Truvia: An Artificial Sweetener that Keeps It Real

I’m always looking for ways to cut calories and artificial sweeteners are an easy way to do that.  I’ve tried most of the big names, which we all know by their packet color: pink, blue, and yellow.  Recently, I did a quick taste test with, Truvia, one of the new kids on the block.

Well, Truvia is not that new.  Its been around since 2008.  Based on stevia extracts, its billed as a natural sweetener that looks and tastes like sugar but with zero calories.  Like other non-sugar sweetners — be they artificial or natural — there’s plenty of controversy over whether its good for you, makes you crazy, etc.

For this simple test I didn’t focus too much on the hype.  I just wanted to know how many packs it would take to make a nice glass of sweet tea.

To keep things somewhat scientific, I used two of my favorite pre-brewed teas:  Tejava black tea and Trader Joe’s Green Tea.  Both are unsweetened and I love ’em right out of the bottle.  Here’s the run down as I added Truvia one pack at a time:

1. One pack wasn’t enough.  I could taste some of the sweetness coming through but it wasn’t enough to give me that “sweet tea” taste.  Growing up in the South has spoiled me when it comes to sweet tea.
2. Two packs was just about right.  Contrary to my Southern upbringing, living in California has gotten me used to sweet tea that’s on the milder side of sweetness.  With that sense of taste, I could have stopped at two packs.  But why play it safe!?
3. Ahhhh!  Three packs did it.  Pretty darn close to a sugar-ized sweet tea taste.  I almost felt guilty knowing it was calorie free.

OK, so now I’m going to keep Truvia in mind when I’m considering non-sugar sweeteners.   More guilt-free sweet tea please!