Hi Ya’ll!!
Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with “Stevia”. I saw the commercial on TV, and then a friend in my office brought me 3 packets to try. I have them sitting on my desk…waiting.
I am a devout Splenda user, so I can’t imagine an improvement over that!
I love stevia…I have yet to buy the new packets but I buy it by the bottle at henry’s or trader joes…it’s great in coffee and other things…trying to stay away from splenda and anything artificial although that can be difficult…
Been using Stevia for a little while. Really like the flavor and the fact that it is a natural product. More expensive than other alternatives, but, at least in my opinion, worth the extra. One packet will sweeten nearly any drink.
There is a huge promotion going on for Stevia now that a big company has gotten behind it, and between the people shilling the “splenda will kill you with chlorine” nonsense and the people promoting stevia on every board I read, I’m starting to get a bit suspicious!.
I have bought a couple different brands of powdered stevia years ago but they don’t taste good to me at all. I think it may be one of those substances that tastes differently to people depending on their particular taste bud genetics.
I read elsewhere that the version the big food companies are using is a combination of stevia and erythritol. The latter is the one sugar alcohol that doesn’t raise blood sugar, though I bought some of it, too, and couldn’t get it to do anything in any recipe or drink I tried it in.
Me likey 
I’ve had great experiences with liquid stevia of various flavors. The powders all seem to have weird chemicals in them that I ain’t gonna touch. But stevia itself is a natural product, and I like it because sucralose and aspartame are nasty chemicals I don’t wanna put in my body.
What does this product contain? Is it a “rip off” of Stevia?
Dee Dee,
I would say go ahead and give it a try! I’ve used it, and can say that it’s better than everything except Splenda 
I’ve had great experience with stevia, too. But let me say this: all stevia is not created equal!
I posted a discussion a while back about different brands of stevia: http://tudiabetes.com/forum/topics/583967:Topic:289656 Check it out, and maybe you’ll find something you like there.
So far, I’ve only tried the powdered stevia. The pure stevia (usually in bottles rather than packets) I found a bit too bitter for my taste. The packets, though, usually have other things added to the stevia extract to adjust the flavor and texture. Common additives are: maltodextrin, erythritol, and a few others. I usually pick the ones with maltodextrin over erythritol, and find that the gram or two of extra carbs in my tea hasn’t affected me (I usually use about 1/2 packet). Many stores have sample packets available, so you can try a few different ones without having to buy a whole box. That said, I would like to try the liquid stevia, which appeals to me because it doesn’t have the extra additives. If anyone had any recommendations on which one to try, let me know!
I actually use a sweetner call Xylosweet which is along the same lines as Stevia and I love it. It comes in packets like sugar and I am pretty sure you can get it in a box (for baking purposes) I get it at Whole Foods. I gave up chemical sweeteners awhile ago. Splenda was ok and usually what I used but when you get used to the natural stuff and then use a chemical sweetener its like BLEAH!
It’s not a rip off - it’s just yet another brand that contains Stevia. Stevia is the plant that is used. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia)
I’ve used the truvia brand and have been pretty happy with it. It doesn’t mess with my blood sugars like Splenda did and the taste is pretty great too.
try this link www.truvia.com
I just started using stevia too, looking for a more healthy way to sweeten my coffee. Aspartame seems to give me a headache, and I remember in the 80s my parents would smuggle sugar free stuff (pop, gum) across the boarder to Canada for me and it had cancer written all over it in big bold words. Those warnings somehow went away, but I remember them. I used splenda for a while and it is fine too, but I get the impression there are lots of chemicals involved. So stevia seems more natural, but it could be good marketing and I might be fooled. The label only mentioned stevia extract.
I have been using Stevia for awhile (years) and like it. But I like stevia plu (has inulin fiber in it—same stuff tehy use in dreamfields)…Really irritated me when TRuvia got a variety of store to drop Stevia–but we have a few stores that thankfully didn’t cave and a whole foods now–although fo rthose not so lucky it is internet orderable