No Sugar and no artificial sweeteners

(Mark Myers) #1

I’m trying to avoid any artificial sweeteners along with of course sugar and HFCS. I’d like to see any low carb recipes that have no sweeteners of any kind posted here. So many recipes I see have some sort of sweetener in it. Some I can simply leave it out and it tastes OK with me. Others though, taste terrible if you don’t sweeten it with something. I guess this would be a purest recipe request.

(AnnaLeeThal) #2

Are you looking for dessert type recipes?

#3

I agree with your concern. I avoid recipes that need artificial sweeteners, and many times just omit the sweeteners and eat as is.

Here’s a recipe site that I notice tends to avoid addition of sweeteners. Even in their desserts:

www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes

(Meeping up the Science!) #4

I’d argue the majority of what we eat is (ideally) sweetener free, even if you aren’t ZC or something. For instance: bunless burgers, tuna melt, pot roast, steak, lobster, etc.

As for desserts, likely just utilizing fruit instead would work (raspberries). However, if you’re avoiding sugar, even berries have some. Milk products often have sugars in them as well, though minimal amounts if cream, butter, and so forth. I guess, what are you looking for specifically?

(Mark Myers) #5

@AnnaLeeMI Most anything keto. I see so many recipes requiring some sort of sweetener either natural or artifical. I’m trying to avoid any sweeteners. If it is berries or something that add the flavor, that is fine as long as it is a not a lot of carbs in it. I’m very interested in dessert recipes, since they are the ones that most always require some sweetener of some sort.

(Mark Myers) #6

@Donna I get headaches from some artificial sweeteners and generally avoid them all, since I don’t think they are healthy for you since many are just chemicals mostly. I don’t like the taste of some of the others like Stevia. One I won’t have in my house since I have dogs and it is poison to them. I’m much happier with natural sweeteners like berries, if I absolutely have to have any. Preferably from a food source like berries than from something artificial. I’m dairy tolerant so no real problem there, I just need to not go crazy with lactose sweetener.

(Steak and iron) #7

Where are you seeing all these recipes with sweeteners? Aside from carb substitutes and desserts virtually nothing keto has a sweetener in it.

I could also say that it depends on your definition of “artificial” as stevia, erythritol, and xylitol are perfectly natural.

#8

Another thing to keep in mind is that insulin spikes could be caused by just the taste of sweetness, without any presence of carbs. This is why I got used to drinking tea and coffee without sugar or artificial sweeteners, and it has shifted my taste buds. Today, I can enjoy chocolate that is 90 to 100%…when in the past I couldn’t enjoy it past 70%.

(Mark Myers) #9

@stupidrobots the recipes are mostly desserts and carb substitutes I’ve seen on YouTube and other web sites. Yes, by artificial, I actually mean anything other than sugar. I don’t like the flavor of stevia.

(Vesa McD) #10

Xylitol used to be good for me when it was made from Birch. Now that it’s often made from corn I get migraines from it. Sadly.

(jketoscribe) #11

I’m doing the no sweetener New Year Challenge (started it, actually) and yes, DietDoctor.Com has many recipes without any sweeteners, including a very tasty fat bomb recipe that is made of butter. Toasted (unsweetened) coconut flakes add just a touch of sweetness. I use them for “dessert” sometimes (I rarely eat dessert). Another treat is simply whipped cream (or whipped coconut cream in my case) with or without a handful of berries. And I munch on a small piece of 100% cocoa chocolate (totally unsweetened). If the bitterness gets to you, a sprinkle of salt helps.

(LongHaulKeto) #12

Same here with chocolate but stilllll can’t do black coffee

#13

@ginnyshelby, have you tried different types of coffee? I find that a lot of American style coffees, like Starbucks (ahem…charbucks) burn the heck out of the beans.

Good coffee starts with high quality beans. Otherwise, you need to burn the heck out of poor quality beans.

I splurge and buy high quality beans, medium roast, grind coffee at home and make real coffee (with moka espresso maker, or French press). The coffee is intoxicatingly devine! No sugar needed.

(jketoscribe) #14

White liquid (real cream or coconut milk) lends a little sweetness to coffee. I can’t drink it black.

(LongHaulKeto) #15

Oh…can’t stand starbucks coffee. I’ve looked at a french press…maybe I
should take the plunge! Thanks

(Michael Wallace Ellwood) #16

I posted elsewhere that I’m almost sure I get an insulin response from extra thick cream (the kind you can spoon out - maybe even ordinary heavy cream as well). I speculated (only half-jokingly) that it was because I had memories going way back of eating fruit and cream, and that this was a cephalic response.

Whatever it is, I can feel something weird happening in my body, and it can’t be glucose (can it?), so I figured it must be insulin.

The word “carageenan” also crossed my mind. I’ve read that it can be in all sorts of things without needing to be listed in the ingredients. But I have no idea if it is actually used in such products.

#17

The French press will make very good tasting coffe. Especially if you buy the beans and grind them yourself. However, the caffeine jolt from French press is much higher level. If you have a caffeine issue, this is something to consider. Another option would be to continue making the coffee you are doing now, but buy the beans and grind them yourself. The taste is so much better. When coffee is ground, it starts to go stale. So, fresh ground makes a difference.

(Stickin' with mammoth) #18

The technique that’s served me quite well is to wean myself off sweet things altogether. When it’s gone from your daily ritual, you’d be surprised how quickly it evaporates from your desire. Then those rare trips to fresh berries become a magical rush that anything other than cream would only adulterate.

#19

It’s possible that you are getting insulinogenic response from foods that are not sugar-based.

#20

Yeah, same here. I don’t add sugar or artificial sweetener to anything. When I accidentally bite into something sweet (I.e. Because the food wasn’t prepared by me) I get lock jaw, my mouth starts to water profusely and the insides of my mouth actually feel painful. Natural reflex is to immediately spit it out.