by Janet Higdon

Created on: January 31, 2007   Last Updated: February 06, 2012

Since I am married to an insulin-dependent diabetic I am always trying to come up with ways to satisfy his sweet tooth. I have a weight problem so I also try to find something which is edible for both of us. I've tried all of the usual products but nothing seemed to work. Cooking without sugar results in an entirely different texture than cooking with it. One day while shopping I came across a product called Splenda. After reading the label I found that it was actually made from sugar but it contained no calories and was safe for the diabetic. It also said it measured like sugar which was a big plus for me. It was a little on the expensive side but I decided to try it anyway.

In hot weather my husband will drink a gallon of tea every 2 days. I made a gallon and sweetened it with Splenda. My husband was estatic! He said it was the best tea he had drunk in years. Although I do not drink as much tea as he does, I tried it and thought it was good. I soon had my whole family hooked and they went out and bought Splenda too.

Since the tea turned out so good I decided to experiment further. There was a coconut pie recipe on the package so I tried it. I could not believe how good it was. My husband ate almost the whole thing. I got brave and tried a cake but it did not have acceptable results. I looked on the internet and found that Splenda had a website that offered recipes. If you join the recipe club (free) they will send you different recipes every month. Learning how to adjust the ingredients is the whole key. I have learned that pies turn out extremely well while cakes can be a challenge. Meringue is fantastic made with Splenda. I would challenge anyone to tell the difference. Meringue cookies are great too.

For people who have to limit their sugar intake I feel Splenda offers a great alternative. It doesn't leave the usual aftertaste and tastes quite good. It is more expensive than sugar, but all of the healthy products usually are. If you give it a try I'm sure you will feel that it is something you can live with as a sugar alternative.

Learn more about this author, Janet Higdon.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.