Artificial sweeteners are routinely demonized for being made in a lab. Oooo, scary! As hard as it is to shake one’s personal bias and perhaps even admit we might be wrong, the fact is that artificial sweeteners are not bad for you and can be a helpful tool when making a lifestyle change.
When I was in high school, I would drink 2-3 cans of Coke a day; that is up to 420 calories, basically an entire extra meal. Not to mention 117 grams of carbs, which more than half the amount of carbs I consume in a day now. As part of making sustainable diet choices, I have found some great tasting low/no sugar alternatives that allow me to satisfy my occasional sweet cravings.
Coke Zero
I like Coke, but Diet Coke tastes awful; definitely not a good substitute. This is because Diet Coke actually has it’s own flavor profile, it isn’t supposed to taste like regular Coke. Coke Zero, on the other hand, is actually made to be a zero calorie copy. It’s pretty darn good, but I recommend keeping it cold. That tell tale “fake sugar” taste becomes more apparent as it starts to warm up to room temperature.
TEN Sodas
If you are more of a Dr. Pepper, root beer, or orange soda fan, these 10 calorie alternatives are great. The A&W root beer is great! As with the Coke Zero, make sure to drink them cold.
Walden Farms Marshmallow Dip
This calorie free marshmallow dip is great on a peanut butter sandwich. Walden farms also makes a decent calorie free pancake syrup, but I recommend avoiding the chocolate sauce.
Jell-o Sugar Free Pudding
In a previous post, I recommended sugar free jello for a sweet, 10-calorie way to help yourself feel more full when you don’t have other macros to spare. The sugar free pudding is about 60 calories and only 10 carbs per serving, making it pretty easy to work in if you’re looking for something more dessert-y.
Werther’s Sugar Free Caramel Coffee Candies
There are a lot of sugar free candies and chocolates and they are all pretty decent, though you have to make sure you don’t over do it or you will not have happy bowels. You especially have to watch out for products with sugar alcohol. I love these little coffee flavored hard candies as a sweet treat after lunch.
Smucker’s Sugar Free Jam
Smucker’s makes a whole line of sugar free (and low sugar) jams. These are great to help keep carbs down if you’re craving a PB&J or looking for an easy mix-in for your Greek yogurt.
