I was born with more than a sweet tooth. More like a carb-craving, sugar-addicted soul. It’s been the most difficult thing to control in my diet – sweets. Not hard candy, but rich cake-y desserts, thick sweet and creamy drinks, cookies…you get the idea. In attempt to “be healthy” I have tried every low-carb, not-so-sweet treat & protein bar on the market in attempt to satisfy the craving - until I became sick in the gut. Seriously. The quest for a healthy treat has been maddening. Another problem: sugar does NOT love me: sugar blues, mood swings, digestive problems, candida… sign me up. In light of this, the natural sweeteners have become my friend, whether I really enjoyed them or not, and that’s why I am SO thrilled to give you my review of Zsweet.
First – this is truly a safe and natural sweetener that does NOT affect your glycemic index, does NOT have calories, is NOT made of chemicals and does NOT have an aftertaste. Zsweet IS natural, IS vegan, IS gluten-free, IS found in fruits and plants, IS great for diabetics or sugar-sensitive people like myself, and most importantly, IT IS DELICIOUS! I tested the product several different ways for reliability. There are so many products that claim to offer this list of attributes, but honestly, I have found none yet that can compare to Zsweet, the all natural sugar substitute made from a blend of erythritol (it’s natural, from fermented glucose - purified, filtered and crystallized) and fruit extracts for flavor.
Hot & cold drinks (tea primarily) – I used the single packets of Zsweet. One packet for one tall glass was the perfect amount for my liking. It dissolved well (and quickly) and the flavor was spot on the money. Not too sweet but just enough. I let friends taste and they thought it was straight sugar. No aftertaste – nothing unusual. Same story for both iced herbal tea and hot.
Cereal and milk – I used the single packets of Zsweet. For those that sweeten their cereal, you are in for a treat. Just ½ of a packet sweetened the large bowl of rice puffs and unsweetened soymilk. It dissolved immediately, no “crystals” on the bottom, and every spoonful was a taste of heaven. I was impressed to say the least. The world of cereal is back in my life and I’m THRILLED.
To put it to the hard-core test, I made….
SUGAR COOKIES – I used the granular Zsweet bulk pouch. They say it is the same as sugar, so with the exact recipe of the on-line sugar cookies, I replaced the whole 1 ½ cups of sugar with Zsweet. The cookies baked wonderfully, slightly browned on the top and moist in the middle. The taste was amazing and I WAS IN HEAVEN!! Even my friend was shocked and could not stop about how delicious these cookies were. There was NO aftertaste, but the slightest of gritty texture at the end and ‘cooling affect in the mouth’ – but WHO CARES? I can eat these cookies all day and not worry about sugar-swings or calories or rotten teeth! (The cooling sensation was only after the 4th cookie, so maybe I overdid the binge, but this is a common reaction of ‘other’ erythritol products).
I feel like I’ve got a life again, one that I missed for so long – one that allows COOKIES in my diet , soft, moist, deliciously sweet cookies. If you have sugar issues or are diabetic, do not let another day go by without trying Zsweet. The existence as you know it will be forever changed, I promise.
Leah Guy - Host, Author, Producer and passionista for inspired, healthy living.