Hi everyone. I trust you all had great holidays.

I just got Low Carb Cuisine and the recipes look yummy. There are some ingredients in there that are foreign object, however. In particular, I was wondering what is SteviaPlus. I have stevia extract (liquid) but is that different than SteviaPlus? I tried to look it up on netrition.com and it didn't help. Can you?

Thanks.

j

Jana Berghoefer

Hi Jana,
SteviaPlus is a Wisdom Herbs product. As you know, stevia is an herb, and is 30 times sweeter than sugar. SteviaPlus has an added fiber supplement in it, FOS. You may have already found out also, that when you mix SteviaPlus and Splenda, you get a very nice sweet taste, with little to no after taste. SteviaPlus can also be used in cooking and baking, as can Splenda. If I didn't answer your question, you could give Sharron Long a holler...or a private topic, and she can probably explain it in more detail
HTH
PS: SteviaPlus is a powder form. It is sold in packets and a larger shaker type jar.

Shelley

sg
*LC WOLF*

That is very interesting info... In the past I had tried Stevia a few times, but it was so horrible and left a bitter taste in my mouth.. Do you know the proportions to use for the combo. I would like to give it another try... TU

Sandi,
It depends on what you will be using it in. For my coffee, I use one packet of each.(I like my coffee moderately sweet, and it's a big 12oz mug) For recipes, 2 Tablespoons of SteviaPlus equals the sweetness of 1 cup of sugar. If your recipe doesn't specify how much of each sweetner to use, I'd ask Sharron. She has a formula, and she is always right on the money in her recipes.
HTH
Shelley

sg
*LC WOLF*

Thanks, Shelley! That helps tremendously!

Jana

Jana Berghoefer

I just bought Sharron Long's Very Low Carb recipe book. She uses SteviaPlus in many, if not all, of her dessert recipes, so I decided to go in search of it.

Found it at Wild Oats, in the supplements section. I bought the 4 oz. jar of granules, which I will reserve for cooking. I've been happy with Splenda for coffee and other everyday uses.

P. S. Her quick and easy pie with Jell-O and cream cheese in an almond crust is really yummy--and very easy, even for me!

Barb L.
Started Atkins January 2003
162/137/130

In regard to stevia, it's sold as a supplement in the USA, not approved as a sweetner at this time. LCers and diabetics tend to like stevia because it doesn't cause an insulin response, as with some artifical sweetners.

Shelley's explanation about the SteviaPlus is correct. It contains FOS, which is a fiber additive. Sharron is the forum authority on SteviaPlus.

Take care~
Susan

LCE Member since 01/02

Jana,

There are a lot of stevia brands out there, and you can find them in any HFS.

The problem, IMHO, is that they all have a bitter aftertaste. All, that is, but SteviaPlus. This stuff, to me, not only doesn't have that bitter taste but has added fiber (the FOS that Shelly was refering to). Great product.

You can get it from Wisdom Herbs,
http://www.wisdomherbs.com/
or, if you have a Vitamin Shoppe near you, try there. There prices are lower than at the HFS.

And, yes, Sharron is our stevia expert.

Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy.
And cooking done with care is an act of love.
- Craig Claiborne

Why, thankye

This is Wisdom Herbs storefront. They've got a sale going on now.

Besides that, I don't really think I can add much to what has already been said. It is a terrific product made by really nice people. What more could we ask for?

Blessings!
Sharron
Author of "Low Carb Cooking at Sharron's Place," and "Extreme Lo-Carb Cuisine," available where ever books are sold.

www.thelowcarbcook.com

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart." Colossians 2:2