i've been looking to branch out some with my lc cooking and what sweeteners i use. while good 'ol spenda is certainly convienint and the bulk is easy to measure, it adds a lot more carbs and calories than i need for a lot of situations.

so far in addition to splenda, i've tried these, mixing and matching-

• stevia packets - they sometimes don't dissolve well, so you have to be aware mixing
• stevia liquid - tastes pretty good, concentrated so it doesn't take much. the bottle can get sticky if you're sloppy like me
• fiberfit - doesn't take much, good addition for fiber. but of course doesn't work well in recipes that depend on the bulk
• erythirol - not the same issues as other sugar alochols, GI-wise, but i didn't care for the "cooling" sensation in your mouth, sorta like peppermint
• polyd plus - there were two kinds when i got mine, but now only shows the regular, not "plus." this adds bulk, but didn't seem to sweeten things much. without the "plus" kind, i don't think it does at all. so maybe i could mix it with one of the liquid kind?

i'd be interested in what other folks use, and what your experiences are in using these in recipes.

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I have 3 AS in my arsenal.

1. SteviaPlus...in the shaker. The packets are aggrevating in the fact that when you tear them open, you get tiny little pieces of the foil lining/wrapper in whatever you are putting it in. When I used the packets, I would have to fish out the particles that fell into my coffee. Yuk! Switched to the shaker and that took care of the problem. I use this mixed with liq splenda in my coffee each morning. The 2 sweetners together are very synergestic and have virtually no after taste, IMO.

2. SweetzFree. Love this stuff! It's kinda pricey I think, but for zero carbs it's worth it. It does last a fairly long time. And since Diane has changed the bottle cap, there is no crusty, crystal-ish build up anymore.

3. Erythritol. I use this when I think I need to *bulk up* a recipe a little. Like for a LC dessert, I will sub 1/3 of the total sugar with E-tol, then the rest with steviaPlus and liquid splenda. I don't particularly notice the cooling effect after taste when I do it that way.

s

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Shelley


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thanks for the input, shelley. using a shaker probably helps quite a bit with the mixing issue...

i've never tried the sweetzfree yet, but will look for it.

and mixing the erythritol with other stuff probably helps tone down the cooling stuff.

thanks for the ideas!

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I stick with Sweetzfree and FiberFit, also have packets of stevia powder for taking with me when I stay in a motel, I always take tea, and it's gotta be sweet! The stevia is convenient. I've used erythritol, and also Sweet Perfection, which is oligofructose, the same sweetener used in ChocoPerfection chocolate bars. It's nearly all fiber, made from chicory, and it works pretty well. It's a light powder. But I still gravitate back to the Sweetzfree and FiberFit for my daily sweetening. Haven't used bulk Splenda in a couple of years. Just too many carbs for me.

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Nita

bulk spenda is a bunch of carbs! big part of why i'm looking. it's just so easy to get, so i get lazy, y'kno.

i just ordered the 1oz bottle of sweetfreez to try it out, and have been using more fiberfit and liquid stevia lately. i'm sure all the extra fiber is good for me.

haven't heard of the other one, but will keep an eye out for that. thanks for the ideas, nita!

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update- i am digging the sweetzfree, and mixing the erythritol with other stuff defintely removes the cooling effect.

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Sweetzfree is my "sweetener of choice" for most things. For some things I like to add some erythritol, for the sake of "structure."

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I love Sweetzfree! Definitely the sweetener that I use the most. I have a big bottle for baking and a little one I keep in my purse. I also use stevia and erythritol (which I can buy at the grocery store now under the brand name Z sweet). I only use powered splenda for very special occasions, in a few desserts that seem to come out too dry if I use erythritol and/or sweetzfree.

Hi All,
I've been trying to get away from using the granular Splenda, so I just bought both the liquid FiberFit and the powdered FiberFit. I didn't see the SweetzFree when I was lurking about the different internet stores. I looked under the lowcarb section that Netrition has and couldn't find it. Is it under a different name? Thanks.

i found it here - Sweetzfree , No Calories, No Carbs, No Fillers!

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oh, and i've found that i really like the fiberfit, but for when you've had enough fiber for the day or dish, i will go with sweetzfee instead.

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Yikes! I just found the SweetzFree website and man there ain't nothing "Free" about this product! The FiberFit powder was pretty darn pricey too-too bad these product's pricing aren't comparable sugar's.

it's very concentrated, so it only takes a few drops...my first try was with the smallest one, and i liked that so i got a larger one...but yeah, it's fairly pricey. they do last a lot longer than powdered splenda, though, because it takes so little.

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goddess-we crossed postings-thanks.

It takes only 1/4 teaspoon of Sweetzfree to equal a cup of sugar or bulk Splenda, and a bottle lasts for months and months. For a truly 0 carb product, it sure it worth it for me. But we use FiberFit a lot more. A big bottle of it lasts a long time. I quit using bulk Splenda a couple of years ago.

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Nita