Stevia?

[Promise]

anyone use Stevia? i refuse to use ANY Artificial Sweetener if at all, but im thinking about buying some Stevia to have IF i need it... any advice???

[Sera]

I've ordered it but currently I'm using an artificial sweetener.
My mum used Stevia a lot last year though and she says it's even sweeter than the artificial sweeteners.

[Piasabird]

I started using it after I read my very first Atkins book. I prefer the liquid form in the bottle with a dropper. I bought mine at Vitamin World, buy one get one free. Awesome deal. You'll want to use it very sparingly. Because if you put too much in the food will take on a bitter taste, imo. I think there's a chart around somewhere on the web that gives the equivalent amounts between sugar and stevia. Might be a good thing to have. Or just flavor to taste.

Right now stevia is classified as a food supplement instead of a sweetener by the FDA. I think that's because the makers of the artificial sweeteners don't want something cutting into their profits.

[Jace]

Stevia is great...I've used it quite often and the fact that it's all natural is an excellent plus.

It's good for cooking so long as you're only looking to make a particular food extremely sweet. If you're good with numbers and can figure out dilution ratios you could easily use Stevia to replace sugar as a sweetener for your day to day foods.

But, it is 300 times sweeter than sugar so it only stands to reason that it would cause problems in that quarter. Much like Splenda, it doesn't have the baking properties that sugar has. It won't create color or texture and causes a yield decrease on most recipes. So don't even bother trying to bake with it unless you're really adventurous!

As long as you're only using it to just make a beverage or food taste sweet I definitely recommend it. It's also been said that it helps improve glucose tolerance in diabetics, but I can't confirm that through experience.

Best of luck!

~Far la bella figura!

[Promise]

Thanks For The Info Everyone! i went out and bought a little bit of STEVIA this morning (powdered) to use in my Coffee...i am drinking DECAF w/CREAM and now STEVIA... and its not bad! i was Very Suprised at how good it is... i only used MAYBE 1/8th (OR LESS) of a Teaspoon in my 12oz mug of Decaf and it tastes Great! thank you all for the information! and JACE! WoW! you look GREAT! 125lbs! WoW! i may not be able to do that, but after seeing your pic i sure am gonna try!!! i am preparing as we speak... i am slowly getting rid of all the junk that "I" had stored away in the Kitchen, and ive been shopping for Legal Foods... and i have started eating BETTER than i ever have, but my True 1st day of Induction wont be until this Saturday July 21st, 2007... IM JUST PREPARING MYSELF MENTALLY SO I WILL BE TOTALLY COMITTED! Thanks Everyone!