Sweet Escape

by: AndreaDow
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Word Count: 463

Thursday, July 26th

Still confused about what sugar substitues are best to consume as part of a healthy diet? There are so many options for artificial sweeteners that the task of choosing the right one can be daunting. Thanks to Dr. David L. Katz, MD, we have some answers!

Aspartame is labeled as both Equal and Nutrasweet. It tastes about 200 times sweeter than sugar and has 13 calories per teaspoon. One of the blue/pink packets will cost you only 4 calories. Remember that the FDA does allow foods that contain fewer than 5 calories per serving to be labeled calorie free. That is why butter sprays and cooking sprays can be labeled zero calories. Even though the FDA has not proven a link between this sweetener and brain tumors or neurological disorders, I personally steer clear of the stuff. Aspartame is definitely not suitable for baking.

Splenda, the brand name given to sucrose, is over 600 times as sweet as real sugar. It is listed as a no calorie sweetener, but the Splenda used in baking does contain calories. There are 96 calories per cup which is still quite a savings when you compare regular sugar at 770 calories per cup. A teaspon of Splenda is only 2 calories. Some people have difficulty digesting this sweetener so skip Splenda if you have any abdominal discomfort after consuming foods containing Splenda.

Stevia is a sweetener that you may have seen at your local health foods store. It is made from an herb that grows in South America. There is not enough information regarding the safety of this product so it is only available in supplement form in the United States. You can purchase it and add it to any foods you like, but you will not find any frozen yogurt with Stevia used as the sweetener. Some interesting statistics on Stevia are that it has no calories, is 400 times sweeter than sugar and it will not raise your blood sugar. The only negative seems to be a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Again, I try not to eat too many sugar layden foods or use the above listed sweeteners. I especially stay away from foods containing high-fructose corn syrup. You would be surprised where this sugar ingredient is found- everything from chips to salad dressings. Do yourself a favor and do an overhall in your refrigerator and pantry. Remove any foods with this ingredient and replace it with foods that do not contain any unnecessary sugars. According to Dr. Katz, "eliminate sugar in foods where it doesn't belong and you'll get your sweet tooth under control, reduce calories, eat less overall, and lose weight". Not a bad trade-off for finding yourself some healthier foods!

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