Sorting the Sweetness: Sugar, Stevia, or Splenda
When I first became pregnant with my first child, I decided to go out of my way to avoid Nutrasweet (Equal, Aspartame, etc). I had stopped drinking diet drinks prior to becoming pregnant but occasionally ate a yogurt or other product that contained the artificial sweetener. I noticed that each time I ingested the stuff, my head would "close" and I'd have a negative reaction. I got a numb feeling in my head/ears and it would sound as if I was talking inside my head. I didn't want anything that made my body react that way making it into my little one's system just as he was trying to form into a little guy. Today, Splenda has been added to the mix. Much like Nutrasweet, I have this gut feeling that it's been rushed to market too soon without the proper analysis of long term effects. So my first instinct is to avoid it and also avoid letting my son consume it.
Why would this sweeteness thing be a difficult decision? Well, to say the least, I have a horrible sweet tooth. I LOVE candy, chocolate, sweets, and of course most of all, ice cream. I thought at one point the artificial sweeteners would allow me the sweet flavor without all the calories. Now, I know, that the answer is not in the sweetness but the choice of foods. I prefer to snack now on sweet fruits and veggies (and occasionally some dark chocolate or a fluffy biscuit with honey on it).
Not surprisingly, the fruit did NOT fall far from the tree. My little guy is almost 4 now, and pretty much hops out of bed asking for candy or chocolate. We implemented a rule that he can't receive candy if he asks for it (just to try and cut down the requests). It is up to mama and daddy's discretion when the sugar is to be doled out. Especially challenging is trying to keep the soda drinks out of him (this is daddy's weakness, and when the stuff is around, it's just not fair to say that the kiddo can't have it 'because we said so'). So, when I saw this product on sale at Fred Meyer, I thought "wow, a sweet drink treat with no sugar in it!" Because it was sweetened with Stevia, I assumed it was a safe alternative. After all, stevia is just a plant extract, so it must be safe, right? Right??
Well, my husband (the soda addict) raised a bit of a stink, saying who knows what stevia could do to our child. Queue the mommy guilt. Wow, did I just make a horrible choice here? The FDA has at one point restricted it, later allowing it but not as an artificial sweetener. Rather they term it as a "dietary supplement." I know that our family is lucky in that we don't have any diabetes to battle, but in learning to make good food choices, do we draw the line at stevia, or do we allow it? My instinct tells me it should be allowed, but I'm also trying to be sensitive to my husband's thoughts as well. What about your family, do you just stick to the natural sources (honey, maple syrup, etc), or do you indulge in the sweet treats? Does stevia meet your diet requirements or is it a no-no?
xylitol!!! and sometimes, xylitol AND stevia!!! Those are the only sugars we eat since our son started having tooth problems. Xylitol is awesome, and GOOD for teeth :D
Posted by: sara | April 25, 2007 at 08:32 AM
What about naturally processed cane sugar? At least you know it's natural. We only do sweets on the weekends in our house. That way my kids know not to ask on the weekdays and we can bake together or got out for ice cream on the eweekend.
Posted by: clementine | April 25, 2007 at 10:43 AM
we only do what i consider to be "natural sweeteners"- maple syrup and honey, primarily. sometimes agave nectar or rapadura (a naturally processed cane sugar). you can use natural sweeteners in anything baked to great success- the book feeding the whole family by cynthia lair is a great resource if you want to do some substituting in your favorite recipes.
our little one doesn't like to drink anything fizzy, anyway, but i love mineral water with pure fruit juice- have you tried that for your son? i mix it about 3/4 mineral water to 1/4 juice. it tastes sweet and has the fizz!
(also, as a sidenote, splenda is only very technically derived from sugar- it's a chemical, just like aspartame)
Posted by: kyrie | April 25, 2007 at 12:00 PM
Since I've dicovered steiva, it is the only sweetener I now use. It's actually helped reduce my cravings for sweets and it's known to help reduce plaque. Haven't seen the dentist since I've started using it be notice the difference already!
Posted by: michele | April 25, 2007 at 02:35 PM
I am diabetic, so I'm intimate with all sorts of sweetners. Agave, stevia and splenda are the ones I use. Splenda is more readily available and in lots of grocery store products, so that's what I use the most. As a scientist and one that regularly consults with chemists, splenda is only a few molecules away from sugar, which makes your body not recognize it, so it goes through your digestive system without being absorbed. The potential issues far outweigh the alternative for me, which is kidney failure, heart disease, amputation etc. Of course, I could make everything from scratch, using xylitol, agave etc. but it's not practical right now. I also add a bit of fruit juice to mineral water (san P. is my fav).
Posted by: meg | April 25, 2007 at 08:02 PM
I've just begun to notice that my kid (almost 2) goes crazy when given almost anything sweet. She doesn't just get hyper (I don't even know if I could tell the difference at this point), instead she gets mean and demanding. Usually she's more than happy to share food, but when it comes to fruit juices or baked goods she balks, and throws a fit if you try to take it away.
I didn't give her anything with added sugar at all until well past her first birthday, and I'm not really big into sweets anyway, but I do like to bake and I can't stand Splenda (or any other artificial sweetener). I haven't experimented that much with stevia, but I suppose it's worth a try. Most of the older adults on both sides of our family have diabetes and so I'd really like to avoid sugar altogether for her if possible.
Posted by: Andrea | April 25, 2007 at 09:27 PM
stevia gives me a headache. i use brown rice syrup. it is absorbed slowly in to the blood stream unlike honey and other sweets that shoot up your blood sugar level. there is no "high" after brown rice syrup and it tastes great. i use it instead of honey in tea and instead of jelly on rice cakes and bread, on my hot cereal, and i cook with it. it's great for all kinds of deserts w/ it too.
Posted by: jackie | April 26, 2007 at 01:45 PM
i'm a splenda person myself. well, i don't bake with it, but i'm addicted to the hansen's natural diet soda. occasionally, i will let my almost three year old daughter have some. but, she's just as happy with the lemon mineral water, so we usually stick to that.
for baking, i use fructose. sweets are not readily available at our house (or we hide them). maybe once a week we will have a "special treat".
Posted by: gigi | April 26, 2007 at 02:45 PM
We're a "everything in moderation" kind of family, I guess... For the most part, we eat very healthy--home cooked meals 6-7 nights/week, lots of fish, fruits and veggies and no soda. However, we feel strongly that it's important to teach our kids that it's ok to have treats every now and then as long as you make good choices overall. So Anders got a few chocolates and some jelly beans in his Easter basket, and last weekend he thoroughly enjoyed sharing a bowl of ice cream with Papa.
My husband had a rule growing up that they could have candy and/or soda and TV on Saturdays--he and his little sister still have fond memories of going every Saturday afternoon to the little store down the street to buy their treats with their allowance, and then eating them while they watched TV after dinner on Saturday night. We'll probably do something similar with our kids.
I've seen too many parents restrict sugar from their kids, and it seems to backfire--the kids become absolutely obsessed with it! I bribed Anders the other day at the store--I told him I'd buy him a treat if he sat in the cart and was patient while I shopped for something...I thought I'd have to buy him a popsicle or something, when I asked him what he wanted he said strawberries! That was a "treat" I was more than happy to reward him with!
Posted by: NoPo Mama | April 26, 2007 at 07:14 PM
A potato can do more damage to blood sugar than a cookie--seriously. When I had gestational diabetes things like potatoes, rice, or even ketchup (check those labels) would shoot my readings up like crazy. A candy bar or cookie on the other hand had little to no effect.
Posted by: lauralye | April 26, 2007 at 09:02 PM
I'm of the same mindset with NoPo Mama. Everthing in moderation is good all around. I haven't personally found a good substitute for sugar that doesn't compromise taste. I was reminded of this post when I ate some yogurt I had in the fridge that contained Splenda. Blech!
Posted by: hau | April 26, 2007 at 11:39 PM
i agree that moderation is our friend! (am i still working on putting that creedo into practice? umm ... well ... yeah)
i've used splenda without a problem, and it can pass for sugar *okay* in baked goods if you do half-and-half with sugar itself.
DH won't let me use stevia in anything, however, as he hates the aftertaste. i've seen "flavored" versions -- wondering if that's an attempt to address that issue?
Posted by: jenn | April 27, 2007 at 02:28 PM
all in moderation, my dear.
pcc, the co-ops in the seattle area have a great guide: www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/products/grocery/tips_sweeteners.html
Posted by: ne_mama | April 28, 2007 at 08:32 AM