your opinion: calorie free / sugar free products
have y'all seen these products?
they completely weird me out, but to the point where i had to try one ... just for the heck of it!
i tried a calorie free pancake syrup
i did a review you can see here: Review
i am just wondering if anyone else has tried any of these products, or if they just sound too sketchy. And also if y'all even believe their claims ...
i see the appeal in these products (for weight loss / diabetics) but i generally feel apprehensive due to the nature of the products, i assume they are very artificial and perhaps not so great for health over the long haul. I think i would rather just splurge on the real thing every once in a while.
what do you all think ?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
14 Comments:
I've eaten sugar free popsicles. I don't think they're weird. They had a sugar substitute (I think it was splenda) instead of sugar. They tasted fine.
I think everything in moderation is the only way to go. Too much artificial crap is bad, but so is too much butter or beef or orange juice and those are all real things.
gingercookiewithlime at 10:33PM on 05/29/09
if it's too good to be true, usually it's not true. there's a price to pay for these products.... they're full of chemicals which probably do more damage than the facsimile food....
i say eat the real thing .... in moderation if you have a problem with weight ... and diabetics just have to watch their carb intake ... lots of fiber helps.
pooch at 10:33PM on 05/29/09
if you are eating things that go with maple syrup (like waffles and pancakes) you shouldnt be on a diet... unless i missed the part where those were healthy.
blizcheetah at 11:02PM on 05/29/09
@bliz : i eat it in my oatmeal mostly instead of sugar, but i usually use pure maple syrup.
maple can be for much more than pancakes and waffles!
Deeberry at 11:08PM on 05/29/09
I say go for the real thing, but in moderation. It tastes better and I'm sure is healthier in the long run.
gourmetgal at 11:28PM on 05/29/09
Walden Farms Ketchup: DISGUSTING!
Nature's Flavors Flavor Concentrates: AWESOME!
NuNaturals & Sweetleaf Stevia: Great!
Sugar Free/Calorie Free Pancake Syrup from Nature's Flavors: Wonderful
Orbit Gum: Amazing.
Yam Noodles/Kelp Noodles: Amazing replacement for pasta!
Giasbash6260 at 11:58PM on 05/29/09
Full of chemicals and additives you can't even begin to pronounce to get the flavor and mouthfeel of the real thing...
MadelynRodriguez at 12:12AM on 05/30/09
I use sugar free salad dressings all the time, and I love them! Oh, wait, that's oil, vinegar, spices, shake, serve...
I've gotten to the point where unless I'm buying something indulgently bad for me, I buy single-ingredient items, so I know what's in the food I eat. It doesn't mean it's necessarily better for me, but I know how much sugar, how much salt and how much fat I'm consuming, so I can eat appropriate quantities.
Because when you don't make something, it's easy to assume that it's better for you than it is. I was reading the label on a bottle of fat-free salad dressing, and the first ingredient was sugar. The second ingredient was some other form of sugar. Yep, it's low fat, but you might as well pour corn syrup on your salad.
I'd rather eat a little bit of something good, rather than a whole vat of something tasteless and chemical laden.
dbcurrie at 12:50AM on 05/30/09
Walden Farms sweetens their products with Splenda. This is not a bad idea for stuff you are wont to indulge in such as syrups, jams, et cetera. I use Splenda in my tea and coffee and in anything else that is not adversely effected by the absence of sugar. Beans, for instance, need a little sugar while cooking. Pastries? What is the point of making pastries without sugar? Here, moderation is the key.
Our odious political leadership has finally consented to allow the commercial use of stevia and stevia extracts in soda water. Things should now start improving for everyone, even Archer-Daniels-Midland.
Grumpy Old Man at 2:46AM on 05/30/09
I enjoy the full-fat, full-sugar versions of products in very small amounts. Here's what I found out about sugar-free, fat-free products.
They do NOT satisfy as well as their full-sin counterparts. This causes overindulgence in the less-sinful version.
i.e. I got fat back in the day eating Snackwells. You mean one package did not equal one serving?? The purpose of these products is to do a 1:1 exchange with a full-fat counterpart - but the flavor, texture and overall experience of a low-fat/low-calorie product leaves you wanting more to quell a jones that would have been taken care of with a reasonable portion of the full-calorie counterpart.
Eventually, it just made sense to me to indulge in a small amount of a real product and move on with my life.
therealchiffonade at 6:28AM on 05/30/09
All I know is that when I stopped using Splenda as a sweetener, my migraine headaches completely stopped. I think the artificial components in chemical additives and substitutes were the trigger. This is hardly scientific proof, but if you've ever had a migraine you know how debilitating they are. If it was the Splenda, I sure as heck can and will live without it to offset the worst headache in the world.
I use sugar in moderation with no adverse side effects. I cannot say the same about Splenda.
smallkitchen at 8:28AM on 05/30/09
artificial sweeteners are FOUL.
i can taste them a mile away and will have NONE of it.
not so long ago i was sick and got some jello to eat.
not until i got home and put a spoonful in my mouth did i realize it was sugar free. i binned the whole thing-including what was in my mouth.
that crap should be illegal.
gastronomeg at 12:27PM on 05/30/09
I do my best to live by the saying: If it was not on my grandma's table then it won't be on mine. Meaning, if it did not exist back in the day then you probably shouldn't be eating it. The same goes for food items that "will never go bad" and can be on the shelf for 20 years, probably isn't too healthy for you. Plus, nothing beats pure maple syrup and supporting local growers.
xwafflesx at 4:33PM on 05/30/09
I hate, hate, hate..any food related products that are fat-free, sugar-free, and taste-free. I've learned that everything should be eaten in moderation, so unless there is a health issue, i never go there. BUT I use Splenda in my tea...sugar makes me climb the walls.
lamora at 12:20AM on 05/31/09