Splenda

From splenda.com:

“SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener can lower carbohydrates and calories in recipes. For example, a cup of SPLENDA® Granular has 96 calories and 24 grams of carbohydrates, compared to the 770 calories and 192 grams of carbs found in a cup of sugar. Since SPLENDA® Granular measures and pours like sugar, you can use it like sugar in your favorite recipes. For your favorite beverages, SPLENDA® Packets are the perfect size to take with you anywhere you go.”

I tried baking with it. It just doesn’t seem to mitigate the carb count in baked goods enough to make it worth the effort, because baked goods usually contain wheat flour, which is also high in carb. Plus, baking with Splenda leads to uneven results. Sometimes the baked good ends up too sweet, and sometimes not sweet enough. By the way, you might want to try your favorite banana bread recipe without any sugar or Splenda. A friend told me that the bananas sweeten the bread naturally. I tried it with only 1/4 cup added Splenda, and it was plenty sweet. So if you previously added a cup of sugar, you would be saving quite a few carbs and calories by substituting Splenda and using much less of it.

Baked goods aside, I think Splenda is a fantastic product for a number of uses:
-Fresh squeezed lemonade
-Dressings and marinades
-Fruit crisps and cobblers (with low-glycemic fruit and oat flour)
-Drizzles to sweeten things with lowered sugar

Any sweetened liquid is like kryptonite to a diabetic, because the liquid is processed into the bloodstream so quickly, thereby spiking blood sugar. So lemonade, orange juice, apple juice, and regular soda are out. But with Splenda, we can have our juice and drink it, too. For this reason alone, Splenda is a miracle product.

When every single carb counts, I think it’s worth it to use Splenda. I love sweets, and I can have dessert as long as my dinner has been low carb and high protein. I’m lucky. My mother-in-law has been diabetic for 20 years but recently was able to go off insulin by changing her meds and going strictly low carb. So when we have her over for dinner, I can still serve dessert if I use Splenda and some care. I’ll be posting my rhubarb crisp recipe here soon.

I also think it’s worth it to use Splenda for marinades and dressings to keep carb count really low. For example, the Kung Pao chicken recipe featured in this blog is delicious and very low in carbs; substituting Splenda for sugar makes no difference in taste and saves 4g carb and 45 calories. I also mix our own tomato-based barbecue marinade and use Splenda for a little sweetening. Splenda doesn’t work as a part of a basting sauce, though. Real sugar crystalizes, and Splenda won’t.

Brummel and Brown Spread

When I was 3 years old, I got myself into the kitchen and painted the wall with butter. It was the first manifestation of both my artistic bent and my love of butter. For a diabetic, indulging in an extremely high-fat treat containing butter might not raise your blood sugar, if the ratio of fat to carb is much higher in favor of the fat. (We’re all different, so we just have to test.) But we have to watch the fat, too. My primary physician told me that if you’re diabetic, physicians automatically treat you as if you have heart disease. And she does.

So of course I can’t have butter. Of course. I can’t have it in the house, because I will eat way too much. So I did some research into substitutes and have found a workable option. A friend recommended Brummel & Brown, and I can use it. I can’t say I’m happy about the taste, but I use it. It’s low in fat and calories, and passable in flavor. And it really comes out favorably compared to other popular options. Here’s a table, but before you peruse it, let me just say that I list original brands only, and light spreads (yuck) aren’t included.

Brand, 1 Tablespoon	Gimmick	Calories	Fat	Sat Fat	Sodium
Brummel & Brown Spread	Contains yogurt	45	5g	1g	90mg
Butter, salted	Needs none	100	11g	7g	95mg
Butter spread with canola oil	Less cholesterol	100	11g	4.5g	95mg
Country Crock Spread	Been around awhile	60	7g	1.5g	110
Smart Balance 67% Spread	No hydrogenated oil	80	9g	2.5g	90mg
Promise Buttery Spread	no hydrogenated oil, vitamins and omegas	80	8g	1.5g	85mg

 

Western Alternative Breads

My first product review is for my absolute favorite diabetic-friendly convenience food. I hated giving up bagels. But this company allows me to incorporate a bagel into my daily diet, and so I love them. The sodium is fairly low and there is a lot of fiber packed into each serving.

 The Western Bagel company has been in the bagel business for years, but now offers what they call their Alternative line: bagels, pitas, and English muffins with much lower carb counts and high fiber counts. For example, their cinnamon spice Alternative bagel is 110 calories for a 2-oz bagel (a little larger than a Lenders), 25 grams carb, 7 grams fiber, and 210 mg sodium. Unbelievable!

As a diabetic, even that low net carb count would raise my blood sugar too much, but teamed with healthy peanut butter, it’s a great way to enjoy a bagel and coffee. I have also used their pitas for pizzas, and the English muffin is delicious, as well. Check out all the flavors on their web site. Be sure, though, to order the Alternative breads, because they also continue to sell their original product, which is good, but not what low-carbers are looking for. http://www.westernbagel.com/products/grocery.php

I buy off-the-shelf at our local WalMart Superstore or our local Sprouts. If you can’t find them locally, you can order from their web site.