Occasioned by my last post on sweetener alternatives a helpful reader (thanks Amy) commented about a new Splenda package that I must admit I was utterly unaware of: the Splenda Quick Pack. What the manufacturer has done is nothing short of brilliant.
To make it easier to use their product in quantity they’ve thoughtfully packaged it into a single envelope that packs the sweetening punch of 1 cup of sugar, but with only 0.5 gram of carb and just 2 calories. Gone is the debate about fillers and the number of carbs they may (or may not if the maltrodextrin filler is essentially a non-absorbable carb as some have suggested) bring to the table.
Better yet, it means saying goodbye to the hassle of tearing and dumping 24 individual packets!
One cup, of course, is the perfect amount for sweetening, say a 2-quart pitcher of unsweetened KoolAid, which explains its being shelved near the drink mix packets and not on the baking aisle, which, in turn, explains why I’ve never seen it, since I don’t often peruse the drink mixes. It’s even a pretty standard amount for baking, if the bulk of sugar isn’t needed to make the recipe work. But the real beauty of it to me, since I’m not big into KoolAid, is this: it’s perfect for a whipping up a big batch of eggnog or a double batch of margaritas.
Now you’re talkin’!
I just wanted to comment that koolaid makes a very nice no sugar dessert for me as I can not tolerate aspartame. You just can’t find a jello mix without it.
You take an envelope of koolaide, 4-8 packets of Splenda (depending on your taste) and one cup of hot water. One envelope of gelatin and one cup of cold water. Or heavy whipping cream if you want to make “Dreamcicle” jello (orange unsweet koolaid). Or 8 oz of cream cheese or cottage cheese with lime jello and pecans. Very good.
COMMENTS from MD EADES: Thanks for sharing the suggestion. It sound good. In our clinical practice, many of our patients relied on sugar-free Jell-o as a low calorie, sweet treat, since it was easy to prepare and fruity and refreshing. Then came the news that aspartame was not all it was cracked up to be and potentially bad from the brain. This would have been a boon to our patients and I’m sure will help other low carb dieters along their journey.
I’ve been using the quick packs since August. I highly recommend them. One packet has about 4 ecc and is an equivalent to cup of sugar. Check out my diet blog for recipes (http://lowcarbohydrate.blogspot.com/).
COMMENT from MD EADES: I’m curious. The information I read said that there’s less than 2 calories and just 0.5 grams of carb per packet with sweetness equivalent to 1 cup–or at least that’s what I recall that it said. So where does the 4grams ECC come from? If there really are only 2 calories, there can’t be 4 grams of carb, effective or otherwise, since each gram of carb accounts for 4 calories. I would like to be sure about these numbers; where did yours come from, if you don’t mind my asking?
I too have been using these in recipes since they first came out. A note of interest you may not be aware of is a packet measures approx 1 teaspoon and work very well in fractional amounts….ie 1/4 teaspoon = 1/4 cup sweetening power.
COMMENT from MD EADES: Great idea. It’s not all that hard to measure 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon of the 1 teaspoon total and be pretty accurate about it. Now we’ve got a regular (not double) batch of margaritas going. Then after that first batch, we could just dump the remainder and have the proper sweetness for another batch without even measuring! ;D
Dr. Eades,
One serving is 1/8 packet, each serving has “less than one gram” carb and 0 calories as per the Nutrition Facts label.
Assuming that “less than one gram” means .5 ECC, then a packet would have about 4 (or fewer) grams of carb per packet.
Much better than the bulk Splenda, at 24 grams carb/Cup, or the packets, at .5 gram carb each.
COMMENT from MD EADES: Oh, I get it; I misread it as 1 pack had the 2 calories and the 0.5 grams. That makes more sense, and it’s still a good carb bargain, even at 4.
Now what we need is for them to sell it in larger containers. I have no problem with measuring 1 teaspoons for each cup of sugar called for.
I have also recently started using a product called “Sweetzfree”. This is concentrated sucralose suspended in water. 1/4 teaspoon = 1 cup of sugar. It is awesome stuff with virtually no carbohydrates. But, it’s a dinky company with very unusual customer service. You can only order it from their website on certain days of the month. Once their supply is out they quit selling it. I’d love to find a similar product from a more reliable source. Regardless, the quality is superb and the resulting low-carb desserts have been quite satisfying.
COMMENT from MD EADES: Sounds like a great product, but that’s the problem with a small, undercapitalized company. Maybe in time they’ll grow big enough that they can be reliable or a bigger, better capitalized company will buy their technology.
Hello, I am so glad to find these forums!
I am told by my Cancer doctor [alternative] that I cannot have Splenda, so I use only Stevia.
Do you have any experience w/ Suzanne Somer’s “Somerweet” product & is it OK on the Protien Power Plan? Thankyou, Kyla
COMMENT from MD EADES: We don’t have any personal experience with it, but it’s made of a blend of oligofructose (a natural fiber that’s reputed to be colon healthy, but which, in large amounts can cause some gas and bloating in some people), inulin (another fiber), fructose (a true simple sugar that can promote insulin resistance in large amounts), mung bean extract (which also is said to contain a true sugar, called maltose), and the artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium (or Ace K), which is what provides the sweetness to Somersweet. The fructose and maltose components are true sugars and as such will have an effect on insulin and blood sugar if used in large amounts, so on a low carb diet that can prove problematic.
Sweetzfree is an awesome product!!!
The issue with the producta availability has nothing to do with the size of the company or its service–(service has always been superb): a couple of years back when Splenda exploded in the market, supplies became limited. Since she was such a small company, Diana at Sweetzfree was given a quota from the splenda people–not sufficient to meet all of her demand. In order to stay in business, and serve the most people possible, she instituted the 3 days a month ordering window. Supplies for her have eased there seems to be a good supply. I have never had a problem ordering. And I always get it within 3 days! check them out I couldn’t survive without this product!
COMMENT from MD EADES; Unless there’s another availability problem with sucralose, in which case she will be in the same boat, since, as you say, she’s small and Coca Cola is humongous and will get preference from McNeil. I’m all for the little guy and there’s nothing wrong with being undercapitalized, except that it makes doing business difficult when you’re up against ordering quotas, manufacturing minimums, and run limitations. We know, we’ve been there.
Da Vinci makes a sugar-free syrup (sweetened with Splenda) called “Simple Syrup”. Unlike their flavored syrups, this one isn’t flavored. Couldn’t this be construed as a “liquid Splenda”?
COMMENT from MD EADES: I suppose it could. I haven’t ever seen just the “Simple Syrup” which would be great for margaritas, mojitos, rum runners, and all manner of sweetened alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) libations. I’ll have to look for it.
Have you tried the new fiber sweeteners “ogiofructosides” I guess refined inulin? I bought a pound of it-very expensive- but it tastes great! And how do you feel about polydextrose, which seems to add a slight sweetness, but I guess is used more as a texture enhancer.
COMMENT from MD EADES: FOS (fructooligosaccharides) are fine, but mostly I’m familiar with them as an additive to other sweeteners. I haven’t tried any cooking/baking with this product, I confess. As to poly-D I’ve blogged about it before. Just search the archives.
I live in Los Angeles, and i had been buying these quickpacks at the .99 cent only stores. Now I cant find them anywhere. can anyone tell me where I can buy this wonderful product?