Wednesday, July 4, 2012

SweetLeaf Stevia review




I eliminated processed sugar from my diet two months ago and I was trying to eliminate agave nectar and maple syrup as well. Several weeks ago, I asked my Twitter followers for stevia sweetener recommendations. I got a lot of recommendations for SweetLeaf company, mainly for their unique liquid sweetener. 
I decided to try some of their flavors and share my experience with you. SweetLeaf Stevia is 100% natural sugar alternative. It has zero calories, zero carbohydrates and zero glycemic index (which means that your blood sugar is not altered, making this a perfect sweetener for everyone, including people with diabetes). I like the fact that SweetLeaf Stevia company is totally green, from start to finish. They use sustainable farming processes, and because no chemicals, solvents, or alcohols are used in the extraction or purification, there is no waste. They even use packaging that is made out of recycled materials. 
The SweetLeaf stevia powder is very sweet and a little goes a long way. It dissolves nicely and quickly in my herbal coffee and tea. It also dissolves in cold water and lemonade after I stir it for a few seconds. I sprinkled the powder over my hot oatmeal and I used it in homemade pasta sauce instead of sugar. It does not taste exactly like sugar to me, but it is close enough. The taste is so much better than artificial sweeteners that I tried over the years, plus it is healthier than most artificial sweeteners. I did not find any odd aftertaste or bitterness when I used a small amount which was enough to give my food and drinks sweet touch. 
The SweetLeaf Sweet Drops are a genius idea! They dissolve instantly in cold or hot drinks and work well in all recipes that call for a touch of sugar. I only use a few drops at a time and adjust the taste since they are quite strong. 
I have the clear drops (unflavored) which are great in anything since it does not change the original taste of your drink or food. I have the travel size so I can carry it in my purse and sweeten my drinks on the go, or at work. 
The flavored Sweet Drops smell very nice.
 I use the lemon drops to make salad dressings, lemonade and smoothies. It has a bright lemony aroma and sweet, tangy taste. 
The vanilla creme is probably my favorite. It smells and taste like vanilla extract and sweet coffee creamer blend. I use them in smoothies, oatmeal and puddings daily. I even add a few drops to hot unsweetened almond milk for a sweet evening treat. 
The coconut and watermelon are a perfect flavor for the summer. Coconut milk and shredded coconut are high in fat and since I am on a diet I cannot enjoy them as much as I would like. So when I need to make a pina colada or some other treats with a coconut twist, I can add these coconut drops which have zero calories and zero fat, instead of using coconut milk or shredded coconut. 
The watermelon drops are lovely in chilled, sparkling water. It makes a refreshing, sugar free soda alternative. 
I cannot wait to order the Apricot Nectar, Chocolate and English Toffee drops when I run out of the ones I have. 
I love using the sweet drops in unsweetened plain soy yogurt. I can make different flavored yogurt based on my mood. 

Here are all the cool flavors that these drops come in:

Coconut • Watermelon • Cola • Lemon Drop • Valencia Orange • Berry 
Chocolate Raspberry • English Toffee • Vanilla Crème • Hazelnut • Peppermint • Root Beer
Grape • Apricot Nectar • Chocolate • Cinnamon 




I used the lemon and coconut SweetLeaf drops in my Tropical Beach Smoothie recipe 






The sweet drops were also featured in my Vanilla and Cinnamon Banana Pudding recipe






The lemon sweet drops worked great in my Greek couscous salad dressing. 



I used the vanilla creme to make the creamiest and tastiest hot chocolate with only 80 calories :-) I cooked unsweetened almond milk, stirred in some cocoa powder and SweetLeaf vanilla creme drops. I topped it with foamed almond milk and shredded dark chocolate. It was delightful and I will be making this often. 



Visit SweetLeaf website
Like SweetLeaf on Facebook
Follow SweetLeaf on Twitter  


9 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for giving SweetLeaf Sweet Drops a try and sharing your wonderful recipes, Elisabeth! Even just the pictures look good enough to eat!!

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    1. Thank you for making my life sweet again without the unnecessary sugar :-)

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  2. This review got me so excited! Im a sugar junkie (which is bad). I would love to give this a try and reduce my sugar intake. Will totally be trying these out!

    Thanks

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    1. I am a sugar junkie too so this is perfect for me :-)

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  3. These stevia drops sound really interesting. I might have to give them a shot if I see them around.

    By the way, I nominated you for the One Lovely Blog award! http://www.thesnarkychickpea.com/2012/07/one-lovely-blog-award.html Have an awesome day, Elisabeth!

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  4. I don't see stevia itself often but should really look into trying it out more often. Thanks for the reminder.

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  5. http://organicsteviacultivation.blogspot.in/

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