Xylitol

 I have been trying a number of sugar substitutes. 

My chiropractor suggested a product called xylitol. Try to say that out loud—doesn't it look and sound terrible? I resisted for a long time based on the name, and also based on how much I dislike artificial and alternative sweeteners. 

Have you tried stevia? I wanted to like it, but no—not one bit.

Anyway, I ordered a number of alternative sweeteners from Amazon. I got the xylitol, coconut sugar, date sugar, date syrup, and, just for jollies, pomegranate syrup.

I tried the xylitol first to get it out of the way. I put it in my tea- it’s a one-to-one serving size to sugar, and even though I prefer honey in my tea, it wasn’t terrible.  I would even say it is better than sugar (in tea at least). Interesting. I learned it is made from birch tree sugars and is slightly better for you than sugar, having fewer calories.

Next I tried the date sugar- seems like it was just dried and powdered dates. It tastes good (if you like dates) but doesn’t really melt in hot water, so I had a layer of date sludge at the bottom of my tea cup.  Weird.

Next I tried the coconut sugar. I don’t know how they make coconut sugar, but it looks like dry brown sugar and tastes much like caramel and/or molasses. (Both of which I love.)

Needless to say, the coconut sugar is the winner for tea.  tea. Not that it is much different from actual sugar in caloric or nutritional value- except that it is perhaps less processed. I haven’t even tried the date or pomegranate syrups yet.