this is interesting -- i'm wondering exactly how much of the sweetener is actually stevia -- stevia sweetener is expensive -- and it can taste like poo -- it's an acquired taste that has taken me years to acquire -- truvia helped me bridge to pure stevia but truvia has very little stevia in it so...we'll see -- probably mostly sugar  i betcha --

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/01/pepsi-true-stevia_n_5914046.html

Stevia is a plant extract, which actually works to lower blood pressure, so that's kind of cool.

I managed to get myself completely off artificial chemical sweeteners, by switching to stevia, then I learned to use a minimal amount of the stevia.    It's all pretty irrelevant except to explain that we've done a lot of research and questioning about Stevia in our house.

Look for "Stevia in the raw" packets.  What you want is just stevia and you don't want stevia and a million other chemicals in the package, or what have you accomplished.  Stevia in the raw packets have only dextrose (a form of sugar) and Stevia Leaf Extract.

I think that you can even buy just the stevia leaf extract.   All of these artificial sweeteners are hundreds if not thousands of times sweeter than plain sugar.  So you really get all out of whack using them.  Ok that's my 2 cents times 2.

I also used to drink from 6 to 8 large 16 oz. bottles of 'diet' soda every day--bad habit!  After giving up artificial sweeteners I drink tons of water.  (Remember the old days when the restaurants and fast food joints only served 8 oz. cups of soda pop???) Damn I'm old

BTW if I remember correctly Asia, South America, and a few other places have been drinking Stevia sweetened diet drinks for decades, it's just new to the U.S.A. and it will take time to learn how to use it in foods.

The price of stevia has really dropped in the last 2 years.  We recently switched from Purevia to Stevia in the Raw--big, big improvement.

Now, my understanding is that stevia doesn't hold up well in carbonated beverages, so I'll be curious to see how this tastes--but, I may be biased because I generally.....uh, ........hate Pepsi......

Yes that 'Stevia in the Raw' package  is exactly what I have in the individual serving packages for my coffee.  I only use about a third of the package in a cup of coffee as it's pretty strong.     And West Coast is Correct.  I remember as a kid going to Mcdonalds and Carls Junior getting tiny hamburgers, tiny fries and tiny cokes and it was wonderful.  You had to be pretty $$ rich, or have a special occasion to go to places like that.

Don't bake with any of it though, so you may be discovering some new baking methods that would be helpful to people avoiding sugar.  good luck.

thanks, mb -- i was baking with truvia for a while before i fell off the wagon -- got good results but truvia has a sugar alcohol -- erythritol-- in it which like you said is one of those things we probably should be avoiding-- idk and i mean truvia was sued because it has very little stevia in it like maybe they pass one leaf over each shipment -- ultimately had to change their tagline--

You know that we may be a lot like 'Popeye the Sailor man'........"I am what I am".   We are what we are.  We can do lots of interesting, amusing, frustrating, and painful things to ourselves to try and become an 'Olive Oil' stick figure BUT it will never stick (so to speak).

But what would the world be without us?? There might be a lot of very hungry people starving for sweeties, desserts, and special occasion treats because Olive Oil can't cook, can't bake, can't make a cake.  

What is a rose without a stem, a calyx, a leaf, thorns or the dirt that it grows in.  It's all important and it's all necessary!  Chin up, or in my cake multiple chins up, celebrate the miracle of life and your life in particular and laugh a little.  Laughter is the best medicine.

Yeah and spit that crap out when it taste bad.  Don't torture yourself.  Life is waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy  to short.

i begged my mom to get me some spinach like popeye and she told me i would hate it and finally she got me some and sure enough i hated it 

but i like it now -- love it in fact

I like spinach in salads now, love it, especially knowing it is one of the most nutrient packed foods ever !!!!  It's one of the  super foods.

so remember what Helen Reddy used to sing to us......and be MORE of a best friend to yourself than anyone else EVER could.

Would you take better care of yourself
Would you be kinder to yourself
Would you be more forgiving of your human imperfections
If you realized your best friend was yourself

Who is always with you everywhere
Who is on your side when others are unfair
And tell me, who will never let you down in any situation
Who will always see you get your share

And that's why I am a best friend to myself
And I take me out whenever I feel low
And I make my life as happy as a best friend would
I'm as nice to me as anyone I know

And that's why I am a best friend to myself
And I take me out whenever I feel low
And I make my life as happy as a best friend would
I'm as nice to me as anyone I know

I didn't realise that stevia , lowers blood pressure. That make it a no no for me, bugger.  I am not really worried about sugar for myself but my mum is a diabetic and I like to make her a sweet treat every now and then. I don't like using artificial sweetener because of all the chemicals. I guess I will just have to not eat anything made with stevia. 

MBAlaska, Funny you should mention Helen Reddy , she has the same disease as me , Addison's disease. 

popeye would love this -- spinach made easy:

http://k8memphis.blogspot.com/2013/10/blog-day-two-kale-chips.html

LOL MB, you always make me laugh, I am having an afternoon nap because that is what is best for me. I also think the laundry and the dishes can wait and seeing it is Saturday , I am thinking pizza is a fairly good option for dinner. ;)

I have been playing around with Stevia for a couple of years. I actually grew some last summer. I dried it, and crushed it, and baked brownies with it.  My 24 year old son, came over in the middle of my process and asked me if I was making "special brownies".  Gullible as I am, I replied yes.  He starts laughing at me. They were special to me, no sugar; special to him was something totally different!