Try Lily's chocolate! Sugar free and tastes just like the real thing. It's a godsend when I do low carb. I am usually very picky about stevia (usually I hate the taste) but I can't even tell the difference with this.

This is my favorite one. They also have dark chocolate versions but I prefer milk chocolate. They also have chocolate chips, and you could make hot chocolate with it if you wanted.

It is difficult for sure. It is amazing the sugar in foods that is unexpected, ketchup is just one example.

I have been eating low carb sugar free for 12 years. I do not feel deprived at all. Google anything that you would like to try as sugar free or low carb. Such as low carb hot cocoa. My hubby buys Bryers carb smart ice cream. When I say sugar free I mean added sugar. Some things have natural sugar and I am OK with that but try to make wise choices. Berries are much lower in sugar then grapes or bananas. Learn to read labels and good luck!

Heinz makes a good ketchup with no sugar.

Good to know. Personally I never use kettchup, but reading labels is very important.

I have been low-carb by choice for over 15 years. You are right, it's is really astonishing when you start reading food labels carefully how many things have added sugar. You will eventually learn to shop in a whole different way, and your taste buds will adjust. I do still occasionally eat sweets, but "normal" desserts now taste far too sweet to me - I can't eat milk chocolate, commercially-prepared ice cream or any type of packaged cookie/dessert at all anymore. A sweet treat for me is a couple of squares of 85% dark chocolate spread with low- or no-sugar peanut butter and even that becomes cloying after a small portion.

If you want to experiment with low-carb sweeteners, I recommend trying granulated erythritol and liquid or granulated sucralose. IMO, these two taste more like sugar than anything else, especially if you blend them in a recipe. I don't care for the flavor of stevia but I do occasionally use it in Asian savory dishes, where you want a bit of sweetness but there are strong, spicy flavors present to mask the flavor of stevia.

I have type 2 diabetes. It's not like I can't have sugar, but I have to watch my intake. The issue is actually more carbohydrates. I have found that some sugar free items like sugar-free cookies contain more carbohydrates than good for me. I am considering trying to make baked goods with Stevia, but again, the carbs are an issue. Plus, in my case, it's not like I can stop with one granola bar.

Yes, the distinction between low-sugar and low-carb is difficult for some people. I get a kick out of my friends who decide to "try low carb" and then immediately start baking stuff using sugar substitutes. The flour still has carbs, folks! And your body doesn't know the difference - any carbohydrate becomes glucose in the body!

For ice cream, we freeze blueberries and then have a bowl of frozen berries with cream poured over them -- the berries cause the cream to freeze and so mouthfeel it's like ice cream. You can add sweetener but we like it plain. You can use milk as well, it's just not as rich -- even use 2% milk. You can do other fruit like strawberries or peaches but they're not as good as the blueberries for some reason.

Are you the one who's posted about this before? I don't eat sugar, and I don't use artificial sweeteners. I also don't eat ice cream. I'm a label-reader, as well.

I've been avoiding added sugar for 22 years, and several health-related issues have limited my diet even further. I tell my kids I hope they remember when I could (and did) eat everything! It's an individual decision, but I chose not to seek substitutes for things I can't eat; I just enjoy the foods I can.

so many purchased foods contain sugar including fruits, nuts, etc.

Nuts containing sugar? I don't think so. I eat a lot of nuts. I also eat fruit in reasonable quantities. This time of year I eat a grapefruit every day.

How long have you been doing this? I was quite addicted to sugar and carbs when I changed my diet, and it was a rough couple of weeks. But at some point I stopped craving them, and at some point after that I became averse to sweets.

Nuts containing sugar? I don't think so.

Pretty much all plant parts including leafy greens have a sugar component - plants such as sugar beets and sugar cane are sugar sources, green plants manufacture sugars.

Okay, I guess I should have elaborated. Nuts contain so little sugar that I can't imagine why anyone would avoid eating them for that reason. Carrots probably contain a lot more sugar; has anyone given up carrots? (Well, my Lyme doctor doesn't want me to juice them, but I do it anyway.)

As I've stressed so many times in these discussions, diet is an individual thing. When I first got serious about sugar and carbs, I was very strict. No fruit at all, for instance. But I don't believe that's a good idea long-term, at least not for me. So I added fruit, and beets, and sweet potatoes, and assorted other things. I like to choose nutrient-dense foods. And that includes nuts.

No I can't eat sugar. The one that has been extracted from the sugarcane. We used to call sugar White death. I can eat fruit I can eat carrots as long as I eat a fat with them. You don't miss something that makes you so sick that you can't function in any way.

Absolutely people who are on strict low carb regimens give up carrots, along with all other starchy vegetables. They are full of sugar; just because it is naturally-occurring doesn't mean that it doesn't have the same effect in your body as "added" sugar. Nuts have fewer carbs but they do contain some, so many people on low carb diets eat them only sparingly. Also, unless you are careful to buy only plain nuts, many of the flavored brands have quite a bit of sugar in the flavoring.

Biondanonima, it's a good thing I didn't know all that 20 years ago when I lost almost 50 lbs. eating a low-carb diet that included carrots and lots of nuts (raw walnuts and almonds, and dry-roasted, salt-free peanuts). Kept the weight off too.

OK - so this OP posts about not being able to eat sugar quite regularly, then NEVER COMES BACK to contribute to the conversation. What gives?

I gave up carrots because I don't like them. (I will eat them when served.) I gave up tree nuts due to gastro intestinal distress. I sorely miss pistachios and pine nuts, but the rest, meh. (I can eat coconut, however.)

There are hardly any dishes I ever add sugar (or honey or maple syrup) to. I make desserts about twice a year. And I don't bother with the artificial sugars, none of which taste remotely good to me. I lost 40 pounds, and kept them off, starting about 5-6 years ago - but my game plan was to bring my OWN food to lunch at work, and to cut out potato chips. My own food tasted better than the work food selections, 90%+ of the time, and I could eliminate the hidden sugars and starches that make up so much of not-home cooking. And I didn't starve myself.

More important than weight loss, however, was the great improvement in my blood profile, and the fact I stopped having angina-like attacks.

Do I eat sugar now? Occasionally some very dark chocolate, and occasionally some quality ice cream. I never was much of a soda drinker, but I have a can of ginger ale or root beer maybe twice a year when I feel a serious sugar imbalance, and I can't finish it. A teaspoon or two of real maple syrup on pancakes on the rare times I eat those is sufficient for me.

Do not need any criticism either for not posting or posting too often on the same subject, so take it easy. I am the next-to-oldest poster on this forum, which already means many deprivations of one nature or the other, so until you've been my age, have a heart. I have Candida to the nth degree, and any sugar - natural or added - bothers me. It is no fun when you've enjoyed sugared treats all your life, and suddenly can't abide them. I do read labels faithfully - most of us know to do that - and I envy those who pointedly say doing without is no problem for them - bully for you. Meanwhile, I appreciate all sensible suggestions, thank you - and am sorry if I sound grunchy this morning, but that's how this has affected me.

Dandyrandylou, I suspect we sedate ourselves with sugar and carbs, which is one reason why it's so easy for some of us to become addicted to these things and why it's so hard to give them up. To say I was grumpy for a time at first is a gross understatement. I feel for you. Hang in there!

dandyrandylou, post as often as you like and try to ignore the negativity. I enjoy your posts and learn something each time. We all get grouchy sometimes and that's okay. Hope you get your issues under control....feeling crummy sucks.

Gotcha.

I do eat carrots, but in limited quantities. I do the plating system: half the plate is a non starchy vegetable; the other two parts are protein and a starch. In some meal, I omit the starch, and have one later for a snack, which proves problematic, as I can't just stop with the required amount of carbs. I cheated last night. Now I am feeling the repercussions. The sugars spike, then drop, which aggravates my neuropathy.

Look in the diabetic section for sugar free alternatives. There is also a sugar free ice cream. I went 100% sugar free a few years ago, but fell off the wagon after my husbands surgery. Will hop back on the wagon in 2 weeks after I come back from a week with my parents. To avoid sugary foods, avoid the middle aisles of the grocery store and all processed foods. Just eat real food, because real food doesn't have a list of ingredients on it. Real food is the ingredients. You can do this!

Because of a friends loss I am going to post this. If you have young children or someone in your family that shares treats to their furbabies watch them to make certain there is no sharing. Several of the sugarfree stuff can kill a dog or cat with even small amounts. He thought his dog had been poisoned by a stranger when it was the ice cream that he allowed the dog to have the last couple of spoons. You may as adults be aware of this but a child or in this case teen will share with their fur pal and think nothing of it.

I have wondered how long the people who are using sugar substitutes had diarrhea and excess gas after they started using the stuff. I use one of those Altoids when I go see my husband each day because there does not seem to be a breath mint without some sort of sugar substitute. At times even that one is enough to cause problems.

Please! Everyone read Maifleur's post! So many people are unaware of the hidden dangers to pets.

Dandyrandy, have you looked into making milk kefir? I know people with candida and it's helped them enormously.

I put some on my cereal, and then topped up with regular milk. Also in smoothies, and make pancakes with it. I can't drink it straight, I don't like the sourness of it. It's like yogurt.

Don't buy the bottled stuff from the store, it has sweeteners in it. If you can find someone who will give or sell you some grains, you can make it with regular milk.

I like drinking water kefir, flavoured with ginger and apple juice, or with frozen fruit and grape juice. The longer it sits, the tarter it becomes, which I like. Water kefir is something that you might look into as well.

xylitol is dangerous/lethal to dogs. xylitol

Saw this article in today's NYT and thought of this thread: How to Stop Eating Sugar

Thanks, Annie!! What a great and informative article. This is an area with which I struggle every day.......and usually lose the battle. I love sweet things. I would like very much to eat less sugar. I'm going to keep the article for future reference.

Good article. Thanks.

Thanks so much for the helpful article!

Jasdip - Thank you for suggesting Keifer. Actually one year ago I had bought the makings, but became ill. I am now starting to learn it again but having problems. Thanks again.

I went three years with no sugar. None. Nada. Only ate real food. The only "sweet" I ate was a hand full of berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries). 99% of my food did not contain a list of ingredients. It can be done. I told my husband I want to go back to eating that way. Since I've put sugar back in my diet, I've put back on 20 pounds and I feel bloated and puffy all the time. I hate how I feel.

Debby, understand how you feel when indulging in too many sugary foods, but I do miss fruits which are a no-no under that regime. Hope your condition improves.

Unless there is a health problem and you are older do not deprive yourself because of any of the societies ideas of what is healthful and what is not.

At this time HALF of Americans are diabetic or on the way there.

HALF.

As in one out of every two people.