Best suggestion for sugar replacement in recipes

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4/10/13 11:38 A

Thank you for sharing info on stevia and allergies.

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4/4/13 2:58 P

I have the allergy to seafood but can use Himalayan sea salt...but I don't use a lot of salt anyway...or sugar...lol

And yes, I did know that about Worcestershire sauce and I've often wondered why it doesn't have the required allergy labeling. Even though it is a small amount of anchovie, it could cause a serious problem for some.

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4/4/13 12:32 P

Your suggestion about sea salt made me smile, I have no seafood allergies and have a family member that is. Do you know Worchester Sauce contains anchovie paste?! I don't care for it, and have some on hand for family/guests that do..I always give them the "warning". For whatever reason there is no allergy warning for fish allergies on the wrapper! Funny though a candy bar will have a warning that it may be process in a plant where peanuts are used!

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4/4/13 1:48 A

Simplyme....great advice and a great reminder for those of us with allergies. I'm fortunate that I did not have a reaction to either product despite my numerous allergies to plants, trees, grass, etc. But still...you never know.

I've heard that sea salt can cause problems if allergic to seafood and/or shellfish too.

Eating healthy and taming care of one's self is hard work and can have negative health impacts. So glad you were not sicker or had a more severe reaction

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4/3/13 4:50 P

I tried truvia and stevia, after developing a rash and some other health issues, I unknowingly was EATING what I was allergic to! My doctor told me since I have a ragweed allergy, that the stevia plant is related to Ragweed, Daisy, and mum family, and even though processed, can cause the same effects.so as I said, do research on a product/plant first.

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4/3/13 1:14 P

I use Truvia and Stevia. They now have baking versions available as well. I also gave up sugars...not just for the weight loss affect; but for overall health. It's funny, as you wean off sugar more and more, the sweet things just taste too sweet.

My husband still loves sweets so I make them...but I do it as healthy as possible. When it comes to pudding, I use Jello sugar free and use fat free milk...very low calorie and still delicious. We use sugar free jellos too. I incorporate fruits into dessert whenever possible and let their natural sugars sweeten it up.

When it comes to baking, I get the baking version of the Truvia/Stevia products.

Things like the pink sweetener and the yellow one, leave a chemical after taste so I don't use them. I even carry my own Stevia packets in my purse in case I need to add any sugar to something (like tea or coffee).

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4/2/13 8:25 P

I use Cane Sugar, using half the amount called for in a recipe. Cane sugar is natural-from a plant, such as stevia is. I prefer not to use anything created in a lab or chemically/ enzyme processed so called sweeteners. Best bet, do research on any sweetener product, such as side effects, if it can trigger allergies, ingredients, etc before eating it.

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3/2/13 1:46 P

Some of the 'artificial' sweeteners have been formulated to be heat-stable or similar for baking; check the packages.

Sugar alcohols are less likely to leave an aftertaste.

In baking -- cakes and such -- you need to know what sugar is *doing* ... sometimes it's just sweetness, sometimes it's a matter of mixing with oil or eggs and aiding with moisture. In a lot of mousse and pudding type things you can *reduce* sugar and get used to a less-sweet produce. In ice cream, though, if the sugar content is too low you'll get a hard product.

In baking, rather than entirely replacing sugar, I'd first substitute for other kinds of sugar. Find recipes that use unsweetened applesauce; applesauce is often used as an oil or egg replacement in vegan baking and helps with moisture. Also, some spices like cinnamon and mint serve as 'sweetness replacers'. But as another poster commented, if you want to eliminate sugar, you may have to give up a lot of sweet baked goods ... sugar isn't just for sweetness there, it's often an integral component to texture and such. Check also: some of the diabetic cookbooks.

Best of luck.

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2/14/13 8:59 P

I use erythritol, stevia, and Just Like Sugar. I use these in combination and they have the best flavor. They are not artificial sweeteners.

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2/13/13 1:56 P

In trying to eliminate sugar, you are probably going to have to steer away from making things like mousse/cakes etc... eating cleaner and not consuming sugar doesn't lend itself to cooking things like that.

Mixing unsweetened cocoa in plain yogurt makes a really nice, dark chocolate tasting nearly pudding.

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2/12/13 6:30 P

One of the main goals I have set for myself since starting this adventure with SparkPeople, is to completely eliminate sugar from my diet (as much as humanly possible).

This means that when I see a recipe that calls for sugar, I need to know what a suitable substitute would be that would not be distasteful. Some sweeteners are harmful. Some are just plain nasty. There is a recipe today on Spark Recipe for the day for Chocolate Mousse that sounds wonderful, but calls for sugar.

What have you used as a sugar substitute and how does it compare in taste?

Thanks

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