Sugar substitute?

[Schrammy]

I may or may not be taken out to slaughter for what I'm about to ask... please make it quick.

Do you use sugar substitutes (Equal, Truvia or Splenda... I hate the pink stuff) in your tea for sweeteners? I'm not talking a whole lot, but just half a packet for a little added sweetness?
I know it can take away from the taste of the tea, but I can't eat honey, and I'm not the biggest fan of regular sugar.

[entropyembrace]

Artificial sugar substitutes are toxic and can cause or contribute to a lot of health problems...better off using something natural like agave nectar or stevia. Of course if you know the risks and still want to use splenda or whatever then go ahead

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/467963.aspx

[MitzyG]

I use Splenda, but am trying to quit using it. I am down to 1/2 a packet at most per cup. I mostly use it in Chai and such. I use honey sometimes, but it can bother my teeth. I want to try those honey pellet things? I can't remember what they are called. I also need to try some agave nectar.
Any other suggestions?

[Schrammy]

I know it's bad, but being a pre-diabetic who's allergic to honey... cuts down on a lot.

[Sacha]

You can try stevia concentrate, better for your health than Splenda for sure...

[RedRose8]

Artificial sweeteners like saccharin (Sweet'N Low), aspartame (Equal), and sucralose (splenda) are really awful for you and have been linked to certain types of cancer and imbalances in the brain.

But there are plenty of natural sweeteners. Try Stevia - I think someone mentioned this above. It's an herb that originated in South America. Some others are truvia and PureVia... you'll be sure to find at least one in the grocery store!

[RedRose8]

I use Splenda, but am trying to quit using it. I am down to 1/2 a packet at most per cup. I mostly use it in Chai and such. I use honey sometimes, but it can bother my teeth. I want to try those honey pellet things? I can't remember what they are called. I also need to try some agave nectar.
Any other suggestions?

Do some research on agave nectar before you try it. I've heard a lot of really good hype and a lot of really bad hype. One of which being that the makers have done an enormously great job in advertising it as a 'natural sweetener' when in reality, it is actually highly processed and has even more fructose in it than high-fructose corn syrup - up to 90% fructose I believe was the number I recall.

[geeber1]

After many years of using Sweet 'n Low, I switched to Sun Crystals. Sun Crystals is a mixture of "real" sugar and stevia. One packet has five calories, but is probably better than the zero calorie artificials. It doesn't dissolve as quickly in cold liquids, but with a bit of extra stirring, it's fine.

[Chip]

So, does stevia have a licorice kind of taste like I hear?

And do the Sun Crystals have a more natural sweet flavor. I think the Sun Crystals are a very good alternative.

[geeber1]

I don't really notice a flavor change with Sun Crystals. I have a few teas that I'm using up that seem to have an "edge" to them that I don't like, so I use Sun Crystals with them to get rid of that bit of bitterness. (For example the 4 oz. pkg of Nilgiri Chamraj that my frugality is making me use up!) They also don't make things overwhelmingly sweet.

I had terrible side effects when I tried Splenda, but so far the Sun Crystals have been totally agreeable. No terrible headaches or stomach cramps. They are a little more expensive than Sweet 'n Low, but since I don't use them that often, it's worth it to pay a bit more.

Of course, we'll probably read reports soon about how bad Sun Crystals are, just like everything else! I like that they are made of only two ingredients, and I know what both of them are.

[entropyembrace]

I use Splenda, but am trying to quit using it. I am down to 1/2 a packet at most per cup. I mostly use it in Chai and such. I use honey sometimes, but it can bother my teeth. I want to try those honey pellet things? I can't remember what they are called. I also need to try some agave nectar.
Any other suggestions?

Do some research on agave nectar before you try it. I've heard a lot of really good hype and a lot of really bad hype. One of which being that the makers have done an enormously great job in advertising it as a 'natural sweetener' when in reality, it is actually highly processed and has even more fructose in it than high-fructose corn syrup - up to 90% fructose I believe was the number I recall.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_nectar

Agave nectar´s just processed by heating which breaks the complex carbohydrates in the nectar down into fructose...it´s just cooking...no heavy processing there, just a simple process. As to the fructose content you can buy lighter agave nectar that hasn´t been cooked as much which has much lower fructose content or the more cooked kind which is sweeter and has more fructose. It does have a pretty high glycemic index but it´s a bit less than white table sugar and it´s a tasty alternative...not for diabetics but it won´t harm anyone else.

[Ebtoulson]

So, does stevia have a licorice kind of taste like I hear?

And do the Sun Crystals have a more natural sweet flavor. I think the Sun Crystals are a very good alternative.

I picked up a box of sun crystal a couple months ago and did notice a licorice taste so I stopped using it. For any of my teas I want sweetened, I've basically resorted to using raw sugar which is around 15 calories per teaspoon (just looked it up one package of sun crystal is 5 calories but is only 1.3g so a teaspoon would be 15 calories as well, not to sure about the sweetness level though).

[geeber1]

Eb, you must be more sensitive to any licorice taste than I am, I didn't find that they left that flavor at all. I'll have to be more observant next time I use them.

[nonc_ron]

I'm a Diabetic and only use sugar for Humming Bird feeders
For a long time I used Splenda and found it a little too sweet.
One packet will easily do two cups of tea.
I'm new to Stevia. (still on my first bottle)
It's amazing how little you use..

[rabbit]

The tiny amount of sugar that one puts in a cup of tea is not enough to make a big impact on your calorie intake or your health in general, just limit it somewhere else in your diet.