Recently, sugar consumption has been rising at an alarming rate, making it a growing health concern. Consuming too much sugar has severe adverse effects, including diabetes and weight gain. Today, most Americans are trying to become health-conscious. Therefore, they are searching for ways to reduce their sugar intake. However, you need to give up eating sweets to reduce sugar consumption. If you are following a sugar-free diet plan, stevia is the best alternative.
Stevia Sweeteners: What are they?
Stevia sweeteners are no-calorie sweeteners that you can use as a substitute for regular sugar while still enjoying the taste of something sweet. Stevia sweeteners are intensely sweet. Therefore, you only require them in small quantities to match the sweetness of your regular sugar. You can use the stevia sweeteners in your foods and beverages, such as canned fruits, condiments, dairy products (ice cream, flavo9red milk, and yogurt). You can also add sweeteners in making baked goods, morning cereals, chocolates, and other confectionery goods.
Using Stevia Products in Food
Substituting Sugar
Different stevia sweeteners have varied concentrations and degrees of sweetness. Therefore substituting sugar with stevia requires experimentation. Choosing a particular format of stevia help you in figuring out how much stevia you require in replacing sugar. You can also opt for a stevia powder and stevia liquid drops. You require one-teaspoon stevia powdered extract or one teaspoon of liquid stevia drops as a substitute for a cup of sugar. However, you require 1/8 teaspoon of Zindagi stevia powder and one drop of Zindagi stevia liquid drops for a tablespoon of sugar.
Temperature
Stevia breaks down and affects foods in temperatures above 400 degrees. Therefore, you need to opt for recipes that have lower oven settings. If you are using stevia sweeteners for baking at higher temperatures, it might ruin the food. However, Zindagi stevia sweeteners are stable at temperatures of up to 392 degrees. If you can maintain the temperature, stevia is an ideal sugar substitute for most recipes.
Adding Bulk
Although you require very few quantities of stevia compared to refined sugar, you will never need to increase the measure of other ingredients to increase the bulk. You require a drop of Zindagi stevia liquid drops for every 1 tablespoon of regular sugar.
Observe the Baking Process
Unlike sugar, adding Zindagi stevia baking blend do not caramelize. Therefore, it does not turn brown as sugar, making it difficult for you to know when your baked goods are ready for serving. However, there is an easy way to check if your baked goods are ready. Take a clean toothpick and insert it into the baked goods, such as cookies and cakes. If it comes out clean, they are ready for serving. However, if it comes out wet, your cookies and cakes require more time for baking.
Flavor
Besides adding a sweet flavor, stevia sweeteners enhance the natural flavors of food. Due to the flavor-enhancing property, stevia sweeteners work the best when combined with strong-flavored ingredients, including coffee, lemon, cheese, and chocolate. You can also combine stevia with lightly flavored food and ingredients, such as vanilla. However, the flavor-enhancing properties of stevia become less appealing.