Question:
What is the best Sugar Substitute?

What is the best sugar substitute to use post-operatively? For coffee, tea, or even baking? Thanks.    — [Deactivated Member] (posted on March 19, 2000)

March 19, 2000
In my opinion, the best sweetener ever is Splenda. It has no aftertaste and is also heat stable, unlike aspartame, so you can bake with it one-for-one as you would with sugar. It is available online at http://www.splenda.com but I have started seeing it in selective dollar stores in this area (southern New Jersey). You can go to their website and read up on it, as well as get recipes and other information about products that already use it, i.e. R.C. Cola, Swiss Miss SF hot chocolate, etc.
   — Carla I.

March 19, 2000
I am 8 months post-op from RNY. I was always a baker, and loved to bake (though now my craving for sweets has reduced a lot). Good substitutes for sugar in baking are date sugar and brown rice syrup (both of which you can find at any health food stores). Hope this helps some. :) [email protected]
   — Krista C.

March 19, 2000
Although I don't crave the sweet anymore... I make it for my family and several diabetic friends...Splenda is excellent substitute you will see it in my recipes often for my family (yes, they're sugar free now too) I also use Sweet'N Low and in case you didn't know in baking like cakes, cookies etc, Sugar free Applesauce is an excellent sugar substitute makes baked goods sweeter and moister. Sweet'N Low Substitution Chart: 1/4 cup granulated sugar = 6 PACKETS, 2 teaspoon BULK or 1 1/2 teaspoons LIQUID, 1/3 cup granulated sugar= 8 packets, 2 1/2 teaspoons BULK or 2 teaspoons LIQUID, 1/2 cup granulated sugar= 12 packets, 4 teaspoons BULK or 1 tablespoon LIQUID, 1 cup granulated sugar= 24 packets, 8 teaspoons BULK or 2 tablespoons LIQUID, http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/vbowendessert/index.html
   — Victoria B.

March 20, 2000
I really like Splenda www.splenda.com Also Vitalady at www.vitalady.com also has some good stuff.
   — Angel G.

April 12, 2000
Found this at http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdsugar.html Hope it helps --------------------------- Sucralose: Also known by its trade name, Splenda, sucralose is 600 times sweeter than sugar. After reviewing more than 110 animal and human safety studies conducted over 20 years, FDA approved it in 1998 as a tabletop sweetener and for use in products such as baked goods, nonalcoholic beverages, chewing gum, frozen dairy desserts, fruit juices, and gelatins. Earlier this year, FDA amended its regulation to allow sucralose as a general-purpose sweetener for all foods. Sucralose tastes like sugar because it is made from table sugar. But it cannot be digested, so it adds no calories to food. Because sucralose is so much sweeter than sugar, it is bulked up with maltodextrin, a starchy powder, so it will measure more like sugar. It has good shelf life and doesn't degrade when exposed to heat. Numerous studies have shown that sucralose does not affect blood glucose levels, making it an option for diabetics. Sugar Alcohols: Though not technically considered artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols are slightly lower in calories than sugar and do not promote tooth decay or cause a sudden increase in blood glucose. They include sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, mannitol, and maltitol and are used mainly to sweeten sugar-free candies, cookies, and chewing gums. FDA classifies some of these sweeteners as "generally recognized as safe" and others as approved food additives.
   — lisadiehl