Is Stevia Paleo?
The answer is...it just depends. Some people think so and some people don't. In my opinion I would say that it just depends what kind of stevia. God put the stevia plant on the earth for a reason and it's probably because it actually has some medicinal purposes.
So what kind of stevia could be considered Paleo?
Definitely not the kind in the powdered form unless it is 100% stevia and it is green like it is supposed to be. The liquid stevia could be considered Paleo as long as it doesn't have any bad ingredients in it. I have some whole leaf stevia that makes great tea!
Do I use stevia?
Yes I do. I have to say that I like it. I can't have honey which would probably be my go to sweetener if I could have it, but I am allergic. I actually use liquid stevia everyday.
Even though it is calorie free, if you ate several leaves then it wouldn't be. 1 teaspoon of crushed stevia leaves to eat actually has some carbs in it. The liquid from it though is like tea, it has none. They seep the leaves in water to make liquid stevia which is why I prefer it. Simple...like tea. That is what I use liquid stevia in. I plan to try making my own liquid stevia. I had actually made some stevia extract in a jar. I had it in there for several weeks, but my brother dropped it so now I have to start all over...
I love the plain SweetLeaf liquid stevia. I use it in my tea everyday. It has only 3 ingredients: Distilled Water, organic stevia leaf extract, and natural flavors. Sounds pretty great right.
I was given the opportunity to try their SweetDrops. I was so excited. Especially because I really thought these would be great for my mom who just got off diet cokes (She is not really a true Paleo) and my brothers who love cokes! I thought these would be great for them so they can still get the coke flavor, but not the sugar. So if you miss your colas and fizz then these are perfect for you. I tested some of these these in regular water and in carbonated water. At first I was like "whoa!" because I haven't had anything carbonated in a long time. I only use these as the occasional treat so...Let's see how they did!
Berry:
Water: Couldn't really taste.
Carbonated Water: Couldn't really taste.
There was not really any berry flavor. I couldn't even really taste anything, but a slight sweet taste despite how many drops I added.
Lemon Drop:
In both there was no flavor what so ever. It tasted like regular stevia honestly, no matter how many drops I added.
Valencia Orange:
This one tasted a lot like oranges. It made the carbonated water taste just like soda!
Cola:
Carbonated Water: Pretty good for a cola substitute. Had a more Dr. Pepper taste. Not exactly cola, but it was great. This one and the coconut have other ingredients, but they are safe ones too!
Coconut:
Great flavor and tastes very natural. I think this would be great to use in baking!
So which ones are my favorite?
#3 Coconut
#2 Cola
#1 Valencia Orange
The berry and lemon drop definitely have some room for improvement.
So would I recommend these?
If you crave soda or feel like you miss out when you are with your friends while they are sipping on soda, then yes! I think I will use these as the occasional treat or try to bake with them at least. I think my family would really enjoy these though! Hopefully I can come up with a recipe!
Here is an interview I read with the founder of SweetLeaf Stevia. http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2011/09/23/falling-from-a-sweet-sweet-summer-an-interview-with-jim-may-father-of-stevia/
By the way I was not paid to do this review. This is my personal opinion and experience.
If you would like to know if your stevia is a good brand feel free to ask me!
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