Product Review – Stevia in the Raw

I had an opportunity to try out Stevia Extract In the Raw which is a an all-natural, zero calorie sweetener derived from the leafy green foliage of the Stevia plant grown in South American rain forests and Asian mountain valleys (now if that doesn’t sound healthy I don’t know what does).

I am an avid user of Splenda so I thought I would give this raw form of sweetener a try.  I tried it in two ways….the first way was simply adding it to my morning tea.  It was very nice tasting and added a pleasant sweet flavor to my tea without adding calories.

Be aware that one packet of Stevia in the Raw is the approximate equivalent of two teaspoons of sugar. So you may wish to add only half a packet instead of a full one (if you usually use a full one) as the taste is a little sweeter than Splenda.

Unlike other brands of Stevia, Stevia in the Raw doesn’t have a licorice-like aftertaste. I haven’t tried other types so I can’t compare, but there was no after-taste evident.  According to the company’s website, this is because the Stevia is so pure.

The only additional ingredient in the packets (it also comes in bigger bulk packages) is dextrose and the company explains why:

“Dextrose is a natural carbohydrate derived from corn. Many sugar substitutes in powder form contain dextrose because it is a natural ingredient and does not change the flavor of the sweetener in the blend.  In our packet product, dextrose is used to dilute the very potent Rebiana extract to make it measurable for consumers; it does not alter the naturally sweet flavor of the Stevia.”

I then tried using it in my baking (peanut butter cookies to be exact).  Using Stevia this way I didn’t even notice a difference in taste.  It added the right amount of sweetness to my cookies and my kids loved it too!!!

I would recommend that if you currently use an artificial sweeteners you may want to give Stevia in the Raw a try as I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Pros

• It’s a natural sweetener rather than artificial.
• It has a great taste.
• There is no after-taste.

Cons

• If you don’t use the right amount  you can end up with tea that is way too sweet or baking that is even too sweet for your kids.

Reviews on Mommy.Girlgetstrong.com reflect the personal opinion of the writer, whether it is good, bad or ugly.  No compensation was accepted by me or GGS Media Corporation for this review.