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<br>Hungry Girl Today: 2.18.09 
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<br>ASK HUNGRY GIRL 
<br>
<br>Dear Hungry Girl,
<br>
<br>What is the deal with stevia? I hear it's all-natural and everyone is talking 
<br>about it. I've seen all different kinds at the store. What do you think of 
<br>stevia? And which kind is the best? I'm in need of info because, as of right 
<br>now, I have given up all artificial sweeteners and am looking forward to 
<br>something new. 
<br>
<br>Sweet-less in Seattle  
<br> 
<br> 
<br>Dear Sweet-less,
<br>
<br>Here's the story. Every decade or so, the world decides to hang its hat on 
<br>some new calorie-free sweetener. First it was the pink stuff -- Sweet'N Low 
<br>(saccharin). Then the world became obsessed with the blue packets -- Equal -
<br>- and also NutraSweet (both aspartame). Next, the yellow ones -- Splenda 
<br>(sucralose). Now everyone's talking about stevia (in the green packages). 
<br>Stevia is an all-natural, calorie-free sweetener, so people are all abuzz about 
<br>it. But remember, people are fickle and they fall in and out of love with 
<br>calorie-free sweeteners FAST. These days, people who don't like to use 
<br>artificial sweeteners are FLIPPING over stevia, because it's actually an herb. 
<br>And now food companies are starting to come out with products that feature 
<br>it. There's the new orange juice drink Trop50 (with half the calories of 
<br>regular OJ) and a slew of other drinks from Coke and Pepsi that'll soon hit 
<br>store shelves. OK, now on to my personal opinion of the stuff. I tried 
<br>SweetLeaf (one of the first stevia products available in packets) about a year 
<br>ago, and I'm not a fan. It's way too bitter. Since then I have tried Truvia and 
<br>PureVia. They are much better -- but still not great, in my opinion. In 
<br>general, stevia is SUPER-sweet and has a slight aftertaste. Truvia is very 
<br>light and not as bitter as other stevia products. PureVia is grainy and has a 
<br>bit more of an aftertaste than Truvia. I have not started to use any stevia 
<br>product on a regular basis because I prefer Splenda. (My doctor uses 
<br>Splenda and recommends it.) I am going to experiment more with stevia 
<br>though and will let you know how it goes. I want to add one more thing. 
<br>While many experts feel that stevia is totally safe (it's been used in Japan for 
<br>years and many studies attest that it is harmless), others question its safety 
<br>(certain studies suggest potential side effects and health concerns, especially 
<br>with excessive use). Anyone out there wanna weigh in? Talk about it on our 
<br>Facebook fan page!
<br>  
<br> 
<br> 
<br> 
<br>Dear HG,
<br>
<br>I know you always say that when it comes to baking, we should swap out oil 
<br>and eggs for applesauce and egg whites. Is it an even swap? How much do 
<br>we use? What about using pumpkin with cake mixes? 
<br>
<br>Help Me, HG!  
<br> 
<br> 
<br>Dear Help Me,
<br>
<br>Yup, we're all about the swapping here at HG. Swapping out fattening 
<br>ingredients for ones that are low in fat and calories is pretty much my life, 
<br>and it's easy once you get the hang of it. Let's start with oil. You can easily 
<br>just use applesauce in place of oil in cake or muffin recipes. If a recipe calls 
<br>for 1 cup of oil, use 1 cup of applesauce instead. It's an exact exchange. 
<br>Easy. Next up -- egg whites for whole eggs. Use two egg whites for every 
<br>egg a recipe calls for. And if you buy liquid egg whites or Egg Beaters, use 
<br>1/4 cup for every egg called for. As for pumpkin, what we usually do here at 
<br>the HG HQ is mix a 15-oz. can of pure pumpkin with a box of cake mix, and 
<br>then bake it in a muffin pan at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. We don't add 
<br>anything else at all to the batter. No water, no eggs -- nothing. The result is a 
<br>bunch of brownie-like treats. But when it comes to those other low-fat swaps, 
<br>don't alter the cooking times and temperatures -- and be careful not to 
<br>overcook whatever you're making, 'cuz low-fat recipes tend to dry out when 
<br>they're cooked too long. BTW, if you want to figure out the nutritionals for 
<br>baked goods made with these items, just start with the total stats for the 
<br>cake mix only. Then add the stats for whatever you're using (applesauce, 
<br>egg whites, etc.). Divide by the number of servings, and there you have it! 
<br> 
<br>
<br>
<br>For links in this email go to: 
<br>https://www.hungry-girl.com/askhg/askhgdetails.php?isid=1674
<br>-- 
<br>
<br>CHEW ON THIS: 
<br>Today, February 18th, is National Crab-Stuffed Flounder Day! If we had a pet 
<br>flounder, we'd feed it crab legs. But we don't, so we'll have to find another 
<br>way to celebrate...
<br>
<br>Have a question for Hungry Girl? Send it in! She answers two new Qs each 
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<br>2009 
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