Banana Walnut Oatmeal


Makes 1 Serving

Ingredients

1/2 cup nonfat milk
2 packets SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sliced bananas
1 teaspoon chopped walnuts

Directions

Place milk and SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener in a small pot. Bring to a boil.

Add oats and simmer for about 5 minutes or until thick. Stir constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, cinnamon, bananas and walnuts. Allow to sit for one minute.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 264
Total Fat: 5g
Total Carbs: 31g
Dietary Fiber: 8g
Sugars: 13g
Protein: 10g

 

Recipe courtesy of Splenda.com.

Holiday Thumbprint Cookies


Makes 26 Servings

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup Sugar In The Raw®
2 tablespoons Stevia In The Raw®
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup strawberry or red currant preserves or jelly

Directions

In a large bowl, beat butter with Sugar In The Raw® and Stevia In The Raw® until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and stir in until combined. Roll into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment. Form dough into 1” balls, place 1” apart on cookie sheets, and use your finger to make an indentation in each cookie. Bake 8 minutes, then remove from oven and use the handle of a wooden spoon to reinforce the indentation. Bake 2-4 more minutes. Cool completely and fill cookie centers with preserves or jelly.

Nutrition Information

Calories 100
Total Fat 4g
Carbohydrates 13g
Protein 2g
Sodium 105mg
Sugar 4g

 

Recipe courtesy of InTheRaw.com.

Roasted Pears Over Radicchio with Ricotta Salata & Sherry Vinaigrette


Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

Sherry Vinaigrette

1/4 cup Sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon whole grain Dijon mustard
Sea salt to taste
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
1/2 packet Stevia In The Raw®
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Roasted Pears and Ricotta Salata

4 medium Bosc pears or any winter or summer pears, peeled and cut into 8 wedges.
1 (3–4 ounce) chunk Ricotta Salata (you may substitute pecorino romano or permigiano if needed)
1 ½ Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt
Pinch fresh cracked pepper
12 inch preheated sheet pan or large sauté pan
Small head Radicchio

Directions

Sherry Vinaigrette

Combine vinegar, mustard, sea salt, pepper with Stevia In The Raw®. Whisk vigorously to dissolve. Add extra virgin olive oil and whisk in until incorporated. Set aside.

Roasted Pears and Ricotta Salata

Preheat oven to 450°F and place rack in middle position in oven.

Toss the cut pears in the olive oil, sea salt and pepper.

Carefully remove preheated sheet pan or sauté pan from oven and spread pears out. Quickly put pears back into oven to roast approximately 5 minutes. They should be soft, but maintain firmness. Remove from oven and set aside on rack to cool.

Shave ricotta salata or any hard cheese to substitute like pecorino romano or parmigiano reggiano.

Place pears and cheese on radicchio and serve.

Nutritional Information

Calories 340
Fat 24g
Protein 4g
Carbohydrate 29g
Dietary Fiber 6g
Sodium 950mg
Cholesterol 20mg

 

Recipe courtesy of InTheRaw.com.

All about All-Natural Stevia


So you’ve probably been hearing a lot about Stevia lately, a new zero calorie sweetener that’s becoming pretty popular. Earlier this month we talked about the difference between stevia extract and stevia whole leaves. But is it a safe alternative to other low-cal sweeteners?

The word “stevia” refers to the entire plant and its components, only some of which are sweet. The sweet tasting components of the stevia plant are called steviol glycosides or rebaudioside A.

Stevia has been used as a sweetener in South America for hundreds of years and it’s been widely used for decades as a sweetener in Japan and Paraguay . In the US, stevia sweeteners are primarily found in tabletop products and reduced calorie beverages.

Recent studies, including human studies on safety, metabolism and intake, have shown that stevia sweeteners are safe to use. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has conducted a thorough scientific review of the existing scientific data on steviol glycosides and concluded that they are safe for use in food and beverages.

Based on the wealth of published research, independent scientific experts in both the U.S. and globally have concluded that stevia sweeteners are safe for people of all ages and populations and an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of four mg/kg body weight (expressed as steviol) has been established. The estimated intake of steviol glycosides even among the highest consumers does not exceed the ADI.

Clinical studies have also shown that steviol glycosides, meeting purity criteria established by JECFA, have no effect on either blood pressure or blood glucose response, which means people with diabetes can use stevia. Another benefit of stevia sweeteners: there are no known allergies to stevia sweeteners.

As an all-natural sugar substitute with zero calories, stevia sweeteners can help reduce or replace calories in foods and beverages and offer low and no calorie alternatives for people looking to lose and control weight. Consuming beverages and foods with stevia sweeteners as part of a healthful diet and lifestyle, including regular physical activity, can assist with weight control and weight loss.

What’s the Difference Between Stevia Extract and Stevia Leaves?


For the past few years you haven’t been able to talk about dieting and healthy eating without hearing about stevia, natural sweetener that’s becoming popular in the United States. Stevia rebaudiana is a South American plant native to Paraguay that has traditionally been used to sweeten beverages and make tea. The word “stevia” refers to the entire plant and its components, only some of which are sweet. So what’s the difference between the whole stevia leaf and the stevia you end up putting in your coffee?

Whole leaf stevia has been used as a sweetener in South America for hundreds of years.  The stevia leaves were collected, dried and milled into a fine powder. Because whole leaf stevia contains both sweet and non-sweet components, it often has an licorice-like aftertaste.  Over the years new technology has made it possible to extract the naturally sweet components of stevia and minimize the aftertaste to provide the type of products that we see on grocery shelves today.

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes stevia sweeteners, composed primarily of rebaudioside A and stevioside, as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for use  in foods and beverages.  However, the FDA has not approved, nor accepted as  GRAS , the whole leaf stevia or the use of crude stevia extracts as sweeteners. Whole leaf and crude extracts of stevia remain under review because there is inadequate safety information.   Whole leaf and crude extracts of stevia, therefore, can only be sold as dietary supplements in the US.

As an all-natural sugar substitute with zero calories, stevia sweeteners can help reduce or replace calories in foods and beverages and offer low and no calorie alternatives for people looking to lose and control weight. Consuming beverages and foods with stevia sweeteners as part of a healthful diet and lifestyle, including regular physical activity, can assist with weight control and weight loss.

New Statement from American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association Supports Low-Calorie Sweeteners as Useful Substitutes for Sugar


July 10, 2012 — Using low-calorie sweeteners in beverages and other foods has the potential to help people reach and maintain a healthy body weight and is helpful for glucose control for people with diabetes, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association. The statement is published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation and the American Diabetes Association journal Diabetes Care, and confirms previous support statements from these two major health organizations.

According to scientific statement lead author, Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at Stanford University in California, “While they are not magic bullets, smart use of non-nutritive sweeteners could help you reduce added sugars in your diet, therefore lowering the number of calories you eat. Reducing calories could help you attain and maintain a healthy body weight, and thereby lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes. But there are caveats.”

“For example, if you choose a beverage sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners instead of a 150-calorie soft drink, but then reward yourself with a 300-calorie slice of cake or cookies later in the day, non-nutritive sweeteners are not going to help you control your weight because you added more calories to your day than you subtracted,” said Dr. Gardner. “However, if you substitute the beverage with non-nutritive sweeteners for a 150-calorie sugar-sweetened soft drink, and don’t compensate with additional calories, that substitution could help you manage your weight because you would be eating fewer calories.”

Non-nutritive (low-calorie) sweeteners covered in the statement include acesulfame potassium,aspartame, neotame, saccharin, stevia and sucralose. The safety of these non-nutritive sweeteners is supported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The American Heart Association recommends that most women eat no more than 100 calories per day and men no more than 150 calories per day of added sugars. This recommendation is based on research that showed diets high in added sugars contribute to obesity and cardiovascular heart disease. Limiting intake of added sugars can help reduce calorie intake and can help people achieve or maintain a healthy body weight.

Beyond calories, and focusing more specifically on added sugars, non-nutritive sweeteners have their place for people with diabetes.

“For example, soft drinks sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners do not increase blood glucose levels, and thus can provide a sweet option for those with diabetes,” said Diane Reader, R.D., CDE, one of the statement authors speaking on behalf of the American Diabetes Association.

“The use of non-nutritive sweeteners may be used in a carbohydrate-controlled food plan, to potentially reduce carbohydrate intake which may aid in weight management and diabetes control,” said Reader.

“We are pleased to learn of this new position statement,” noted Haley Stevens, Ph.D., president of the Calorie Control Council. “With the increasing rates of overweight and obesity, low and reduced calorie sweeteners and the products that use them offer consumers great taste with fewer calories – and controlling calories can aid in weight control and diabetes management.”

“For anyone trying to monitor or reduce their intake of calories or added sugars, the potential impact of choosing ‘diet products’ with non-nutritive sweeteners needs to be considered within the context of the overall diet .  Strategies for reducing calories and added sugars also involve choosing foods which have no added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners – such as vegetables, fruits, high-fiber whole grains, and non- or low-fat dairy,” Dr. Gardner said.

A full PDF of the statement can be found on the American Heart Association’s website.  For more information on low-calorie sweeteners and how to incorporate low-calorie foods and beverages into a healthy lifestyle, visit www.caloriecontrol.org.

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The Calorie Control Council, established in 1966, is an international non-profit association representing the low-calorie and reduced-fat food and beverage industry. Today it represents 40 manufacturers and suppliers of low-calorie, low-fat and light foods and beverages, including the manufacturers and suppliers of more than a dozen different dietary sweeteners, fat replacers and other low-calorie ingredients.

Red Berry Popsicles


Makes 8 Popsicles

Ingredients

2 cups frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup Stevia In The Raw® Bakers Bag
Popsicle sticks

Directions

In food processor or blender combine berries. Add water and process until smooth. Stir in Stevia Extract In The Raw® and blend well.

Spoon mixture into popsicle molds. Insert popsicle sticks half way. Freeze at least 2 hours. Unmold when ready to serve.

Nutritional Information

Calories 15
Carbohydrate 4g
Dietary Fiber 1g

 

Recipe courtesy of InTheRaw.com.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Position Paper Confirms Safety and Benefits of Low-Calorie Sweeteners


Consumers can safely enjoy a range of sweeteners, both full-calorie and low-calorie ones, as part of a healthy diet guided by current nutrition recommendations, according to a newly updated position paper by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association).  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ( the Academy) is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals.

In the “Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Use of Nutritive and Nonnutritive Sweeteners,” published in the May issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Academy concludes:  “It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that consumers can safely enjoy a range of nutritive sweeteners and nonnutritive sweeteners when consumed within an eating plan that is guided by current federal nutrition recommendations, such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Dietary Reference Intakes, as well as individual health goals and personal preference.”
According to the position paper, greater consumption of foods and beverages with added sugars is associated with higher calorie intake, yet lower diet quality.  The Academy recommends limiting added sugar and states that nonnutritive (low-calorie) sweeteners are a safe way to restrict calories in the diet.  The position paper details and supports the safety and benefits of acesulfame potassium, aspartame, monk fruit, neotame, polyols, saccharin, stevia and sucralose as sweeteners.  On the topic of taste, the Academy offered that “liking of sweet taste is innate” and that “preference for sweet taste may be genetic,” rather than due to the consumption of low-calorie sweeteners, as some have alleged.
The Academy offers suggestions for healthfully consuming nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners, including:
  • Enjoy the sweet taste of foods and beverages but keep your calorie count lower by choosing from the variety of low- and reduced-calorie sweeteners approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration.
  • As part of a healthful eating plan as outlined in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, safely enjoy the range of calorie-containing and low-calorie sweeteners in foods and beverages.
An abstract, podcast and full PDF of the position paper can be found on the Academy’s website.  For more information, visit www.eatright.org.

Ruby ‘Rita


Makes 1 Serving

Ingredients

2 ounces Raspberry Zinger tea
1 ounce pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 packet Stevia In The Raw®
2 teaspoon Triple Sec, Cointreau or other citrus liqueur
1 ½ ounces Blue Agave tequila
Chilled martini glass, optionally salt-rimmed (see below)
1 thin lime slice, for garnish, optional

Directions

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes. Add the tea, pomegranate and lime juice, Stevia In The Raw®, and liqueur. Pour in the tequila. Shake to blend well. Strain the ‘Rita into the chilled glass. Serve immediately.

To rim the glass, rub a lime slice around the outside top of a martini glass. Half-fill a small teaspoon with kosher salt. Holding the glass upside down over a plate with one hand, gently tap the spoon against the outside 1/4-inch above the rim, leaving a 1/4-inch band of salt around the outside edge. Refill the spoon as needed. Chill the glass in the freezer while making the ‘Rita, or up to 24 hours.

Nutritional Information

Calories 180
Carbohydrate 14g
Sodium 780mg

 

Recipe courtesy of InTheRaw.com.

Keep the Holiday Spirit, Not the Seasonal Weight Gain – Preparing Favorite Holiday Foods with Stevia Instead of Sugar Cuts Calories


December often means a calendar packed with holiday parties and high-calorie foods. While in the thick of the holiday season, many can find themselves getting thicker around the middle.

Weight gained over the winter holidays is not typically lost during the following year. Experts say that the average one pound gained between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day can add up to five, ten, even 20 extra pounds over the years. However, making some new changes to favorite recipes can help cut calories and keep weight gain at bay. Award-winning author, culinary expert and internationally-recognized chef Amy Riolo recommends substituting stevia, a zero-calorie sweetener, in place of sugar in some holiday classics, such as pumpkin pie.

“With the holidays here, it’s always a struggle to eat right. By replacing the added sugar with stevia, we’ve already cut way down on calories,” said Riolo. In the new video series at SteviaBenefits.org, Riolo prepares several recipes with stevia, including pan-Seared ahi tuna, fresh fruit yogurt parfait and whole wheat oat apple cranberry muffins as well as the holiday favorite. The website also features other holiday favorites with stevia as a sugar substitute such as cheesecake, brownies and red velvet cupcakes.

While used abroad for many years, stevia has more recently caught on in the United States as a sweetener. And in November, the European Commission approved stevia as a sweetener in foods and beverages. “Stevia provides the food and beverage industry with a wider repertoire for delivering zero-calorie sweetness and offering additional variety and choice for consumers,” said Haley Stevens, Ph.D., President of the Calorie Control Council, a non-profit international trade association of manufacturers of low-calorie and sugar-free foods and beverages.

Made from leaves of a plant of the Chrysanthemum family, the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana) is native to Paraguay and is grown today in many countries around the world. Steviol glycosides are found in the leaves of the stevia plant and each has a particular taste profile and sweetness intensity. Rebaudioside A is one of the many steviol glycosides in stevia leaves that provide sweetness.

As a safe zero calorie alternative to sugar in foods and beverages, experts also say stevia works well for individuals with diabetes because it doesn’t affect blood glucose levels.

For more information about stevia and how it can be used in recipes, visit internationalsteviacouncil.org

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The Calorie Control Council, established in 1966, is an international non-profit association representing the low-calorie and reduced-fat food and beverage industry. Today it represents 40 manufacturers and suppliers of low-calorie, low-fat and light foods and beverages, including the manufacturers and suppliers of more than a dozen different dietary sweeteners, fat replacers and other low-calorie ingredients.