Splenda v. Equal/Sweet & Low

[MostlyWater]

I keep losing and gaining back the same few lbs so I have to cut someplace. I should probably cut out the sugar in my coffee as I use 4 packets a day.

What does everyone think of the taste in the fake sugars? And not just for coffee, I guess in whatever else i might sweeten - iced tea, etc.

Thanks

 

[Andy M.]

A teaspoon of sugar is worth 16 calories. I'd look elsewhere.

 

[Adillo303]

Well said, but, Splenda is pretty good. I make fresh fruited Yogurt for her every morning. Plain Yougrt, fresh fruit and some Splenda. Not bad at all. In iced tea, Sweet & Low, just seems to work.

AC

 

[jabbur]

Instead of switching to the fake stuff try cutting back on how much you put in your coffee! I used to be like you and started cutting back. Now you use 4 so maybe cut back to just 3 for a while until you get used to the taste of only 3 packets. Then cut it back to 2 etc. Pretty soon you won't be needing sugar in your coffee at all. I still add a bit of milk or half and half but that doesn't really sweeten it as much as to dampen the bitter. I also agree with Andy that there is probably somewhere else in your diet to cut back besides that.

 

[MostlyWater]

I tried that, i can't get used to the taste of 3 sugars v. the 4. BUT i think 3 splendas are plenty.

iirc, isn't splenda not a fake sweetener anywayh? isn't it sugar related, somehow?

 

[Russellkhan]

It's processed heavily enough to be considered fake. The "real sugar" claim is from the marketing dept.

 

[Mama]

You know how a lot of gas stations have cases of soda outside? You never see any diet soda out there do you? There's a reason.

"When the temperature of aspartame exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in aspartame converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which, in turn, causes metabolic acidosis. Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants. The methanol toxicity mimics multiple sclerosis; thus, people are being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in error. Multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence; methanol toxicity is."

Problem is, your body temperature is 98 degrees. Hmmmmm.....

Read this article: Aspertame before you decide to switch to one of those sugar substitutes.

 

[JMediger]

We use Splenda in a pinch (or when I know I need to use a subsitute for dietary reasons of guests). However, after a good friend of mine had a bad reaction to [Splenda] due to the chlorine processing, we try to avoid using any of them.

 

[redgriller]

You know how a lot of gas stations have cases of soda outside? You never see any diet soda out there do you? There's a reason.

"When the temperature of aspartame exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in aspartame converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which, in turn, causes metabolic acidosis. Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants. The methanol toxicity mimics multiple sclerosis; thus, people are being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in error. Multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence; methanol toxicity is."

Problem is, your body temperature is 98 degrees. Hmmmmm.....

Read this article: Aspertame before you decide to switch to one of those sugar substitutes.

That is an Urban Legend / Email Hoax.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

ACSH > Health Issues >

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blasp.htm

 

[stassie]

I'm odd - I like diet coke better than the original version, so that's what I drink (on the occasions that I do). I'm not a fan of coke zero, though.

I never use artificial sweetners anywhere else, though. Oddly enough, I don't like the taste, so I just don't think it's worth it. So I can't really offer an opinion on which is better.

On the sweetners debate - thank you, redgriller, you beat me to it. I think it's a great idea to be wary of manufactured substances, but I've yet to find a convincing, scientific argument against sweetners (not saying they're not necessarily bad for you - just that I can't find any published research that suggests this is the case).

 

[Mama]

That is an Urban Legend / Email Hoax.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

ACSH > Health Issues >

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blasp.htm

Well, first off I don't trust the FDA or any of the other government agencies to tell me the truth and secondly why aren't diet cokes stored outside like regular coke?

 

[stassie]

Well, first off I don't trust the FDA or any of the other government agencies to tell me the truth and secondly why aren't diet cokes stored outside like regular coke?

I'm pretty sure they are here in NZ - have you checked?

 

[GB]

why aren't diet cokes stored outside like regular coke?

I am pretty sure they are stored the same way the regular coke here is stored, but putting that point aside for a moment lets just think of the transportation. When you see those big Coke 18 wheelers on the highway, do you think those are refrigerated units? Those trailers get much hotter than 86*.

 

[redgriller]

They are stored outside at several convenience stores here, and even at Wal-Mart during big summer type sales like on the 4th of July. There's convenience store near my house now that has a special, 4 12 packs for $10. They have pallets of the soft drinks outside, and that includes diet coke.

I'd imagine in some places they don't put things outside because they're afraid of them "walking off", or the local clientele isn’t interested enough in that brand for it to be a draw to the local passer-by.

 

[Mama]

The gas stations here don't put the diet cokes outside. I've never asked why. Maybe I'm wrong, it may be totally safe but I'm just leary of anything artificial. I was reading on Wikipedia that apparently the verdict is still out.

 

[DramaQueen]

I tried cutting back on sugar a long time ago by trying Sweet and Low and Equal. They both have an aftertaste and a fake sugar taste to me and I was turned off. Then came Splenda. I can't tell the difference and now I don't use sugar at all for anything. It takes less Splenda to achieve the same degree of sweetness that sugar gives. I drink a 12 oz cup of coffee in the morning and use 2 Splenda packets. When we had coffee at our card club at the clubhouse they were out of Splenda so I had to use sugar. I realized I had to use 3 packs of sugar to get the same sweetness as Splenda in a 12 oz. coffee cup.
I sprinkle a little Splenda on my berries or 1/2 pack in my tea. I won't go back to using sugar if I don't have to.

 

[babetoo]

being diabetic, i use splenda for everything, even in baking. they also have one brown sugar. had great success using it in baking. doesn't work well though if recipe is using sugar for volume


babe

 

[Maverick2272]

I don't like the fake stuff in coffee, it just doesn't taste the same, so instead I limit the amount of coffee I have per day to one or two cups. Usually one in the morning and one at night. I put in about 2tbsps per cup of coffee. And if I put cream in it, then it has to actually be cream, not half n half, but heavy cream. Anything else just tastes watered down.
I do like equal in most other drinks like lemonade or cool aid type drinks, but found Splenda has a better taste in iced tea beverages. Don't know why, just does to me.
So, we have sugar, Equal, and Splenda on hand. No pink stuff, I don't like that stuff at all taste is way off and takes 4x as many packets to sweeten as Splenda and Equal (to me anyway).

 

[Adillo303]

OK - time to pull the chain on this one

 

[Maverick2272]

being diabetic, i use splenda for everything, even in baking. they also have one brown sugar. had great success using it in baking. doesn't work well though if recipe is using sugar for volume


babe

One of these days I am going to get around to trying Splenda in baking, but how do I know which recipes are using sugar for volume and therefore won't work right with Splenda?
Or should I just stick with the recipes Splenda provides? They do seem to have plenty of em.