Stevia experience
So I have wanted to quite my Splenda addiction for a while now... Months actually. Recently I decided to go "cold-tofu" and see if I could do at least one week with NO Splenda whatsoever. Well today I am happy to report I have been Splenda free for 8 days and it was not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. Usually I just add it to my coffee and desserts... So my question is... Yesterday I bought a box of Whole Foods brand Steiva and I am sitting here drinking it in my morning coffee... And it has a weird aftertaste to me! :P Has anyone else experienced this and will I get used to it? Splenda had no aftertaste at all to me... I just hated the idea of consuming all that artificial stuff... What are your thoughts on getting accustomed to the taste of Steiva?
I don't like stevia either. I think it has an awful bitter after taste. I just drink my coffee black. You could try agave nectar. It isn't calorie free but it is supper low on the glycemic index so it doesn't metabolize the same way sugar does.
Stevia is known to have a bitter aftertaste but I don't notice it at all. I think maybe some people can taste it stronger than others. Maybe it's a genetic thing?
I tried stevia a long time ago and hated it( might have been Whole Foods brand). Recently I bought sweetLeaf brand and like it a lot more. Also, since stevia is so sweet try using half the amount or less than you would normally use. I also like agave syrup ( although it is also sweeter than sugar, so watch how much of it you use as well). Good luck!
you could also try xylitol... its pretty good if you're prone to tooth decay, ENT problems (glue ear, sinus colds, etc) or yeast infections/thrush too- as it starves germs and bacteria who are looking for (and think they're munching on) real sugar. just don't use too much of it till your digestive system gets used to it, or it'll go right through you, and don't give it to dogs, as they can't process it and it can kill them.
apparently the lovely *sarcasm* folks at coca cola are working alongside the folks at cargill (no idea how lovely or not they are) to produce and legislate a fully legal sweetener (as aposed to dietary supplement) made from stevia, which doesn't have any aftertaste whatsover. they wanna use it in diet coke, like they currently do with stevia in japan, but no doubt soner or later it'll be on the shelves as a product in itself, just like splenda is, and hopefully it'll affect other stevia producers, and improve their product. so give it a few years, and stevia stuff might change. until then, you could try another brand- some are more aniseedy than others, and i agree that less is definately more with stevia.
you could also try xylitol... its pretty good if you're prone to tooth decay, ENT problems (glue ear, sinus colds, etc) or yeast infections/thrush too- as it starves germs and bacteria who are looking for (and think they're munching on) real sugar. just don't use too much of it till your digestive system gets used to it, or it'll go right through you, and don't give it to dogs, as they can't process it and it can kill them.
Thank you for this info! I've been checking out Xylitol and wanting to buy it but haven't-now I think I will since you informed us of the added benefits of it.
I'm glad I found agave nectar. I bought some stevia about 2 years back ad I still have practically the whole pack left. I couldn't stomach the bitter aftertaste. :(
DIFFERENT STEVIA BRANDS TASTE DIFFERENTLY. I use sweetleaf, and no one in my family thinks it has a bitter aftertaste. I've tried whole foods and it sucks. Definitly bitter.
Different brands have different substitution ratios too. It's very important you follow the subsitite proportions exactly, or you'll screw up whatever you're making. You can't just estimate and hope it's right, then maybe add a little more.
Thanks for the info everyone...
I will pick up some Sweet Leaf brand next time I am at the store and see if I can tell the difference! Maybe I can even return the nasty Whole Foods brand too... :P