Stevia - substitute for sugar

I have been using Stevia which is a natural sweetner in cooking off and on over the last few years for Cooper. The Australian Government approved the use of Stevia in Australia in commercial foods and I followed this story with great interest. I was hopeful that new products containing this plant would be launched which I could use as a substitute for sugar.

The Japanese have been using this plant for years as a sweetener for cooking etc it has no calories. More info on Stevia. I tried to cook with dextrose but that always burns and rots your teeth. So Stevia is a great alternative.

Well my wish has been granted. There are a few products in the market place including, PureVia, CSR Smart (sugar and stevia), Hermesetas Stevia and Natvia.

I have tried Natvia which seemed to have a polyol which was the least offensive to a person with Fructose Malabsorption. So far I have made Cooper pancakes and muffins which he devoured. He was so happy to have muffins that tasted something like a real muffin.

The whole family ate them and now there is only 2 left.

I looked into the ingredients of these Stevia sweeteners and have to be careful because people with Fructose Malabsorption should avoid polyols. They have to combine the Stevia with another ingrediant to reduce the bitterness probably give it bulk and give it that sugar look and feel. So we feel confident using it.

I will continue to experiment with this new sweetener and hope that it has no ill effects on my darling boy. The pack does say something like (overconsumption may cause laxative effect).