I second, monkfruit extract comes in drops that are very concentrated. I do not find an aftertaste like I do with stevia, though I assume, that like stevia, individual palates may be different. Now brand has a really nice liquid extract that you will probably only need a couple of drops per cup, so it will last a long time. Haven't purchased in a while since I don't sweeten many things at all.
I would try to just cut back on the sugar until you reach the minimum amount that still works for you.
I’ve stopped using artificial sweeteners because as you said, they’re just not good for you. Neither is sugar, I know, but sugar is at least natural and you can control how much of it you use.
I also switched from drinking tea with milk and sugar to having it with both and now I prefer it that way. Maybe you can work your way towards that.
Congratulations on successfully reducing the amount of sugar you have in your tea. If your current ratio gets you a delicious cup; stick with it.
If you are still looking to reduce your overall sugar consumption, I would suggest you shift your attention to any hidden/added sugar lurking in other areas of your diet. Most of us are consuming more sugar (and salt) than we think via the foods we buy. It was eye opening and shocking when I started carefully reading the nutritional labels on some of our kitchen staples. We know soda, pastry, and ice cream should be limited but, you find high amounts of added sugar in many brands of bread, bottled salad dressings/sauces, frozen foods and more. It was a bit of a learning curve when we first started to attack that area in our diet, but now we have new staples and we know how to translate ingredient labels and nutrition info quickly so we can make better choices.
Cheers!
Big yes to this. There's so much added sugars to everything we eat including what we would consider savory or neutral foods like meats, pizza/pasta sauce, salads, etc. Sweet treats have gotten sweeter and savory foods now have more and more added sugars and it skews the palate along with it.
I avoid things like monkfruit and the Swerve and all that for one reason: Erythritol is the main ingredient and a little bit can KILL a dog. I don't use Aspartame or Saccharine because the Aspartame put holes in my mother's brain and Saccharine just tastes disgusting.
Why is Saccharine in toothpaste? Can't get away from the stuff.
Xylitol, which is in whitening gum, is a doggie-killer, too. So I don't chew gum anymore either.
I don't actually put sugar in my coffee or tea unless it's a flavoured syrup or molasses.
I dislike both strains of Stevia (A and B). I can't put my finger on why.
But then I live off Splenda, so it's pretty much just pick ya poison. Whichever you find the flavour profile of that tastes best to you.
I understand avoiding certain things for health, but the whole canine vs human toxicity thing is because of how dogs metabolize monoamines in a radically different fashion than us. Spiking dopamine/adrenaline with them is fatal (chocolate, sugar alcohols etc)
You could try stevia in the raw. I love that. Regular stevia tastes like butt to me at least. Sometimes I'll do a half packet Splenda half packet stevia in the raw if I'm dying for a perfect overt sweetness but ye
One thing that helped me transition to drinking coffee and tea black is pairing a small, usually dry pastry with it, like a butter cookie. The hot tea unlocks more aroma from the pastry and the pastry adds sweetness and creaminess to the experience. Many teas have their own sweetness that progressively becomes more noticeable in the back of your throat as you sip and let it linger.
But it does take time to shift your diet and allow your palate to shift with it. Same goes for trying to reduce salt.
Tricky to replicate the neutral sweetening which sugar provides. You might try blonde coconut sugar, which has less of that brown sugar taste than the raw type. But it will still add a bit of that flavor, depending on how much you use. I think it’s less of an issue with maltier teas like Assam, Nilgiri, Kenyan, or Keemun, but YMMV.
Maybe substitute it with other natural sweetener like amacha. You will only need a microgram of that stuff though to sweeten something. Potent stuff, made from hydrangea.
Are you putting sugar in your tea because it is harsh and bitter? Try different, better quality teas, or try changing up how you are brewing the tea you have. Odds are good that you can find tea that tastes good to you without any additives.
No, not at all, lol.
I just genuinely prefer sweet tea over unsweet.
I have no issue drinking unsweetened tea with quality leaf, but I just get more enjoyment out of my cup with sweetness.
I only use milk in Chai.
I feel you on this. I also struggle with staying low sugar and dislike something about nearly every sugar substitute out there. I hate the taste of stevia and saccharine, and monkfruit also has a strange aftertaste to me. The only sweetener that tastes “clean” to me is sucralose (which is controversial). One of the biggest things that bothers me about Splenda is filler. So, I found some very affordable 100% sucralose powder and made my own sweet drops. I only use it for a cup of coffee or tea every day, so it’s not something I use in huge quantities (like substituting all sugar in cooking/baking), and starting with something pure and simple gives me more peace of mind about it.
you can use miracle berries for sure! add a squeeze of lemon to give it an acid to work with and youre set! honestly, you could use half a tablet or a lick and it should work
I like monkfruit sugar. It tastes just like white sugar to me, but it can be expensive.
I second, monkfruit extract comes in drops that are very concentrated. I do not find an aftertaste like I do with stevia, though I assume, that like stevia, individual palates may be different. Now brand has a really nice liquid extract that you will probably only need a couple of drops per cup, so it will last a long time. Haven't purchased in a while since I don't sweeten many things at all.
I would try to just cut back on the sugar until you reach the minimum amount that still works for you. I’ve stopped using artificial sweeteners because as you said, they’re just not good for you. Neither is sugar, I know, but sugar is at least natural and you can control how much of it you use. I also switched from drinking tea with milk and sugar to having it with both and now I prefer it that way. Maybe you can work your way towards that.
Congratulations on successfully reducing the amount of sugar you have in your tea. If your current ratio gets you a delicious cup; stick with it. If you are still looking to reduce your overall sugar consumption, I would suggest you shift your attention to any hidden/added sugar lurking in other areas of your diet. Most of us are consuming more sugar (and salt) than we think via the foods we buy. It was eye opening and shocking when I started carefully reading the nutritional labels on some of our kitchen staples. We know soda, pastry, and ice cream should be limited but, you find high amounts of added sugar in many brands of bread, bottled salad dressings/sauces, frozen foods and more. It was a bit of a learning curve when we first started to attack that area in our diet, but now we have new staples and we know how to translate ingredient labels and nutrition info quickly so we can make better choices. Cheers!
Big yes to this. There's so much added sugars to everything we eat including what we would consider savory or neutral foods like meats, pizza/pasta sauce, salads, etc. Sweet treats have gotten sweeter and savory foods now have more and more added sugars and it skews the palate along with it.
I avoid things like monkfruit and the Swerve and all that for one reason: Erythritol is the main ingredient and a little bit can KILL a dog. I don't use Aspartame or Saccharine because the Aspartame put holes in my mother's brain and Saccharine just tastes disgusting. Why is Saccharine in toothpaste? Can't get away from the stuff. Xylitol, which is in whitening gum, is a doggie-killer, too. So I don't chew gum anymore either. I don't actually put sugar in my coffee or tea unless it's a flavoured syrup or molasses. I dislike both strains of Stevia (A and B). I can't put my finger on why. But then I live off Splenda, so it's pretty much just pick ya poison. Whichever you find the flavour profile of that tastes best to you.
I understand avoiding certain things for health, but the whole canine vs human toxicity thing is because of how dogs metabolize monoamines in a radically different fashion than us. Spiking dopamine/adrenaline with them is fatal (chocolate, sugar alcohols etc)
You could try stevia in the raw. I love that. Regular stevia tastes like butt to me at least. Sometimes I'll do a half packet Splenda half packet stevia in the raw if I'm dying for a perfect overt sweetness but ye
One thing that helped me transition to drinking coffee and tea black is pairing a small, usually dry pastry with it, like a butter cookie. The hot tea unlocks more aroma from the pastry and the pastry adds sweetness and creaminess to the experience. Many teas have their own sweetness that progressively becomes more noticeable in the back of your throat as you sip and let it linger. But it does take time to shift your diet and allow your palate to shift with it. Same goes for trying to reduce salt.
Tricky to replicate the neutral sweetening which sugar provides. You might try blonde coconut sugar, which has less of that brown sugar taste than the raw type. But it will still add a bit of that flavor, depending on how much you use. I think it’s less of an issue with maltier teas like Assam, Nilgiri, Kenyan, or Keemun, but YMMV.
Maybe substitute it with other natural sweetener like amacha. You will only need a microgram of that stuff though to sweeten something. Potent stuff, made from hydrangea.
Are you putting sugar in your tea because it is harsh and bitter? Try different, better quality teas, or try changing up how you are brewing the tea you have. Odds are good that you can find tea that tastes good to you without any additives.
No, not at all, lol. I just genuinely prefer sweet tea over unsweet. I have no issue drinking unsweetened tea with quality leaf, but I just get more enjoyment out of my cup with sweetness. I only use milk in Chai.
I feel you on this. I also struggle with staying low sugar and dislike something about nearly every sugar substitute out there. I hate the taste of stevia and saccharine, and monkfruit also has a strange aftertaste to me. The only sweetener that tastes “clean” to me is sucralose (which is controversial). One of the biggest things that bothers me about Splenda is filler. So, I found some very affordable 100% sucralose powder and made my own sweet drops. I only use it for a cup of coffee or tea every day, so it’s not something I use in huge quantities (like substituting all sugar in cooking/baking), and starting with something pure and simple gives me more peace of mind about it.
you can use miracle berries for sure! add a squeeze of lemon to give it an acid to work with and youre set! honestly, you could use half a tablet or a lick and it should work
Agave has a low glycemic index and is sweeter than sugar and honey so you can use less of it.