What's up with sugar replacements?

I had a roux en y. I've been looking into sugar replacements and it seems there are a lot of them out there.

Can anyone comment on sweets and replacement sugars? What have you learned?

Thanks.  

 I am in the minority (possibly by himself and too dumb to know!) but I prefer natural foods, including sweeteners.  Brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, molasses.  What I have found, esp since my rny is I only need a drop to be satisfied. My primary muffin recipes call for honey, molasses or brown sugar, I use a half teaspoon maple syrup to sweeten morning cereals like oatmeal, cream of wheat or oatbran (all of about 10 calories).

I do not believe the drug company's claims that their artificial sweeteners are side effect free. I am not a tree hugger nor do I think many RX drugs are bad.  In maybe ten or twenty years we may know some of the full effects of replacing natural sugars with chemicals, but until we do, I choose natural ones. Using a drug to replace sugar is silly, imo. 

I'm with Ian. For my own reasons.

I am allergic to corn and that means the only artificial sweetener that sits in my system without killing me is aspertame and that is a debate unto it's self.

Stevia is not as well documented but considered "diabetic friendly"... Though add it one tiny drop at a time as 1 drop too many is prone to leaving a bitter after taste, and the powders can do the same.

I don't use white sugar - corntamination risk... I am a "raw cane sugar" or "beet sugar" girl if I need granulated.

I go with honey but not unless it is "organic" and locally packaged preferred as there are 3 I can have that are sheltered from corn fields.

Maple syrup is great when it is locally packaged...

Part of why I push for locally packaged is because I've come across "corntaminated" product. (Cornsyrup added to extend something) This makes me very ill...

Now I make my choices based on what my body can consume... Here is the real info:

http://cspinet.org/nah/05_04/sweet_nothings_canada.pdf

I dunno.. I think I would rather rock the calories then ride the Epipen so I will be stuck with small quantities... 1 tsp sugar = 15 cal or so. Such is life.

 Hi, 

Thanks to the two previous posters. It would help me to know what surgery you had for weight loss in your profiles. My understanding is that roux en y people are very sensitive to sugar. I'm a little paranoid about dumping as I can't stand being anxious to begin with. 

 I am 4 monthes post rny.  I have lost over 80 pounds, my waist size has gone from 55 to 38.  I have "dumped" once but due to fat content, not sugar.  I don't use a lot of sugar in any case, my taste buds since rny are very sensitive to sweet stuff.  I used to blow through a box of oreos/fudgeos with ease, and I mean the whole box without stopping.  Now I can't even imagine eating one.  When I use sweeteners they are sparingly used.  I'm not gonna f**k this opportunity up with sugar.  Just ain't gonna happen!  

I haven't yet... Am aiming toward a VSG not a RNY... But have lived relatively low sugar consumption for years.

For my entire household on an average year... 2 adults/1 child
We buy 1 2kg bag of white sugar (guests, etc.)
2 500g containers of raw cane sugar (typically 1 but making it 2 just to err on the side of caution)
2 kg honey
2-3 kg table syrup (child and hubby faithfully consume this crud 3 times a month)
We've been working on the same 4 bottles of flavoured stevia and 2 bottles of unflavoured for 3-4 years. i bought the big ones with the dropper to use.

We bake, cook from scratch, etc. We just do not consume a lot of added sugar. Nor salt either.

If a recipie calls for 1 cup of sugar... half the time we have to cut it back to 1/4 cup or less. We just don't eat that way.

Sorry I am not "more help". I only know sugar alternatives...

 While I agree that natural is best, I'm full of artificial sweetners.  I use splenda and aspartame very often.  I also use stevia, which is not considered an artificial sweetner since its all natural and not a chemical like the former two.  I had an rny and I haven't dumped to date.  Only about 50% of people with an rny actually dump.  So far, I have occassionally had a meal that has more than 10g of sugar in it and no dumping.  But the guideline that I know about is keeping each meal to 10g sugar or less.  

 Do you bake or cook with artificial sweeteners? Which sweeteners work best when? 

 I tend to use eggface's recipes for baked goods.  I've made her pancakes and muffins.  They use sugar free flavoured syrups as the primary sweetner and the brand that I use is sweetened with splenda.  Post-op, I'm not all that interested in baked goods...other than ones like eggface's since they incorporate protein powders and have a decent protein count.  

I do have a no name version of splenda that measures like sugar on hand and I've used it in a hot chocolate recipe.   Stevia is a bit of a trick to bake with since the recipe needs to be adapted to suit is properties...it is either a liquid or powder and a very little is required to sweeten so it doesn't add bulk to a recipe like sugar would.

Hi there,

I do not like the articial sweeteners personally and will only use natural ones that are diabetic friendly.

I use Agave rather that honey. Xylitol ( the one from Birch trees) in replace of sugar and some flavoured stevia (chocolate raspberry is my fave) to make my club soda abit more interesting...

Both Agave and Xylitol are good for baking...

Enjoy..