Paint Lady,
I just now saw that you are not the one that suggested trying Stevia. Sorry for the mis-understanding! I posted my answer to you and I should have been posting to some anon person.
Blueduck

Hi Blueduck,

Stevia is an herb that you can use as a sweetener. It is like 100 times sweeter than sugar. So a little goes a long way!

You should be able to get it at a health food store. I got some raw Stevia at Mother's market.

Good luck!

mikey

Hi Blueduck,

Here is a link for good general info about stevia:

http://www.stevia.net/

No, it is not an artificial sweetener! It is an herb...also called sweetleaf, honeyleaf...that is 150-400 times sweeter than sugar! It comes in several different versions...the white powder extract or clear liquid extract are usually preferred because the bitter components of the plant have been removed and there is less off-taste.

You can find it in most health food stores, but NOT with other sweeteners...they have to keep it near the supplements, thanks to the FDA! In spite of hundreds of years of use and numerous studies confirming it perfectly safe for human consumption, the FDA banned it as an unsafe food item...but then allowed it to be sold for use as a supplement. Coincidentally (?!!!), this banning occured about the same time that Nutrasweet hit the market! In fact, some studies have shown that it actually helps in stabilizing blood Sugar and is safe for use by diabetics.

I use it all the time in tea...a few drops is all it takes. Like Paint Lady, I didn't care for it as much in coffee, but recently tried the SweetLeaf brand of white extract powder and it does the trick! Also, do some comparison shopping...I've found a wide range of prices for stevia with little difference in quality. The NOW brand of liquid extract seems to be one of the least expensive and equally as good as others I've tried.