Sugar alternatives mimic taste without the calories
| • | Sugar alternatives: Comparisons (graphic) |
| • | Granular Splenda mimics sugar |
| • | Stevia 'supplement' sweetens sans calories |
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
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| Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser |
And at first, they were. Then John Ruiz's nutritional counselor gave Anita permission to experiment with baking with Splenda.
"I made him birthday cupcakes and he really enjoyed them," said Anita, who quickly adds, "But no frosting!"
Alyssa Moreau is a private chef who cooks for people who prefer to avoid meat, fat, salt and sugar. She, too, has found a sweetener that meets her needs, and that of her clients.
It's called stevia, and it's refined from the potently sweet leaves of a common South American bush. Though its use is controversial in the United States because the Food and Drug Administration has not approved it for sweetening foods, the Guarani people of Paraguay have been using ka'e he'e (honey leaf) for hundreds of years to sweeten drinks and other foods.
"I use stevia every day ... to sweeten my tea, my unsweetened soymilk, when I bake my oatcakes, make frozen yogurt, salad dressing, you name it — anywhere that calls for sugar," said Moreau, who uses KAL brand stevia powder from Down to Earth Natural Foods store.
Splenda and stevia have in common that they mimic sugar's flavor without its calories or carbs and without adverse effect on blood sugar levels.
Unlike old-style artificial sweeteners (aspartame and saccharin), both can be used in baking, though both lack key properties of sugar. You won't get that lovely golden-brown in baked goods, nor do Splenda or stevia provide the bulk or texture of sugar.
The two represent the different paths followed by American consumers seeking sugar alternatives.
Splenda
Splenda, released in 2000, is a mainstream option, a bit pricey but heavily marketed. Its key ingredient is sucralose, made by chlorinating sucrose (table sugar) to change the molecular structure so that the sugars are no longer absorbed. Sucralose is 500 to 600 times as sweet as table sugar; maltodextrin, a mildly sweet powder derived from cornstarch, is used in Splenda to add bulk.
A new Splenda Sugar Blend is due out this month, offering calorie- and carb-savings with all the cooking properties of sugar. It will be sold in 2-pound bags with a recommended price of $6.29 to $6.49, nearly five times more expensive than sugar but cheaper than the original Splenda.
Splenda is controversial among some health-food advocates who argue that there have been no long-term human studies of the effects of sucralose consumption on humans.
Anita Ruiz hadn't heard that, but she's not too worried about it. "Diabetes is a lot more likely to hurt my husband," she said. "And we're not eating it by the handful." Like most consumers who use sweeteners, they've switched to Splenda for sweetening beverages — coffee, tea and the occasional smoothie or lemonade — and for adding the little bit of sweetness called for dressings, marinades and such.
"Our nutritionist was very firm about not turning to Splenda or any other artificial sweetener as an excuse to eat lots of sweet stuff again. She said it's important that John wean himself away from sweet things because she thinks eating sweets causes sweet cravings. So in our house, desserts are a rare treat."
The advice Ruiz is getting reflects a concern among dietitians and nutritionists that Americans eat too much sweet food from whatever source, and need to learn again how to appreciate the subtler flavors of food as it comes from the garden or orchard.
Stevia
Stevia is among sweeteners preferred by people who follow a whole-foods diet. Others include barley malt, Sucanat — whole cane sugar with the water removed — fruit juice, honey, rice syrup or akasake, fructose, date sugar, licorice, milk sugar such as Whey Low, sugar alcohols such as Xylitol and other herbs. But most of these contain calories, carbohydrates and absorbable sugars and so are not an option for diabetics or those on calorie-restricted diets, and many have distinct flavors.
At one time, Celestial Seasonings used stevia to sweeten some of its natural teas, and Japanese pickled products containing stevia were imported for use here.
But in 1991, the the FDA banned the product, based on 1980s studies that showed that stevia could break down into a potentially harmful substance in rats. Ever since, proponents of stevia have been trying to persuade the agency to take a second look, countering with other research, much of it performed in Japan, which legalized stevia a couple of decades ago after a rigorous testing process found no toxic effects. In 1995, the FDA did agree that stevia could be imported for use as a "dietary supplement."
Which explains why stevia is found in health-food stores in mediciney-looking jars and bottles with eye droppers, among the tea tree oil and ginseng. The supposed use for stevia is to depress appetite (by satisfying sweet cravings), settle the stomach and regulate blood sugar.
But everyone concerned knows that consumers are using stevia as a sweetener — albeit without the convenience of being able to easily convert recipes (stevia is so concentrated a sweetener that it cannot be used 1:1 with sugar). The primary effect of the ban is to prevent the use of stevia in commercial products, even as stores such as Paradise Foods Low Carb and Low Sugar Market in Kailua and Down to Earth in Honolulu carry books on how to cook with stevia.
Moreau has looked into it and is convinced that stevia is safe. "I have heard more positive things about stevia than negative, so I do not feel I am harming myself by using it," she said. "I know I cannot use regular sugars without my body going out of whack."
Moreau cautions that you start with a mere sprinkling until you get to know stevia's power. "I buy the dry kind, as I think it is it more concentrated and goes further for the money. I tend to use ´ teaspoon when I sweeten a batch of oatcakes or frozen yogurt/soy ice cream, for instance. I pretty much go by taste in iced tea or chai," she said. She uses a bit more with high-acid foods such as lemon or raspberry, just as you would with sugar.
She also warns that stevia can tend to clump up in warm, humid areas, such as Manoa Valley; keeping it in a zip-closure bag helps.
Often, she combines stevia with xylitol, a white crystalline substance extracted from various plants that, she says, masks stevia's slight licorice flavor and gives a sugary "crunch" to baked goods. Xylitol does contain some calories and carbohydrates but considerably less than sugar. And, like all sugar alcohols, it promotes gassiness and may cause diarrhea if used to excess.
• • •
In cooking with Splenda non-nutritive sweetener, be sure to buy the granular form — not the boxes of small packets but the larger containers (3.8 ounce box or 9.7 ounce bag). The small packets, meant for sweetening drinks, will work in baking, but you'd have to guess at the measurement. The granular form, which contains a low-calorie bulking agent, measures cup for cup like sugar so you can even use it in your old favorite recipes.
Be aware that Splenda doesn't brown like sugar, doesn't give quite the same texture as sugar and doesn't have sugar's ability to expand. It's best used in pies, quick breads, muffins, coffee cakes, puddings, sauces, dressings and marinades, but not delicate cakes or frostings.
This recipe is courtesy of McNeil Nutritionals, makers of Splenda.
This is a light dessert developed by chef Gale Gand that you can make right now, when fresh fruit is so plentiful. This recipe, when compared to a full-fat, full-sugar version, has a 78 percent reduction in calories, a 90 percent reduction in fat, a 40 percent reduction in carbohydrates and a 50 percent reduction in sugar. You could eliminate cholesterol by using soy milk.
Orange Vanilla Pannacotta
- 1 orange
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1/2 vanilla bean or 1/2 teaspoon liquid vanilla
- 1/2 cup Splenda granular
- 4 cups mixed berries or other fruit
Peel the rind off the orange and cut into large strips. Set aside.
Pour water into a small bowl. Slowly sprinkle gelatin over the water, allowing it to sit on top of the water. Do not stir the gelatin into the water. Let sit for about 10 minutes. The gelatin will slowly absorb the water.
Pour the milk into a medium saucepan. Add vanilla bean and orange rind. Bring to a simmer. Remove milk from heat as soon as it begins to simmer.
Add gelatin mixture while stirring constantly. Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
(* See note.)
Add Splenda granular and stir. Pour the pannacotta through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher with a spout. Then pour into 8 ramekins or dessert cups or — as shown — into 8 stemmed martini glasses.
Chill pannacotta, uncovered, for two hours.
To serve: If you're using ramekins or dessert cups, dip them into hot water for about 10 seconds to loosen the pannacotta from the cups. Unmold the pannacotta by placing a dessert plate on top of the ramekin. Holding firmly, turn the plate and ramekin over so that the pannacotta falls out of the mold and onto the dessert plate. Surround each pannacotta with à cup mixed berries.
If you're using martini glasses, no need to unmold — just decorate with mixed berries and serve.
Makes 8 (1/2 cup) servings.
Per serving: 110 calories, 4.5 grams total fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat, 15 milligrams cholesterol, 13 grams total carbohydrate, 10 grams sugar, 2 grams fiber, 5 grams protein, 65 milligrams sodium. Equal to 1 reduced-fat milk exchange.
* Note: Briefly reheat milk if the gelatin does not dissolve completely when added to the milk mixture.
Learn more:
• • •
Stevia 'supplement' sweetens sans calories
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| Stevia tips
1/3-1/2 teaspoon powdered stevia extract = 1 cup sugar; 1/2 teaspoon clear liquid extract = 1 cup sugar. Avoid extracts containing fillers. Stevia enhances the sweetness of other sugars, including fruits and sweeteners such as date sugar, honey, malt syrup. Use fruit juices, concentrates or purÚes for liquid in stevia-sweetened baked goods for enhanced sweetness. Marinate fresh or dried fruit in a blend of stevia extract; drain and use in recipes. Stevia-sweetened doughs sweeten over time; refrigerate cookie doughs before baking; refrigerate or freeze quick breads before serving. Source: "Stevia, Naturally Sweet Recipes for Desserts, Drinks and More" by Rita DePuydt (BPC, 2002; $14.95) |
Here is a recipe that makes use of stevia from "Stevia, Naturally Sweet Recipes for Desserts, Drinks and More" by Rita DePuydt (BPC, 2002; $14.95).
Whole-wheat pastry flour, available in health food stores, has the lightness of all-purpose flour but contains the healthful bran. Date sugar, available in health food stores, is a granular natural fruit sugar; substitute brown sugar if you wish. If you can't get apple butter, use apple sauce, or just stew some peeled apples in a little apple juice and purée them.
Healthier chocolate brownies
- 4 squares unsweetened baker's chocolate
- 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
- 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons date sugar
- 1/4 cup apple butter
- 3/4 teaspoon powdered stevia extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8-inch, shallow square baking pan or dish.
Melt the chocolate over low heat in a heavy-bottomed pan or double boiler, or in the microwave.
Cream the butter or margarine in mixing bowl and stir in melted chocolate.
Put the cottage cheese through a fine-mesh strainer. Blend with margarine and chocolate.
Blend in honey or maple syrup, date sugar, apple butter, stevia extract and vanilla.
Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.
Spoon the batter into the baking pan or dish and bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.
Makes 16 servings.
Per serving: 177 calories, 12 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 4 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 157 milligrams sodium.
