@IdealBite - Sweet Talking

Wanna talk sweet satisfaction with fewer calories?

The Bite
Listen here. Sweet-toothed Biters are all achatter over the best, less-refined sugar alternatives: agave, erythritol, stevia, and xylitol (so long, little pink packets). Sweet.

The Benefits

• Cooing about fewer cals. Xylitol's got 40% fewer calories than sugar, and stevia's calorie-free. Agave syrup has about the same number of cals per gram as sugar, but it's sweeter, so you can use 25% less of it.

• Sweet: nothing(s) to worry about. Whether it comes in a blue, pink, or yellow little packet, the artificial sweeteners aspartame and sucralose may lead to headaches.

• It's planet-complimentary. Forgoing the paper packets by buying in bulk saves trees, and the less refined a sweetener is, the less energy it takes to produce.

• Options for diabetics. People with diabetes can occasionally indulge their sweet tooth with natural alternatives, since they're lower on the glycemic index than sugar.

Jen From Renewable Choice Says:  Personally, I try to not ingest anything that contains refined sugars.  Until a few months ago that pretty much meant I was deprived of dessert- the horror!  Luckily for me, a good friend decided to start a gluten-free, agave sweetened baked goods company- LOven Baked Goods.  One night she came over with a pear tart- now, I don't even like pears...or so I thought!  The crust was made with crushed walnuts, the filling contained tofu cream cheese, pears and a few strawberries as accents on top, sweetened only with agave nectar and the natural sweetness of the fruit.  It turned out to be, hands down, one of the BEST desserts I have ever had the pleasure of eating- from that moment on I was convinced of the incredible sweetening properties of agave and haven't turned back since...thanks Tara!!  ~Jen

Jen Biederman is a Customer Service and Communications Specialist for Renewable Choice Energy.