SweetLeaf Organic Stevia - A Review and a Recipe!

Its been a few years now that I have been quite consciously monitoring my family's sugar intake and have been trying to avoid added sugar as much as possible. I stay away from sugary cereals and snacks that contain high amounts of sugar. I reduce the quantity of sugar called for in any recipe, without loss of flavor. I have reduced my personal consumption of sugary desserts and instead enjoy more fruits. All these changes have been pretty easy to follow so far and have not affected the way I cook for my family. The only hitch I felt was when I was sweetening my coffee or tea. I do drink up to 2 cups of coffee per day and find it slightly difficult to really enjoy my caffeine unsweetened.

I never really liked any of the artificial sweeteners. They always left a weird aftertaste in my mouth and marred a perfectly good cup of coffee! Also, research began to demonstrate that aspartame and other such sweeteners were not really good for you.  So as a compromise, I drastically reduced the amount of sugar I added to my cup of joe and was pretty satisfied with that. When I got the opportunity to try out SweetLeaf Organic Stevia Sweetener through Green Moms Meet, I was intrigued. A sugar alternative that was better, contained zero calories and zero carbohydrates. I decided to give it a try.

I received two bottles of SweetLeaf Organic Stevia - one was a peppermint mocha flavor and the other one was a pumpkin spice flavor. I also received packets of plain stevia sweetener.
Here are a few facts about Sweetleaf Organic Stevia Sweetener:

• This sweetener is a Certified Organic, zero-calorie sweetener made from high-quality stevia leaves.
• It can use used to sweeten hot or cold beverages, cereals, baked goods , yogurt and more.
• It is gluten free and contains no artificial ingredients, calories, carbohydrates or glycemic response, which makes it ideal for people with diabetes and those managing their calorie intake.
• One packet of SweetLeaf Organic Stevia sweetener is as sweet as two teaspoons of sugar.
• SweetLeaf Organic Stevia comes in 35 count ($4.99) or 70 count ($8.99) packets. Prices may vary based on the retailer.
  
  

I decided to use the sweetener to whip up a quick dessert for my kids. I had half a  block of silken tofu in the refrigerator. Inspiration struck and I used it up to make a delicious peppermint mocha chocolate pudding using tofu, almond milk, semi sweet chocolate chips, cocoa powder and a teaspoon of peppermint mocha liquid Stevia sweetener.  I did not add any additional sugar. The chocolate chips and the stevia were perfectly sufficient without being overpowering. I couldnt detect any aftertaste either. The kids were thrilled and gobbled up the pudding in a trice!

Recipe: 
Half a block of silken tofu
1/4 C almond milk or milk of choice
1/4 C semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp stevia sweetener of choice

Blend together until tofu is completely blended. You do not want chunks of tofu in your pudding! Refrigerate until firm. Serve chilled!

I plan to experiment more in order to substitute raw sugar with Stevia and try out more recipes which will allow me to literally have my cake and eat it too! 
 
The key to enjoy SweetLeaf Organic Stevia Sweetener for me is to use it in smaller quantities. This is especially helpful if you are like me and can taste the bitter after notes of this sweetener. It is very sweet and a little goes a long way. It is definitely a good choice for those looking to reduce their sugar consumption. Stevia can be successfully substituted in a variety of recipes. Delicious recipes can be found  at www.SweetLeaf.com.

For more information, please visit:
www.SweetLeaf.com
facebook.com/SweetLeafStevia


Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions are entirely mine and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.