Powdered stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar. If the brand you said you saw for $10 for 10 oz is powdered, that is a great deal! most of the time stevia ends up being $2-$3 an oz so if you found it for $1 an ounce its the best your going to find. and it will last you a looooong time. I've had a 10oz container of powdered stevia for over a year because you literally need like 1/8 of a tsp to equal 2 tsp worth of sugar. Downside, you cannot bake with stevia. period. you can however substitute honey, agave or maple syrup for sugar in most recipes. (look online for vegan baking sites, because sugar isn't vegan) oh and pb4 is right stay away from truvia. some of their products even have sugar in them. overly processed and overly pricey.
deltaforce said...
I searched a bit more on Agave nectar and learned that the composition is fructose, although a fruit source, how does it make a healthy substitute? Pardon my ignorance if I am missing something.
the composition of all sugars that come from a fruit source breaks down to fructose in the body. Even fruit itself turns to fructose. The thing that makes agave healthier is it not overly processed like white sugar is. it is also slightly lower on the glycemic index than plain sugar and is 200 times sweeter so you need much less. But the fructose side does mean it is something that a diabetic would need to watch out for and you won't save on calories by much. But do note, if you want it actually be healthier, it must must must be RAW. Only Raw agave is any different from sugar. otherwise it too has been over processed.
You can also grow a stevia plant very cheaply, and simply "bruise" a leaf or two to throw in your tea or coffee. My mom and I do this in the summer. I don't get enough light in my home for the darn things to survive the winter, but a stevia plant is like $5 and will last a few months.
As far as honey, raw is best, but not essential, and you can find tons of suppliers online, and I'm sure you'll be able to find some that are reasonably priced and pure.
Definitely look up some vegan baking sites. those guys have come up with tons of ways to sweeten things with only fruit. In pastry school we learned baking for vegans and a lot of recipes used purreed dates, or raw applesauce as their only sweetener.
and good luck on the sugar trim down! its really hard to do, but is sooooo good for you!