I've been making hubby the traditional Texas Sweet Tea for years he will not drink unsweetened tea. So in trying to help lower his sugar intake I have managed to use 1/3 cup splenda (per picture <sp> instead of the standard 1/2 cup refined sugar.
Am I really doing him any good here?
I so far havn't heard of any of the negative side effects concerning Splenda that I hear about aspertame and such.
Besides he won't touch anything I've tried the other fake sweeteners in.

Having lived in Georgia all my life,I was raised on sweet tea. We used to have it every night with supper when I was growing up. I still like it,but hardly ever drink it anymore. I save it for a special treat now,like when we're eating out. Up until just a few years ago I'd never even tasted unsweetened tea!

sautequeen my tea piture makes about 1/2 gal. and I was using 1-1 1/2 c's sugar for years I weaned him down to 1/2 cup in the last year.

I cold turkey'd the sodas like 10 yrs ago and now cannot stand any soda, fruit drinks or even flavored waters..Just too sweet !

I would love to read the European studies on Splenda....Guess will have to go surfing for more info.

I'll give the fruit thing a try.

Thanks All

I hear ya Jen. I ran into the same problem, going to college in rural Virginia. I'd order a tea from Hardee's and put Sweet n Low in it, not knowing it already had heaps of sugar in it! Now THAT'S sweet!!

I wonder too about Splenda. I've recently taken to SoBe Lean Cranberry Grapefruit. It only has five cals a serving and 100% vitamin C.

I noticed that the sweetener is Sucralose ... which I just found out is Spenda. I hope it turns out to be OK for us!

Would he drink it if you used 1/3 or 1/4 c. of sugar instead of the Splenda? As sweet as it tastes, I still think that would be way less sugar than in sodas.

P.S. Sweet tea is definitely an acquired taste! I make sure to ask for unsweetened tea when I'm in the South. Certain parts of Ohio are apparently part of the South, too, because I have been given sweet tea a couple of times by mistake and it's quite a shock.

How long does a gallon of tea last you?

Some other options:

Would it work to have the sweetened tea as a special Saturday treat and drink water on week-days?

Would it work to remove 1/2 or 1 tablespoon of sugar a week?


D. I think it might take as much (or more) honey. I'm pretty sure that honey has about the same cals as sugar.

Denise

Papaw always preferred his sun tea made with honey. . .water & the tea bags out in a big gallon glass jar, add honey, and set it out in the sun for the day. To this day, it's the only way I can stomach the taste of tea.

Does it take as much honey to sweeten tea up as it does sugar?

D

Hey there! 1/2 cup of sugar sounds pretty good to me. Most people around Nashville use 1 to even 1&1/2 cups per gallon of tea. Have you tried a fruit tea on him? Try adding a can of 5 alive fruit juice concentrate to your tea and see if that will be sweet enough. Then your sugars will be natural and diluted pretty well with a gallon of water rather than the standard less than 2 quarts.

You haven't heard about side effect yet, because they didn't test this as long as they have the other artifical sweeteners. From what I remember when SPlenda first came out, the US is the only country that has allowed it's distribution. In Europe, it has been tested for several years, and they haven't allowed it to be released for use.

I personally don't use ANY artificial sweeteners. We have retrained our taste buds to use LOTS less sweetener, and for things like coffee and tea, if we HAVE to have it sweet (which is like sodapop, it is a rare special treat), I use either real sugar (I actually use a minimally refined sugar cane product) or I use an herb called stevia.

Sherry,
I'll be interested to hear what others say abou this. I have heard that Splenda is the best alternative of the artificail sweeteners. I think it tastes the best and I use it, but have also given thought to possible health issues.