sweet dreams!

Sodas sweetened with Stevia, available in Canada

Related links

• Sand castles and cookies – Make some cookies with stevia
• Misty moisty apple cake – Avoiding sugar with apples and stevia