The stevia TASTE TEST
Is stevia ass weet as it sounds? Woman’ s Day Beauty Editor Amy Houlihan puts the popular natural sweetener to the test
I’d describe myself as fairly healthy, but not too strict. I’ve always had a sweet tooth, which I’m more than happy to indulge! The option to use a naturally derived sugar alternative appealed to me though, especially with the promise that stevia is 200 times sweeter than table sugar and is calorie-free.
Stevia sweetener is sourced from the leaves of the stevia plant. It’s mainly grown in South America and Asia, and has been harvested and used in recipes by indigenous people for centuries. It’s readily available from the supermarket and health food shops, and a little goes a very long way. With that knowledge, I decided to sweeten up my life naturally and incorporate stevia into a typical day of eating and drinking.
The first stop was my morning latte, which became a real treat with a sprinkling of stevia, especially since I know I’m not adding extra kilojoules into my morning routine. It’s a supereasy switch, with many cafes including it in their collection of sweetener offerings on the table.
A green smoothie is my go- to for breakfast – it’s a great way to up the ante of vege consumption during the day. However, I’m definitely not into drinking a liquid salad, so usually sweeten it up by incorporating lots of fruit. This time, I was able to throw in plenty of spinach, cucumber, kale and chia seeds, and by adding a little stevia, I got a super-healthy, refreshing brekkie that was sweet enough to enjoy.
In the evening, I swapped out honey for stevia in my salad’s vinaigrette – only the smallest amount was needed to inject great flavour into the dressing. Finally, to celebrate the last of the summer stone fruit, I decided to roast some plums for dessert. I balanced the tartness by sprinkling them with stevia and served them with Greek yoghurt. Delish!