Stevia

Stevia is an herb, used for many years before its entry into the American market as a sweetener and herbal supplement. It is all natural, has no calories, and comes in a variety of forms. But for some strange reason the FDA did not approve it as a sweetener, so while it is allowed to be marketed and sold in the US, it must be labeled as a supplement. If you look closely at the packaging you will notice that nowhere does it say anything about its ability to sweeten anything, although that is the primary purpose people buy it for.

In its concentrated form, 1/3 of a teaspoon of stevia equals one cup of sugar. But don't be fooled. Stevia is tricky to bake with, and if you are so restricted in your diet that you can't even use pure maple syrup or something similar, you probably shouldn't be eating baked products anyway.

My favorite use for stevia is in tea or coffee, yogurt, smoothies, or on top of oatmeal. You can get it in packets, much like Splenda, concentrated powder, or liquid. The liquid form is my favorite, and you can get flavors; the best one is dark chocolate. The best place I have found to buy Stevia is http://www.azurestandard.com, and the best brand is Sweet Leaf. They have the best prices and good selection.

There are also a number of stevia cook books and recipes online, but I cannot think of any names off hand. I will have to do that later.

Be adventurous-try using stevia in your tea instead of sugar next time.