Xylitol

Although I’m sweet without it 😉 when I decided to go sugar-free, I started off using stevia. Although it worked out to add some sweetness to smoothies and flavor to certain dishes, I did not like the bitter after taste. Some people don’t notice it, but I do and it was really an annoyance and distracting me of the deliciousness of a dish. So when I heard about xylitol, I HAD to give it a try! So what exactly IS xylitol and how do you pronounce it? It is pronounced zy li tall and it is a natural sugar that is derived from trees and corn. Xylitol is granulated and looks like sugar, is sweet like sugar, can be used in cooking, baking, and sweetening beverages, and there is no aftertaste like stevia!  I was sold! What makes xylitol great is that it is low on the glycemic index, very low-calorie, good for your teeth, and is actually very beneficial for your health. So what’s the downside? Price for one, it is quite expensive but oh so worth it! The other downfall, is that some people, if they have too much, will  end up with digestive upset like cramps, bloating and diarrhea. But, if you’re on iron, like me, you hope for that after effect 😉 I have not had this happen to me but my 2 daughters made several glasses (3 or 4) of lemonade with 2 large spoonfuls of xylitol in each glass. They drank them one right after the other and ended up with one of those lovely side effects (I’m sure they’re glad I’m telling you). But, if you use it like a normal person then you will probably be safe. Read more about xylitol here

Stevia

Stevia is the first natural sweetener I used and was happy to have at least something to sweeten and flavor my drinks and dishes. What I didn’t like was the bitter aftertaste. My daughter said she doesn’t notice it and she really likes it so maybe it’s just me. Pronounced stee vee yuh, stevia comes from the leaves of a plant. It is considered a zero calorie sweetener, can be used for cooking, baking, and sweetening beverages. What’s nice about it is that it comes in large bags as well as packets. Although the packaging says that you can use it cup for cup like sugar, I found it is too sweet for that and the aftertaste became stronger. I always cut the amount by at least half. You can read more about it here. I prefer to use xylitol over stevia.