Stevia to make smoothies sweet?

[greeninlosangeles]

While in the nursery I noticed sugar plant, herb stevia and it tastes just like sugar! I always thought that just sugars taste sweet, but this herb is 300 times sweeter than sugars.
Do you think it is healthy?
Where do you think sweetness comes from?

[Sunshine9]

Stevia is completely healthy. While it is very sweet, it won't effect your blood sugar, so it's even acceptable on no-sugar diets. You can buy it in liquid or powder form at the health food store, which is one of the easiest ways to work with it. Be careful to only use a LITTLE bit because it is so sweet. Also it's kind of an odd sweetness, so I find I only like it in certain things. Give it a try, stevia is a good friend.

[rawfigure]

I use Stevia. I use the powder and a few liquids. My favorite liquid s the Valencia Orange. Nice flavor !

[heabrook]

Stevia is wonderful! And Sunshine is right, it does not alter blood glucose, so it is safe for diabetics.

Stevia is sweet because the plant contains glycosides.

[veganman]

I threw a tablespoon of the leaves in a smoothie this morning as I did not have a lot of fruit - very good tasting.

[Shan]

Yeah but what does Stevia COME from? It's not a natural plant product is it? I thought it was a chemical, no???

[juliebove]

Yeah but what does Stevia COME from? It's not a natural plant product is it? I thought it was a chemical, no???

It's a plant. In the USA it can't legally be sold as a food. Only as a supplement. There is much controversy surrounding it. I would not personally use it.

[eachpeachpearplum]

Good stuff, I find it goes better with tart foods as it can be a bit bitter at times. I like to use it to bump up the sweetness of honey or agave.

[Finding Me]

http://www.stevianow.com/moreinfo.htm

[Brianna]

I use stevia all the time. It is not legal to sell it in the US as a food because of the revolving door between Nutrasweet and the FDA. Stevia would put Nutrasweet out of business if it were legalized for food use. Japan uses it in all of their diet pop, etc becuase it has no calories.

[rawpriestess]

stevia is a plant, you simply grow it and use the leaves, the powdered stevia is not raw, but the liquid may be, I have been using the liquid for years, it can have a bitter taste if you use too much, if this happens, do NOT add more stevia to make it sweeter, it will not work.


Stevia is an ancient plant, and has been used for centuries as a sweetener in foods, but it isn't as cost effective as sugar beets or sugar cane to grow, so the big manufacturers don't grow it.

it can have a licorice type of taste also, so it isn't as easy to use as processed white sugar.

I like agave nectar, dates and stevia as my sweeteners of choice.

stevia is not a chemical

[Shan]

Oh that's great to know! I might get some to make lemonade or something!