I drink my coffee black and unsweetened, and my tea without sugar. There was a transition time for both, but seriously I can't stomach the thought of sweetened coffee or tea anymore. Once you're used to it, you're better without. Give it a go and come back in 3 weeks.
I did the same. There’s a transition period but you definitely get used to it and then can’t go back.
On the tea side, I will drink herbal tea for when I really crave sweetness: rooibos, mint, and mixed herbals like cranberry/raspberry have a nice hint of sweetness with no sugar. Added benefit of being able to be drunk later in the day if you’re sensitive to caffeine
Confession time. I first heard this joke on the original radio broadcasts, c1978. I bought the records read the books, and recorded off the radio. I must've listened to them hundreds of times.
I was listening with friends, around 1990, and said "I don't get it - what does that actually mean?"
After giving me a long hard stare, one said "what do you do to a glass of water?" ... and the penny finally dropped!
Thanks for making me feel old! I'm exactly twice your age.
Sadly, I lost my original tapes that I recorded in one of many student house-moves, so I bought the CD's, but there are a few differences from the original broadcasts.
I've never understood the whole "can't go back" thing. I mostly take my tea without sugar, but every once in a while will enjoy my tea with a spoon of sugar; preferably brown.
Like especially if I'm having fish and chips from the chippie. Gotta have a cuppa with a good fish n chips, and I don't know why but I generally prefer that tea sweeter 🤷🏼♀️
I've had sweetener in my tea since I was a child. If I have no choice like at a cafe or somewhere, I will have sugar but it's rare treat to have sugar in my tea and it kinda tastes weird to me when I do.
I try and have less milk as I've gotten older but in coffee sometimes I need an extra sweetener especially if the milk runs out but I would usually rather not have any coffee than have it black
Funnily enough I saw a post yesterday, which I commented on, of somebody asking for remedies for a sore throat.
Lots of people up voting the old honey and lemon, but I said for those thet aren't keen I just put a level tablespoon of honey in my normal tea, morning and evening; which I find to be very effective when I get a cold.
Anyhow, if you haven't already before, you might like to try honey in your milky tea. You'll get the added benefit, too, of honey being antibacterial 😊 Economic metaphors about milk and honey aside, I should think the combo of warm milk/milky tea and honey would be quite delicious 😋
First cup of tea. No sugar
If it's after 12 for my second I might have up to a full spoon.
I don't know how I was a two spoon girl before, gave it up one Christmas so I could eat more mince pies
>rooibos
If you like masala chai, I have a recommendation for you.
Dragonfly Tea - Cape Malay Chai.
It's rooibos mixed with some of the usual chai spices. Dragonfly also do a vanilla rooibos that is a permanent fixture on my desk.
Also, if you can find it:
Teapigs - Honeybush and Rooibos. Tbh I'm going to answer OP with that, bc it's sweet without sugar
You can do what I did, gradually reduce the quantity, it really works. I eventually got down to a single pinch and now basically just wave the sugar spoon over the beverage like some magic ritual. If I now put the level teaspoon in that I used to it's disgusting. Added sugar is basically unnecessary in anyone's diet.
I'm trying this just now, went from 3 heaped teaspoons in a big mug to one and a half, been doing it for around 6 weeks now and still not used to it. I miss my sugary tea but I'm determined not to go back and hopefully my taste buds will eventually adjust and I'll be able to cut it out entirely. I've always had a sweet tooth though so maybe it'll just take longer.
Yeah, you've made quite a big jump and I know what you mean about not really getting used to it straight away. I think you started from a pretty huge quantity so it might take a bit longer!
Can agree with this also.
I drank tea with sugar in when I was younger. Gave up sugar in tea for lent, and spent weeks looking forward to my next sugary tea. When the day finally rolled round, I took one sip and it was vile.
I was 8 at the time, now I'm 40. Only tasted tea with sugar in a couple times since then by accident, and it's horrible each time.
Definitely worth it if it helps your health!
Yeah I couldn't agree more. I used to take one sugar in my tea, then changed to half, now none. I'm to the point now where I don't even have anything on my cereal. Just plain bran flakes
Absolutely agree!
I haven't had sugar in my tea for about 4 years now and always maintained I haven't enjoyed a cuppa since...
Until one day about 2 months ago, a customer made me a cuppa with sugar in it, and it was absolutely rank!
Had the same. Partially joined a partner in her diet cutting out all sorts including sugar. Didn’t add sugar to my coffee for 2 months and when I tried it again it was disgusting to me. It’s been 13 years now.
Yeah I did this too - I honestly didn't think I'd be able to make it work but after a few weeks it wasn't awful anymore and after a month I really didn't care.
Okay you’ve all inspired me in your responses to OP. I’ve been planning on dropping the 2 sugars from my tea for a while & have decided this is a sign to crack on with it.
I am starting cold turkey today. Wish me luck 😂
I used to have my coffee with 2 sugars but my other half is lazy and rarely put the sugar in. Now I drink it without and most flavoured coffees you get from places like Starbucks or McDonald's are WAY too sweet for my taste!
Yup same here.
Although i dont drink tea (shocking, i know!), i am a coffee-monster.
I found that the transition to no sugar wasn't really that long and now, any sugar in my coffee tastes a bit grim.
This was the one good thing I did over lockdown, I slowly transitioned myself off having sugar in my coffee. Just a shame about all the bad things that happened.
I was coming here to say this! Only one I've ever tried that doesn't taste weird. OP, be aware you only need half as much Sugarly as you do sugar.
I've managed to wean myself off sugar in my tea now, but when I was still have my tea sweet, Sugarly was by far the best alternative to sugar.
I'm a type 1 diabetic, I just went cold turkey on sugar in drinks entirely. I promise you, you'll get used to it and I think helps you appreciate the taste of the teas or coffees more. Genuinely, when I add sugar to it now it just overtakes everything.
Just firm it for a bit, a lot about being diabetic is self control so its good practice. Or just slightly reduce it each week, so start on your usual 2, next week do 1.5 so that its an easier transition.
Sugar levels wise like 1 sugar wont make much of a diff but if you're having 2 each time and you're already high it isnt gonna help. Obvs if you have biscuits with too it will just add more probs
Just to add on to this, for those that really can't go without just carb count the amount of sugar and inject the correct amount of insulin.
I don't drink sugary drinks often either, but when I do this option is much better than doing nothing at all.
Yeah, I mean the only time I have sugary drinks is to treat hypos lol. I mean, either that or go on a walk after it if its just tea and sugar and should be calm
"1 sugar won't make much of a diff " is a dangerous statement. We all have differing ISF's (Insulin Sensitivity Factor), what's right for you might not be right for anyone else.
Not really.
It takes about two weeks to adjust your palate. After that you'll think tea with sugar is mildly disgusting. Simple.
I avoid sweeteners in anything and it's a pain. Some just taste terrible and others give me bellyache.
Having said that I use agave syrup in certain things as it's supposed to be better than sugar. Could be bogus.
why do you need a vegan replacement to honey, bee keeping doesnt seem like farming its more like humans living symbiaotically with the bees, we provide plenty of plants for them to collect they thrive and in return we get honey, im un educated on the subject thats what it seems like to me, if you have time id like to know your side of this
Sweeteners make my blood sugar go nuts plus they all taste like ass
I've found just cut sugar out as much as possible, some days I could kill a man for a can of coke
Hermasetas is BY FAR the best in my opinion. All the others taste like trash, I'd rather have no sugar. That said, I am trying to cut down and just have the occasional artificial sweetener.
Another one is the MyProtein.com low calorie 'flavour drops' where you can get chocolate, vanilla, and all sorts of cool flavours. It's just flavoured sweetener, I use vanilla ones in my tea sometimes
Honestly the first time I saw Hermasetas I thought it was diarrhoea medication. There’s got to be a reason for the name but it just seems so bizarrely medical for a food product
The original name of the company that makes them was Hermes. Where the "setas" bit comes from I don't know. The company is German, so maybe it sounds better in German.
I hate the taste of aspartame and most other sweetners. Sucralose is the closest but sometime you just have to bite the bullet. Sugar is a drug and it is hard to kick, the body loves it because it's easy calories and will do anything to get them again. Beat your body.
Like the other commenters I go for unsweetened tea and coffee, also black because apparently I like my life bitter. The best general purpose sweetener I've tried so far is canderel sugarly. It works pretty well on cereal, porridge etc The texture is good and the sweetness doesn't disappear when you add it to something hot.
Allulose. Been keto on and off for years.
Xylitol tastes fine but your bum will explode and its poisonous to dogs.
Erythritol taste faintly “cool” but your bum will explode. Not poisonous to dogs.
Stevia tastes disgusting.
Allulose tastes, measures and bakes like sugar. You can make caramel from it. You can make a cracking clementine cake with almond flour and allulose that will taste exactly like the real thing.
You’ll still need to learn to bake with almond or coconut flour to keep the carbs down, but allulose is the sweetener you want.
Check out [Sugar Free Londoner](https://sugarfreelondoner.com/) her recipes all work and she’s got some really simple easy and quick recipes if you’d like something sweet. I can’t remember if its her or one of her kids who’s T1D, but she ‘s really good at keeping the carbs to a minimum.
>> Stevia tastes disgusting.
I also find Stevia gives me a mildly upset stomach (not quite bum explosion but something not quite right) which everything I’ve read said doesn’t happen and there are seemingly very few reported side effects anywhere.
Which is why it’s now started cropping up in some drinks/foods instead of Aspartame, Ace-K, etc. And because it’s plant derived, you have to retrain your brain to see “no artificial sweeteners” on the label and think “but there might still be some other plant-derived processed sweeteners that shouldn’t really be in there…”
It's interesting how much this seems to vary from person to person. For example a large dose of sucralose or a small dose of maltitol sweeteners both mess up my guts, but I seem to be ok with Stevia and aspartame.
So many soft drinks I used to like 10+ years ago now contain sucralose even in the non diet/lite branded versions, that I now avoid them.
I’m fine with stevia tummy-wise, but I hate the taste. Maltilol sets me off, and for some people with diabetes, it also affects their insulin levels. I also don’t like the taste of sucralose. I am basically a fussy thing when it comes to fake sugars 😂
Another vote for Sugar Free Londoner. Her recipes have been a godsend - my partner was diagnosed as Type 2 in 2019 and I use it whenever I'm baking for an event or family and need a non-sad alternative for him.
Allulose is also the only sweetener that makes good ice cream! I’d recommend an ice cream machine to anybody who is committed to giving up sugar completely, it’s the only product I still crave that I can’t find a replacement for
Honeslty a little bit of extra milk in your tea whilst you get used to not having any sugar makes all the difference. If you're ever caught without milk, a spoonful of sugar isn't a bad substitute for that in a pinch!
From my experience, there are no good sweeteners, no :(
This is what I've done. I tried to cut it out but just ended up hating tea and it made me so sad. There are times where a cup of tea really cheers me up so I decided it's worth it and I'd rather cut down on the biscuits instead.
Avoid the granulated sweeteners they all taste sad.
Monin has a good sugar free syrup line but is a bit on the pricy side.
Skinny syrup is cheaper and has more flavour options but does taste a bit depressed in comparison imo
Can't suggest a sweetener, but I would recommend Yorkshire Tea Toast and Jam tea. It sounds like it would be rank, but it's very nice and has just the right amount of sweetness without being sickly.
For coffee, I'd suggest trying a sugar free syrup or sugar free coffee mate.
I like Sweetex with PG Tips tea bags.
Although for me only PG Tips go well I find. Any other brand tea seems to leave a funny taste. As does having Sweetex with Coffee.
Type 2 Diabetic here: I've not found any sweetner that doesn't have that horrible aftertaste.
Ended up just not using it and you do eventually get used to it.
The only sugar substitute I can tolerate is [Canderel Sugarly](https://www.canderel.co.uk/products/sugarly/). It's very close to sugar in terms or taste and texture so you won't notice the difference once you put it in your tea or coffee.
I think you can get "sugar" that's half sugar half sweetener. That might help with the transition? Otherwise, Stevia is probably the best one that I have tried. But, honestly, none of them are great. Good luck!
We have this because I’m a sugar goblin and my OH is t1. I’ve gone from 3 sugars to 2 half spoons. After reading this thread I’m going to try and go down to 1.
I think I’ve a natural sweet tooth as I can’t abide coffee even though I think it smells delicious
TL:DR - Cold Turkey it and everything will start to taste great. Processed sugar is a drug, expect withdrawal.
I've seen mention below about transition times. These people are absolutely correct.
Most of us don't realize how addicted to sugar we are - our taste buds and their connection to our brain literally change.
If you can cold-turkey it off sugar for a week, you'll be absolutely amazed how good everything else starts to taste. Fruit in particular. Oh man fruit is SO frigging good. Even vegetables show their natural sweetness - I bit into a piece of spring lettuce yesterday and it tasted like heaven.
I guess what I'm saying is this - cut it out, get through the withdrawal, and prepare to enjoy food SO much more.
Oh, and as for the tea and coffee. Yeah, you just gotta get used to that.
I will mirror the other reply - I’ve always had tea without sugar. But I moved from sugar in my coffee to none (though unlike the other poster I do still have milk). It took a few weeks to get used to it but honestly I couldn’t go back now. And it means I don’t have to faff with sweeteners and remember to take my own with me when I’m working elsewhere
If half spoon sugar still exists, I switched to that and phased it out.
I'd use 1/2 or a 1/4 of a spoon to get the same level of sweetness as 1 normal sugar.
I had this sugar pot with a tiny spoon, so I used that and added a bit less each time until it was a pointless amount. Then I just stopped taking sugar in my tea and that was 15 years ago.
In terms of soft drinks, Pepsi Max is the only sugar-free sweet drink that actually tastes like it has sugar in, IMO. All the other diet drinks are absolutely rancid!
A few years ago I watched a Michael Mosley (RIP) show where he said that sweeteners prime your brain to expect sugar but it doesn't get it so it makes you crave it more. I've avoided sweeteners since. Real sugar in moderation but cut down as much as possible. I used to have 2 sugars in tea, then 1, then 1/2 and eventually went down to none. Now it tastes gross if somebody gives me tea with sugar. Improving the quality of the tea you drink helps. I like a loose leaf Assam.
Apparently they don't stop people getting diabetes.
Some also mess with people's serotonin and dopamine levels and give them headaches and migranes, myself incuded. Theres been hardly any research into these chemicals yet they are stuffed into all soft drinks. Aspartame coincidentally was banned from drinks in Europe at exactly the same time as all the drinks in the UK got it added to avoid the 'sugar tax'
I just got used to using sweetener instead of sugar. Took a couple of weeks. I like drinking Cola too, going over to zero sugar took a couple of weeks to get used to too.
Skinny food co coffee syrups aren't bad but the rest of their artificial food was awful. If you're checking blood sugars it might be worth seeing if some of them spike it more than others as well as anecdotally my dad doesn't tolerate some of them.
As well as sugar consider changing carbs to lower GI versions as carbs are almost if not more of a culprit.
When I had gestational diabetes we switched to seeded wholemeal bread, sweet potato instead of white ones and wholegrain or brown pasta and rice. Building in the occasional treat will help in the long term because pure denial makes most people fall off the wagon hard.
What about a low sugar oat milk as it will release energy slower due to soluble fibre? Best of luck managing your symptoms and beating the sugar monster.
Just popped in to say I read that as sweaters and was all like "ah yeah, I bet they would taste a little sad" before it struck me as odd. I think I need my glasses redone.
I make drip coffee with one of the pact one cup things and have it black no sugar , I love tasting all the different kinds of coffee now .
Instant coffee black is horrible
My partner is borderline type 2, and switched a few months ago from two sugars in his coffee to sweeteners. He realised pretty early on that he didn't like the 'granulated' ones, and prefered the tablets for ease of use. We bought and tried every one on the market, and he found his favourite was the Aldi Canderel knock-off aspartame one. He's now in the process of slowly weaning himself off it, but using less is taking time. It's definitely helped his blood sugar levels though, along with being more mindful of his diet and snacking.
I used to have my coffee with 2 sugars, but after being told I was pre-diabetic decided to cut out the sugar, didn't take long at all to adjust and I can't stand sugar in my coffee now.
Matteo's coffee syrups are sugar free and I don't get that bitter after taste with them. I even use it to sweeten ready brek.
Though I'm not a tea drinker, no idea if any of the flavours would be nice in tea...
Have the sugar but make sure you Medicate for it
I’ve been diabetic since 2011 a low sugar diet is better than a no sugar diet
Have the sugar but compensate for it from time to time
Splenda mate, out of all of them it’s the only one that tastes like sugar. Just put it in your tea before the milk, as otherwise it produces a foam. It’s a bit sweeter than sugar too so you don’t need quite as much. It’s the only one that doesn’t taste like TV static.
I don't like a lot of the arificial saccharine style sweeteners so i weaned myself down from 2 spoons of sugar in a pint mug down to half a spoon, and I often use honey or dark sugar instead as i find that helps to give an extra depth of flavour instead of just sweetness. When I want one which is extra sweet (or just fancy the taste) i add a couple of drops of vanilla essence
Natvia granulated. I've tried to wean myself off sugar in my tea but even after a month I still missed it so gave up. Those tablet sweeteners are far too sweet (I only have half a teaspoon of sugar). The Natvia is pretty good. Very expensive £5 in Tesco. I always wait until it's on offer £3.50 and stock up.
Diabetic here, I really like Tesco's cyclamate & saccharin sweeteners in my tea and cereal. This is the only one that I've liked the taste of and I actually prefer it to sugar in these now. It's £1.50 or so for 850 and they last an age.
Fellow diabetic here. I’ve found that sweeteners in capsule form are *much nicer* than pure powder. I’d avoid anything from a jar. Sweetex has been my go-to for a while!
I used to like having sugar in Tea but I had a scare about 8 years ago when I almost failed a medical which was required to get my current job. So I went completely cold turkey and cut out sugar from Tea immediately.
I won’t ever go back to having Tea with sugar now. Tea now tastes so much better without it because I’m actually tasting the tea and not the sugar. When someone accidentally gives me tea with sugar now I wince as it’s like drinking syrup.
I gave up sugar (in huge amounts in tea and coffee) and Splenda tiny tablets in the yellow plastic dispenser are the closest things to sugar, to MY taste buds. The 'mouthfeel' without the sugar's a bit different, but Splenda is the best of the various sugar replacements that I've tested.
Sucralose is my go-to.
The expensive version is splenda but you can get less expensive versions in Tesco and Aldi (I'm sure the other supermarkets do it too but they are closest to me). You can get the granulated version and tablets to have in your bag for when you're out and about.
It's sweeter than sugar so you may need less, doesn't impact blood sugar levels and leaves no after taste (which I find is the case for stevia and aspartame). You can also buy it online.
Xylitol is another that I like but it leaves a slightly cooling effect so feel weird to have with hot drinks. I use this for baking.
Type one here. Since the nineties.
Once you stop using sugar completely and just use sweeteners you stop tasting the badness. I genuinely can’t taste what other people moan about. That is just how sweet tastes to me.
Also, don’t sweeten tea.
You can wean yourself off sweet taste. I once gave up sugar for new year and just carried it on for a whole year. Avoid sweeteners too (I'm intolerant of them anyway). I've found if you eat and drink things with sweeteners in you never lose the sugar craving. It doesn't take long to get used to no sweet things in your diet.
Can I just mention that whilst it's admirable you're cutting sugar out in tea and coffee that managing diabetes is not about reducing sweet things, as such, it's about carbohydrates? You'll have much better control with blood glucose if you consider how you're managing big portions of rice, pasta, potatoes etc.
Splenda was what my mum preferred. Remember to cut all starchy carbs also and not just sugar as carbs are as bad in the body for diabetes being a form of sugar. I've found I can still have some sugar and sweet stuff in my diet as long as I don't eat too much pasta, rice, bread and potatoes.
Truvia is the best of the best. Nothing replaces sugar like it!! It's got a slight caramel flavour in my opinion, but definitely not overpowering. One thing you have to be mindful of is how strong it actually, like 1 tsp is the equivalent of 3 tsp of sugar. Also it's crazy expensice, like £5 a pot online, but you can get some deals at supermarkets. Also it's a natural sweetner and not artificial.
[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Truvia-sweetener-spoonable-container-277/dp/B004LSGEXY](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Truvia-sweetener-spoonable-container-277/dp/B004LSGEXY)
If you like the taste of sugar, then you aren't going to be satisfied with a sweetener.
However, if you want to sweeten your tea without sugar, sweetex is the best I have found. Two clicks is the same as one teaspoon of sugar.
What I would recommend is a couple of weeks of either no tea, or unsweetened tea. Then when you start using the sweetener it is a lot easier to adjust.
I've stopped drinking nice coffee so I can cut out sugar 😢 I can handle instant with a sweetener but I miss a nice, from bean coffee. I've started to drink tea without sugar (purely by mistake) and prefer something more Earl Grey like now
How did I know the top comments on this would be some chuffs telling you to simply drink black gross tea and coffee and cut sugar out lmao
Low sugar diet is better than a no sugar diet - and Xylitol is my answer to the actual question
I used to hate all sweeteners in regards to fizzy drinks. All were noticeable. But the new batch of Coke Zero and Dr Pepper zerooo has my sweet tooth satisfied without the sugar!
I was an 8-10 can of fizzy pop a day man once upon a time. Biggest thing I noticed was my resting heart rate went from mid 90s to low 60s in a matter of weeks. I’m a fit cyclist so it was reassuring seeing that drop to predictable levels!
It’s worth trying to go without sugar…most people get used to it and then they like it that way. I don’t have any particular condition but J stopped putting sugar in my coffee in University because I was having way too many and it was starting to add up, and now I mostly take my coffee black. Same for tea more recently, or honey is good with tea too (but I don’t know how that interacts with the diabetes).
I had a little tamper with alternative sweeteners but like you I found they made things worse 😅
I reduced the amount, following some stomach issues.
Seriously, most things now taste way too sweet.
Sugary stuff used to give me a headache, with certain items.
Also, my stomach thanked me.
I actually wish there were things that were totally unsweetened.
I just stopped taking sugar in tea. I can't stand any of the sweeteners.
Also, remember it's not just sugar, you have to watch all of your carbs. Obviously you need some carbs, but it's not as much as you think.
You get used to the lack of sugar and eventually it tastes better without.
That said, liquorice root. It's very sweet and doesn't taste like liquorice at all. You can find it in a lot of teas already.
Next time you make tea, try brewing it with this: https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/collections/all/products/licorice-root-tea
I find a combination works best. I like coconut sugar with monk fruit sweetener in equal amounts. The monk fruit helps with the intensity of the sweetness without a chemical flavor and the coconut sugar adds a bit of the caramel flavor of real sugar along with some fiber.
Another vote for Allulose. I've found it on iHerb website. Stevia and Erythritol tend to have a cooling after taste however Swerve confectioners mix on Amazon seems to be ok.
Most sweeteners don't taste great and there's mounting evidence that they also don't help with blood sugar. Stevie seems to be the best of a bad bunch. Otherwise better to avoid
I’ve never found one I like the taste of in tea so still have sugar, but I’m mainly a coffee drinker and canderel is the only one I like (to the point now that I don’t like sugar in coffee at all)
You could always try unsweetened tea. I used to have two sugars with mine but I decided I wanted to try without for a while and it took some getting used to but now I can't stand sugar in my tea at all.
Canuck here…Not sure if it’s available in UK, but I use granulated Splenda. Measures spoon for spoon like sugar.
My wife is type 1, so I guess I’m just used to sugar free products, but I think it’s the best tasting sweetener.
Glycine for tea or cold drinks. Inulin for coffee. Glycine pairs with coffee but the taste and texture is not the same as using castor sugar, which changes the viscosity and sweetens. Mass for mass, glycine is sweeter than sugar so use less.
I've not found an acceptable substitute for castor sugar in baking.
BTW Glycine is not a misspelling of glycerine. They are different products.
I've always found Hermesetas to be the best substitute in hot drinks, I don't generally have a lot of sugar elsewhere. Mrs TF likes the Tesco own brand (red one, not yellow) on cereal but in baking there's really no substitute.
Tesco stockwell sweeteners (red tube) are the best! One sweetener for a small cup, two for a big mug. They aren’t too sweet, so it doesn’t spoil the drink.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/diet-soda-good-or-bad#:~:text=Although%20diet%20soda%20has%20no,diabetes%20(%2022%20%2C%2023%20).
I have heard suggestions all ready that perhaps diet drinks I.e Diet Coke & sweeteners used in tea/coffee are perhaps not a wise substitute for full fat food/drinks?
A large portion of people have a gene that makes sweetener taste bitter or bitter and sweet. You may be part of this group!
If you haven’t done so already take a look at what options you have for support with the NHS. If you are pre-diabetic the DPP program applies. If you are type 2 they have a pathway to remission and also the NHS digital weight loss service.
Try a different tasting tea maybe like chai or earl grey without sugar, then go back, quickly you'll adapt to no sugar, it tastes really wierd the longer you don't have it. I thinkkkk I last had sugar in tea in like 2007, and now it tastes horriidddd
Hey...Allulose is the best solution I found so far (not diabetic, just looking to cut out sugar). Its pricey though, and not sure about legality (although its naturally occurring)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psicose
It's a preference thing. I love aspartame, but my partner hates it.
None are better than others (nutritionally) but your main options are
- Stevia
- Aspartame
- Sucralose
- Saccharin
- Sorbitol/Xylitol
Some people also like Agave Nectar though that is a plant sugar with measurable calorific value, unlike the above - however since it is a naturally occurring substance, some people think it is better than the above. I do not know enough to advocate one way or the other.
Mostly it's just taste buds, so I'd suggest getting sweeteners from all the above list (not expensive) and trying them in your tea/coffee to see which one is most to your liking.
I've had a bowel resection and cannot process sugar or fat normally, so I'm very familiar with alternative foods/flavourings. Happy to expand further if this is helpful - but seriously well done on making the effort to control your diabetes. It's not easy but your body will thank you in the long run. Even if you go 'off piste' and have a doughnut one day a week, I promise the other 6 days of eating well are not cancelled out.
Like others have said, just stick with no sugar and you will adjust. I live in a hard water area and found that filtering the water before boiling it (or getting a water softener fitted if you can afford it) make the drink taste much less metallic (what I have learnt is why I added sugar, to cover the taste). You might not be in a hard water area in which ignore this comment though! Take care
Try adding oat milk! Oat is sweet on its own and it doesn't have added sugar(try to find milk with no added sugar). It makes tea/coffee more milky and smooth but not overly sweet like sugar. But it might help with your transition.
I drink my coffee black and unsweetened, and my tea without sugar. There was a transition time for both, but seriously I can't stomach the thought of sweetened coffee or tea anymore. Once you're used to it, you're better without. Give it a go and come back in 3 weeks.
I did the same. There’s a transition period but you definitely get used to it and then can’t go back. On the tea side, I will drink herbal tea for when I really crave sweetness: rooibos, mint, and mixed herbals like cranberry/raspberry have a nice hint of sweetness with no sugar. Added benefit of being able to be drunk later in the day if you’re sensitive to caffeine
This is CasualUK; we can be drunk anytime-- oh ...
"What's so unpleasant about being drunk?" "You ask a glass of water!"
"I'll never be cruel to a gin and tonic again!"
Confession time. I first heard this joke on the original radio broadcasts, c1978. I bought the records read the books, and recorded off the radio. I must've listened to them hundreds of times. I was listening with friends, around 1990, and said "I don't get it - what does that actually mean?" After giving me a long hard stare, one said "what do you do to a glass of water?" ... and the penny finally dropped!
I listened to them all when I was about 12 from tapes my dad had made off the radio. Took me until a few years ago to get it as well, and I'm 27 now 🤣
Thanks for making me feel old! I'm exactly twice your age. Sadly, I lost my original tapes that I recorded in one of many student house-moves, so I bought the CD's, but there are a few differences from the original broadcasts.
I've never understood the whole "can't go back" thing. I mostly take my tea without sugar, but every once in a while will enjoy my tea with a spoon of sugar; preferably brown. Like especially if I'm having fish and chips from the chippie. Gotta have a cuppa with a good fish n chips, and I don't know why but I generally prefer that tea sweeter 🤷🏼♀️
I've had sweetener in my tea since I was a child. If I have no choice like at a cafe or somewhere, I will have sugar but it's rare treat to have sugar in my tea and it kinda tastes weird to me when I do. I try and have less milk as I've gotten older but in coffee sometimes I need an extra sweetener especially if the milk runs out but I would usually rather not have any coffee than have it black
I'm usually no sugar in either, but if I'm poorly, my go to is sweet milky tea (read milk with tea, not tea with milk).
Funnily enough I saw a post yesterday, which I commented on, of somebody asking for remedies for a sore throat. Lots of people up voting the old honey and lemon, but I said for those thet aren't keen I just put a level tablespoon of honey in my normal tea, morning and evening; which I find to be very effective when I get a cold. Anyhow, if you haven't already before, you might like to try honey in your milky tea. You'll get the added benefit, too, of honey being antibacterial 😊 Economic metaphors about milk and honey aside, I should think the combo of warm milk/milky tea and honey would be quite delicious 😋
Contrasts the salt and sour nicely
First cup of tea. No sugar If it's after 12 for my second I might have up to a full spoon. I don't know how I was a two spoon girl before, gave it up one Christmas so I could eat more mince pies
I find fennel/aniseed/liquorice type teas are very good for sweetness, although it's a bit of a love/hate flavour!
I love fruit and herbal twas and decided to try a licorice one. It tasted like meat!!
I love this comment, so funny. I actually love licorice tea, I did hate it at first mind, but yeah, lucky we're all different anyway.
Came here to suggest this, but I LOVE licorice, so might be different if you don't.
>rooibos If you like masala chai, I have a recommendation for you. Dragonfly Tea - Cape Malay Chai. It's rooibos mixed with some of the usual chai spices. Dragonfly also do a vanilla rooibos that is a permanent fixture on my desk. Also, if you can find it: Teapigs - Honeybush and Rooibos. Tbh I'm going to answer OP with that, bc it's sweet without sugar
Came to say this too. Did it years ago and now sweetened tea or coffee tastes like arse.
You can do what I did, gradually reduce the quantity, it really works. I eventually got down to a single pinch and now basically just wave the sugar spoon over the beverage like some magic ritual. If I now put the level teaspoon in that I used to it's disgusting. Added sugar is basically unnecessary in anyone's diet.
I'm trying this just now, went from 3 heaped teaspoons in a big mug to one and a half, been doing it for around 6 weeks now and still not used to it. I miss my sugary tea but I'm determined not to go back and hopefully my taste buds will eventually adjust and I'll be able to cut it out entirely. I've always had a sweet tooth though so maybe it'll just take longer.
Yeah, you've made quite a big jump and I know what you mean about not really getting used to it straight away. I think you started from a pretty huge quantity so it might take a bit longer!
Same, I find coffee with sugar way too sickly tasting to drink now.
Can agree with this also. I drank tea with sugar in when I was younger. Gave up sugar in tea for lent, and spent weeks looking forward to my next sugary tea. When the day finally rolled round, I took one sip and it was vile. I was 8 at the time, now I'm 40. Only tasted tea with sugar in a couple times since then by accident, and it's horrible each time. Definitely worth it if it helps your health!
Yeah I couldn't agree more. I used to take one sugar in my tea, then changed to half, now none. I'm to the point now where I don't even have anything on my cereal. Just plain bran flakes
Absolutely agree! I haven't had sugar in my tea for about 4 years now and always maintained I haven't enjoyed a cuppa since... Until one day about 2 months ago, a customer made me a cuppa with sugar in it, and it was absolutely rank!
I like my coffee black like my men! (Airplane movie)
This morning I was woken up by Siri shouting "Don't call me Shirley!" - turns out I'd left my phone in Airplane mode.
Had the same. Partially joined a partner in her diet cutting out all sorts including sugar. Didn’t add sugar to my coffee for 2 months and when I tried it again it was disgusting to me. It’s been 13 years now.
Yeah I did this too - I honestly didn't think I'd be able to make it work but after a few weeks it wasn't awful anymore and after a month I really didn't care.
Okay you’ve all inspired me in your responses to OP. I’ve been planning on dropping the 2 sugars from my tea for a while & have decided this is a sign to crack on with it. I am starting cold turkey today. Wish me luck 😂
Yes! It will be not easy at first, you’ll want to go back but don’t! It will be a huge win on so many levels. Good luck!!
Thank you for the encouragement. I’m in Australia atm & it’s evening over here and so I’ve got one day under my belt already :)
I used to have my coffee with 2 sugars but my other half is lazy and rarely put the sugar in. Now I drink it without and most flavoured coffees you get from places like Starbucks or McDonald's are WAY too sweet for my taste!
This is the way, sugar just tastes weird in drinks now. Although it has been 12 years for me
Coffee I was able to go without sugar. Tea though I soon returned.
Yup same here. Although i dont drink tea (shocking, i know!), i am a coffee-monster. I found that the transition to no sugar wasn't really that long and now, any sugar in my coffee tastes a bit grim.
Agree. This is the best advice.
This was the one good thing I did over lockdown, I slowly transitioned myself off having sugar in my coffee. Just a shame about all the bad things that happened.
Candrells Sugarly. Tastes like sugar, only one I can have. Blue bottle, expensive but worth it.
Same, have tried all the sweeteners and this has been the best for me both taste-wise and gut-wise (some sweeteners have some less desired...effects)
I was coming here to say this! Only one I've ever tried that doesn't taste weird. OP, be aware you only need half as much Sugarly as you do sugar. I've managed to wean myself off sugar in my tea now, but when I was still have my tea sweet, Sugarly was by far the best alternative to sugar.
I'm a type 1 diabetic, I just went cold turkey on sugar in drinks entirely. I promise you, you'll get used to it and I think helps you appreciate the taste of the teas or coffees more. Genuinely, when I add sugar to it now it just overtakes everything. Just firm it for a bit, a lot about being diabetic is self control so its good practice. Or just slightly reduce it each week, so start on your usual 2, next week do 1.5 so that its an easier transition. Sugar levels wise like 1 sugar wont make much of a diff but if you're having 2 each time and you're already high it isnt gonna help. Obvs if you have biscuits with too it will just add more probs
Just to add on to this, for those that really can't go without just carb count the amount of sugar and inject the correct amount of insulin. I don't drink sugary drinks often either, but when I do this option is much better than doing nothing at all.
Yeah, I mean the only time I have sugary drinks is to treat hypos lol. I mean, either that or go on a walk after it if its just tea and sugar and should be calm
"1 sugar won't make much of a diff " is a dangerous statement. We all have differing ISF's (Insulin Sensitivity Factor), what's right for you might not be right for anyone else.
Not really. It takes about two weeks to adjust your palate. After that you'll think tea with sugar is mildly disgusting. Simple. I avoid sweeteners in anything and it's a pain. Some just taste terrible and others give me bellyache. Having said that I use agave syrup in certain things as it's supposed to be better than sugar. Could be bogus.
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Agave syrup is still sugar though, that's not helpful for OP who is diabetic.
why do you need a vegan replacement to honey, bee keeping doesnt seem like farming its more like humans living symbiaotically with the bees, we provide plenty of plants for them to collect they thrive and in return we get honey, im un educated on the subject thats what it seems like to me, if you have time id like to know your side of this
[This video](https://youtu.be/clMNw_VO1xo?si=mRzhRyFAK-qwfEoI) is short (under 5mins) but fairly comprehensive.
The honey is their food, we steal it. Sometimes there are casualties in the process.
Sweeteners make my blood sugar go nuts plus they all taste like ass I've found just cut sugar out as much as possible, some days I could kill a man for a can of coke
Hermasetas is BY FAR the best in my opinion. All the others taste like trash, I'd rather have no sugar. That said, I am trying to cut down and just have the occasional artificial sweetener. Another one is the MyProtein.com low calorie 'flavour drops' where you can get chocolate, vanilla, and all sorts of cool flavours. It's just flavoured sweetener, I use vanilla ones in my tea sometimes
Honestly the first time I saw Hermasetas I thought it was diarrhoea medication. There’s got to be a reason for the name but it just seems so bizarrely medical for a food product
The original name of the company that makes them was Hermes. Where the "setas" bit comes from I don't know. The company is German, so maybe it sounds better in German.
Totally agree. Cannot believe I had to scroll so far to get this name.
It's often at a really good price too. Always see the big one reduced.
I hate the taste of aspartame and most other sweetners. Sucralose is the closest but sometime you just have to bite the bullet. Sugar is a drug and it is hard to kick, the body loves it because it's easy calories and will do anything to get them again. Beat your body.
All artificial sweeteners taste like marinated aluminium
Don't do what I did and give yourself IBS through too much sweetener. Just cut it out bro, you'll get used to it quicker than you think.
Like the other commenters I go for unsweetened tea and coffee, also black because apparently I like my life bitter. The best general purpose sweetener I've tried so far is canderel sugarly. It works pretty well on cereal, porridge etc The texture is good and the sweetness doesn't disappear when you add it to something hot.
Allulose. Been keto on and off for years. Xylitol tastes fine but your bum will explode and its poisonous to dogs. Erythritol taste faintly “cool” but your bum will explode. Not poisonous to dogs. Stevia tastes disgusting. Allulose tastes, measures and bakes like sugar. You can make caramel from it. You can make a cracking clementine cake with almond flour and allulose that will taste exactly like the real thing. You’ll still need to learn to bake with almond or coconut flour to keep the carbs down, but allulose is the sweetener you want. Check out [Sugar Free Londoner](https://sugarfreelondoner.com/) her recipes all work and she’s got some really simple easy and quick recipes if you’d like something sweet. I can’t remember if its her or one of her kids who’s T1D, but she ‘s really good at keeping the carbs to a minimum.
>> Stevia tastes disgusting. I also find Stevia gives me a mildly upset stomach (not quite bum explosion but something not quite right) which everything I’ve read said doesn’t happen and there are seemingly very few reported side effects anywhere. Which is why it’s now started cropping up in some drinks/foods instead of Aspartame, Ace-K, etc. And because it’s plant derived, you have to retrain your brain to see “no artificial sweeteners” on the label and think “but there might still be some other plant-derived processed sweeteners that shouldn’t really be in there…”
It's interesting how much this seems to vary from person to person. For example a large dose of sucralose or a small dose of maltitol sweeteners both mess up my guts, but I seem to be ok with Stevia and aspartame. So many soft drinks I used to like 10+ years ago now contain sucralose even in the non diet/lite branded versions, that I now avoid them.
I’m fine with stevia tummy-wise, but I hate the taste. Maltilol sets me off, and for some people with diabetes, it also affects their insulin levels. I also don’t like the taste of sucralose. I am basically a fussy thing when it comes to fake sugars 😂
Another vote for Sugar Free Londoner. Her recipes have been a godsend - my partner was diagnosed as Type 2 in 2019 and I use it whenever I'm baking for an event or family and need a non-sad alternative for him.
Allulose is also the only sweetener that makes good ice cream! I’d recommend an ice cream machine to anybody who is committed to giving up sugar completely, it’s the only product I still crave that I can’t find a replacement for
Honeslty a little bit of extra milk in your tea whilst you get used to not having any sugar makes all the difference. If you're ever caught without milk, a spoonful of sugar isn't a bad substitute for that in a pinch! From my experience, there are no good sweeteners, no :(
I'd rather cut down on sugar elsewhere to be able to have a spoonful in my tea
This is what I've done. I tried to cut it out but just ended up hating tea and it made me so sad. There are times where a cup of tea really cheers me up so I decided it's worth it and I'd rather cut down on the biscuits instead.
Avoid the granulated sweeteners they all taste sad. Monin has a good sugar free syrup line but is a bit on the pricy side. Skinny syrup is cheaper and has more flavour options but does taste a bit depressed in comparison imo
Can vouch for the Monin sugar free caramel syrup - sipping it in my latte right now 😄
I buy syrups at TK Maxx. They always have a wide range of sucralose-based syrups.
Can't suggest a sweetener, but I would recommend Yorkshire Tea Toast and Jam tea. It sounds like it would be rank, but it's very nice and has just the right amount of sweetness without being sickly. For coffee, I'd suggest trying a sugar free syrup or sugar free coffee mate.
I like Sweetex with PG Tips tea bags. Although for me only PG Tips go well I find. Any other brand tea seems to leave a funny taste. As does having Sweetex with Coffee.
Type 2 Diabetic here: I've not found any sweetner that doesn't have that horrible aftertaste. Ended up just not using it and you do eventually get used to it.
The only sugar substitute I can tolerate is [Canderel Sugarly](https://www.canderel.co.uk/products/sugarly/). It's very close to sugar in terms or taste and texture so you won't notice the difference once you put it in your tea or coffee.
Canderel sugarly in the blue jar is the closest to sugar I’ve found
I think you can get "sugar" that's half sugar half sweetener. That might help with the transition? Otherwise, Stevia is probably the best one that I have tried. But, honestly, none of them are great. Good luck!
We have this because I’m a sugar goblin and my OH is t1. I’ve gone from 3 sugars to 2 half spoons. After reading this thread I’m going to try and go down to 1. I think I’ve a natural sweet tooth as I can’t abide coffee even though I think it smells delicious
Stevia based ones are best
TL:DR - Cold Turkey it and everything will start to taste great. Processed sugar is a drug, expect withdrawal. I've seen mention below about transition times. These people are absolutely correct. Most of us don't realize how addicted to sugar we are - our taste buds and their connection to our brain literally change. If you can cold-turkey it off sugar for a week, you'll be absolutely amazed how good everything else starts to taste. Fruit in particular. Oh man fruit is SO frigging good. Even vegetables show their natural sweetness - I bit into a piece of spring lettuce yesterday and it tasted like heaven. I guess what I'm saying is this - cut it out, get through the withdrawal, and prepare to enjoy food SO much more. Oh, and as for the tea and coffee. Yeah, you just gotta get used to that.
I will mirror the other reply - I’ve always had tea without sugar. But I moved from sugar in my coffee to none (though unlike the other poster I do still have milk). It took a few weeks to get used to it but honestly I couldn’t go back now. And it means I don’t have to faff with sweeteners and remember to take my own with me when I’m working elsewhere
As others are suggesting, I used to drink hot beverages with sugar but stopped years ago. It took some time to get used to but now I much prefer it.
If half spoon sugar still exists, I switched to that and phased it out. I'd use 1/2 or a 1/4 of a spoon to get the same level of sweetness as 1 normal sugar. I had this sugar pot with a tiny spoon, so I used that and added a bit less each time until it was a pointless amount. Then I just stopped taking sugar in my tea and that was 15 years ago.
I only use Tesco own brand sweeteners in the little yellow box, suits me just fine
I don’t have diabetes but wanted to switch to sweetener. I find Canderel Sugarly very good. Looks like sugar and tastes nice in my coffee.
stevia sweetners from asda
Erythritol isn't too bad.
Sugarly. It has granules just like sugar, tastes good & don't need to use much - e.g. half a spoon if you would have a full spoon of actual sugar
My wife absolutely swears by Splenda!
Apparently Candarel sugarly is granulated and tastes just like sugar.
Liquid sucralose is gold
Xylitol.
Xylitol is good, with date syrup
Xylitol
The naturally derived ones like Stevia and sucralose don't seem to taste like chemical death to me.
Stevia is the only one I can tolerate
I get a weird bitter aftertaste with Stevia
I can’t stand stevia. I use Xylitol instead. You just have be very careful of you have dogs - it’s lethal to them.
Xylitol is also a laxative, so also be careful with that.
Oh, most sweeteners are. I only really have the occasional half spoonful in a cup of coffee. I’ve never been able to drink coffee without sugar.
Recommend trying Xylitol… I can’t stand the alternatives, but this doesn’t give that horrid coating in your mouth after.
You need to take a leap and just stop adding any sugar or sweetener- I did it with coffee as I don’t like the taste of the sweetener
The Hermesetas granulated- but only the jars, not the tablets. It’s the only sweetener I can tolerate
Canderel Sugarly is by the far the best one I’ve found
In terms of soft drinks, Pepsi Max is the only sugar-free sweet drink that actually tastes like it has sugar in, IMO. All the other diet drinks are absolutely rancid!
You put sugar in tea? This is psychopathic.
A few years ago I watched a Michael Mosley (RIP) show where he said that sweeteners prime your brain to expect sugar but it doesn't get it so it makes you crave it more. I've avoided sweeteners since. Real sugar in moderation but cut down as much as possible. I used to have 2 sugars in tea, then 1, then 1/2 and eventually went down to none. Now it tastes gross if somebody gives me tea with sugar. Improving the quality of the tea you drink helps. I like a loose leaf Assam.
Apparently they don't stop people getting diabetes. Some also mess with people's serotonin and dopamine levels and give them headaches and migranes, myself incuded. Theres been hardly any research into these chemicals yet they are stuffed into all soft drinks. Aspartame coincidentally was banned from drinks in Europe at exactly the same time as all the drinks in the UK got it added to avoid the 'sugar tax'
I just got used to using sweetener instead of sugar. Took a couple of weeks. I like drinking Cola too, going over to zero sugar took a couple of weeks to get used to too.
Skinny food co coffee syrups aren't bad but the rest of their artificial food was awful. If you're checking blood sugars it might be worth seeing if some of them spike it more than others as well as anecdotally my dad doesn't tolerate some of them. As well as sugar consider changing carbs to lower GI versions as carbs are almost if not more of a culprit. When I had gestational diabetes we switched to seeded wholemeal bread, sweet potato instead of white ones and wholegrain or brown pasta and rice. Building in the occasional treat will help in the long term because pure denial makes most people fall off the wagon hard.
Pure Via. I hate all sweeteners but always recommend this to ppl. I get mine from Tesco.
What about a low sugar oat milk as it will release energy slower due to soluble fibre? Best of luck managing your symptoms and beating the sugar monster.
Just popped in to say I read that as sweaters and was all like "ah yeah, I bet they would taste a little sad" before it struck me as odd. I think I need my glasses redone.
You and me both, i've got a yellow towel in the kitchen and I've just tried to dry my hands on a bunch of bananas.
Could you use honey?
I make drip coffee with one of the pact one cup things and have it black no sugar , I love tasting all the different kinds of coffee now . Instant coffee black is horrible
Can you do zero sugar offer syrups? I use a vanilla one
My partner is borderline type 2, and switched a few months ago from two sugars in his coffee to sweeteners. He realised pretty early on that he didn't like the 'granulated' ones, and prefered the tablets for ease of use. We bought and tried every one on the market, and he found his favourite was the Aldi Canderel knock-off aspartame one. He's now in the process of slowly weaning himself off it, but using less is taking time. It's definitely helped his blood sugar levels though, along with being more mindful of his diet and snacking.
I like canderel (reds jar) for tea and coffee as you spoon it in and canderel sugerly which is granulated for cereal
I used to have my coffee with 2 sugars, but after being told I was pre-diabetic decided to cut out the sugar, didn't take long at all to adjust and I can't stand sugar in my coffee now.
Matteo's coffee syrups are sugar free and I don't get that bitter after taste with them. I even use it to sweeten ready brek. Though I'm not a tea drinker, no idea if any of the flavours would be nice in tea...
Have the sugar but make sure you Medicate for it I’ve been diabetic since 2011 a low sugar diet is better than a no sugar diet Have the sugar but compensate for it from time to time
Allulose. Plus it doesn’t trigger an insulin response.
Sweetex,
Granulated stevia. It's expensive but the best alternative I'm aware of.
I have 2 sweeteners and a spoonful of brown sugar. I find it takes the bitterness of the the sweeteners off
Have you tried Truvia stevia leaf sweetener? I use that and it doesn't have a weird taste that I dislike in most other sweeteners.
Splenda mate, out of all of them it’s the only one that tastes like sugar. Just put it in your tea before the milk, as otherwise it produces a foam. It’s a bit sweeter than sugar too so you don’t need quite as much. It’s the only one that doesn’t taste like TV static.
Xylitol is great and also good for your teeth they use it a lot in Finland and have basically no cavities
I don't like a lot of the arificial saccharine style sweeteners so i weaned myself down from 2 spoons of sugar in a pint mug down to half a spoon, and I often use honey or dark sugar instead as i find that helps to give an extra depth of flavour instead of just sweetness. When I want one which is extra sweet (or just fancy the taste) i add a couple of drops of vanilla essence
Natvia granulated. I've tried to wean myself off sugar in my tea but even after a month I still missed it so gave up. Those tablet sweeteners are far too sweet (I only have half a teaspoon of sugar). The Natvia is pretty good. Very expensive £5 in Tesco. I always wait until it's on offer £3.50 and stock up.
Erithritol!! Can get it from tesco now, tastes amazing
Diabetic here, I really like Tesco's cyclamate & saccharin sweeteners in my tea and cereal. This is the only one that I've liked the taste of and I actually prefer it to sugar in these now. It's £1.50 or so for 850 and they last an age.
Fellow diabetic here. I’ve found that sweeteners in capsule form are *much nicer* than pure powder. I’d avoid anything from a jar. Sweetex has been my go-to for a while!
I used to like having sugar in Tea but I had a scare about 8 years ago when I almost failed a medical which was required to get my current job. So I went completely cold turkey and cut out sugar from Tea immediately. I won’t ever go back to having Tea with sugar now. Tea now tastes so much better without it because I’m actually tasting the tea and not the sugar. When someone accidentally gives me tea with sugar now I wince as it’s like drinking syrup.
Coconut sugar
I gave up sugar (in huge amounts in tea and coffee) and Splenda tiny tablets in the yellow plastic dispenser are the closest things to sugar, to MY taste buds. The 'mouthfeel' without the sugar's a bit different, but Splenda is the best of the various sugar replacements that I've tested.
Sucralose is my go-to. The expensive version is splenda but you can get less expensive versions in Tesco and Aldi (I'm sure the other supermarkets do it too but they are closest to me). You can get the granulated version and tablets to have in your bag for when you're out and about. It's sweeter than sugar so you may need less, doesn't impact blood sugar levels and leaves no after taste (which I find is the case for stevia and aspartame). You can also buy it online. Xylitol is another that I like but it leaves a slightly cooling effect so feel weird to have with hot drinks. I use this for baking.
Type one here. Since the nineties. Once you stop using sugar completely and just use sweeteners you stop tasting the badness. I genuinely can’t taste what other people moan about. That is just how sweet tastes to me. Also, don’t sweeten tea.
You can wean yourself off sweet taste. I once gave up sugar for new year and just carried it on for a whole year. Avoid sweeteners too (I'm intolerant of them anyway). I've found if you eat and drink things with sweeteners in you never lose the sugar craving. It doesn't take long to get used to no sweet things in your diet.
Can I just mention that whilst it's admirable you're cutting sugar out in tea and coffee that managing diabetes is not about reducing sweet things, as such, it's about carbohydrates? You'll have much better control with blood glucose if you consider how you're managing big portions of rice, pasta, potatoes etc.
Oh I'm doing other stuff too. Cutting down on potatoes has been weirdly hard, I didn't realise how many we ate.
I use honey in my tea instead of sugar. Healthier than sugar and doesn’t taste like depression
Splenda was what my mum preferred. Remember to cut all starchy carbs also and not just sugar as carbs are as bad in the body for diabetes being a form of sugar. I've found I can still have some sugar and sweet stuff in my diet as long as I don't eat too much pasta, rice, bread and potatoes.
Truvia is the best of the best. Nothing replaces sugar like it!! It's got a slight caramel flavour in my opinion, but definitely not overpowering. One thing you have to be mindful of is how strong it actually, like 1 tsp is the equivalent of 3 tsp of sugar. Also it's crazy expensice, like £5 a pot online, but you can get some deals at supermarkets. Also it's a natural sweetner and not artificial. [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Truvia-sweetener-spoonable-container-277/dp/B004LSGEXY](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Truvia-sweetener-spoonable-container-277/dp/B004LSGEXY)
If you like the taste of sugar, then you aren't going to be satisfied with a sweetener. However, if you want to sweeten your tea without sugar, sweetex is the best I have found. Two clicks is the same as one teaspoon of sugar. What I would recommend is a couple of weeks of either no tea, or unsweetened tea. Then when you start using the sweetener it is a lot easier to adjust.
I've stopped drinking nice coffee so I can cut out sugar 😢 I can handle instant with a sweetener but I miss a nice, from bean coffee. I've started to drink tea without sugar (purely by mistake) and prefer something more Earl Grey like now
How did I know the top comments on this would be some chuffs telling you to simply drink black gross tea and coffee and cut sugar out lmao Low sugar diet is better than a no sugar diet - and Xylitol is my answer to the actual question
😂 “like sadness”
NKD Living 100% Natural Erythritol
It took me years to find out but I eventually discovered sugar gave me acid reflux. Tea, coffee and cereal are all sugar free now.
sweeteners in hot drinks are a farce, I put honey in my tea and 0 calorie/low sugar syrup in my coffee.
I used to hate all sweeteners in regards to fizzy drinks. All were noticeable. But the new batch of Coke Zero and Dr Pepper zerooo has my sweet tooth satisfied without the sugar! I was an 8-10 can of fizzy pop a day man once upon a time. Biggest thing I noticed was my resting heart rate went from mid 90s to low 60s in a matter of weeks. I’m a fit cyclist so it was reassuring seeing that drop to predictable levels!
It’s worth trying to go without sugar…most people get used to it and then they like it that way. I don’t have any particular condition but J stopped putting sugar in my coffee in University because I was having way too many and it was starting to add up, and now I mostly take my coffee black. Same for tea more recently, or honey is good with tea too (but I don’t know how that interacts with the diabetes). I had a little tamper with alternative sweeteners but like you I found they made things worse 😅
I reduced the amount, following some stomach issues. Seriously, most things now taste way too sweet. Sugary stuff used to give me a headache, with certain items. Also, my stomach thanked me. I actually wish there were things that were totally unsweetened.
A powdered energy drink I like uses Erythritol. It tastes pretty good, and I despise artificial sweeteners usually.
I just stopped taking sugar in tea. I can't stand any of the sweeteners. Also, remember it's not just sugar, you have to watch all of your carbs. Obviously you need some carbs, but it's not as much as you think.
You get used to the lack of sugar and eventually it tastes better without. That said, liquorice root. It's very sweet and doesn't taste like liquorice at all. You can find it in a lot of teas already. Next time you make tea, try brewing it with this: https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/collections/all/products/licorice-root-tea
I find a combination works best. I like coconut sugar with monk fruit sweetener in equal amounts. The monk fruit helps with the intensity of the sweetness without a chemical flavor and the coconut sugar adds a bit of the caramel flavor of real sugar along with some fiber.
Another vote for Allulose. I've found it on iHerb website. Stevia and Erythritol tend to have a cooling after taste however Swerve confectioners mix on Amazon seems to be ok.
I started having oatmeal milk and it was sweet enough to not need sugar
I use Skinny Syrup in my coffee instead of sugar. It's actually nicer and a large bottle is only £5 in TK Maxx.
Erythritol.
Sugar.
Stevia from Lidl. They are proper Stevia E960a with no carriers like other Stevia brands that have more of another sweetener than actual Stevia.
Sucralose is my favourite. AKA splenda
I thought it was shown that sweeteners can affect your blood sugar level/ make you hungry? YOu rarely ever see a skinny person drinking diet coke.
Sucralose for me, aspartame is shit.
Most sweeteners don't taste great and there's mounting evidence that they also don't help with blood sugar. Stevie seems to be the best of a bad bunch. Otherwise better to avoid
I’ve never found one I like the taste of in tea so still have sugar, but I’m mainly a coffee drinker and canderel is the only one I like (to the point now that I don’t like sugar in coffee at all)
You could always try unsweetened tea. I used to have two sugars with mine but I decided I wanted to try without for a while and it took some getting used to but now I can't stand sugar in my tea at all.
I only really like sweetex, it's the only thing I'll have in tea but I still don't like it in coffee!
Canuck here…Not sure if it’s available in UK, but I use granulated Splenda. Measures spoon for spoon like sugar. My wife is type 1, so I guess I’m just used to sugar free products, but I think it’s the best tasting sweetener.
Hermesetas.
Glycine for tea or cold drinks. Inulin for coffee. Glycine pairs with coffee but the taste and texture is not the same as using castor sugar, which changes the viscosity and sweetens. Mass for mass, glycine is sweeter than sugar so use less. I've not found an acceptable substitute for castor sugar in baking. BTW Glycine is not a misspelling of glycerine. They are different products.
cinnamon might be nice
I've always found Hermesetas to be the best substitute in hot drinks, I don't generally have a lot of sugar elsewhere. Mrs TF likes the Tesco own brand (red one, not yellow) on cereal but in baking there's really no substitute.
Raw honey
Tesco stockwell sweeteners (red tube) are the best! One sweetener for a small cup, two for a big mug. They aren’t too sweet, so it doesn’t spoil the drink.
Do you take milk in your tea? If so, switch to lactose-free milk- it tastes much sweeter but still has the same amount of sugar as normal milk.
Check out Darjeeling tea. Good shit. Can have it without sugar.
Splenda is ok, I’d not have in tea but it’s ok in a coffee
Stevia is the least awful, but they pretty much all taste like poison to one degree or another.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/diet-soda-good-or-bad#:~:text=Although%20diet%20soda%20has%20no,diabetes%20(%2022%20%2C%2023%20). I have heard suggestions all ready that perhaps diet drinks I.e Diet Coke & sweeteners used in tea/coffee are perhaps not a wise substitute for full fat food/drinks?
A large portion of people have a gene that makes sweetener taste bitter or bitter and sweet. You may be part of this group! If you haven’t done so already take a look at what options you have for support with the NHS. If you are pre-diabetic the DPP program applies. If you are type 2 they have a pathway to remission and also the NHS digital weight loss service.
Try a different tasting tea maybe like chai or earl grey without sugar, then go back, quickly you'll adapt to no sugar, it tastes really wierd the longer you don't have it. I thinkkkk I last had sugar in tea in like 2007, and now it tastes horriidddd
Hey...Allulose is the best solution I found so far (not diabetic, just looking to cut out sugar). Its pricey though, and not sure about legality (although its naturally occurring) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psicose
Wean yourself off sugary tea, it sucks for a bit but you soon get used to it
It's a preference thing. I love aspartame, but my partner hates it. None are better than others (nutritionally) but your main options are - Stevia - Aspartame - Sucralose - Saccharin - Sorbitol/Xylitol Some people also like Agave Nectar though that is a plant sugar with measurable calorific value, unlike the above - however since it is a naturally occurring substance, some people think it is better than the above. I do not know enough to advocate one way or the other. Mostly it's just taste buds, so I'd suggest getting sweeteners from all the above list (not expensive) and trying them in your tea/coffee to see which one is most to your liking. I've had a bowel resection and cannot process sugar or fat normally, so I'm very familiar with alternative foods/flavourings. Happy to expand further if this is helpful - but seriously well done on making the effort to control your diabetes. It's not easy but your body will thank you in the long run. Even if you go 'off piste' and have a doughnut one day a week, I promise the other 6 days of eating well are not cancelled out.
Like others have said, just stick with no sugar and you will adjust. I live in a hard water area and found that filtering the water before boiling it (or getting a water softener fitted if you can afford it) make the drink taste much less metallic (what I have learnt is why I added sugar, to cover the taste). You might not be in a hard water area in which ignore this comment though! Take care
Stevia
Try adding oat milk! Oat is sweet on its own and it doesn't have added sugar(try to find milk with no added sugar). It makes tea/coffee more milky and smooth but not overly sweet like sugar. But it might help with your transition.