Agave vs Stevia

Over the Christmas break we discovered that I have a gluten allergy! It's really not as horrible as it seems but it definitely not very easy! There is gluten in everything.  My salad dressing, all forms of bread (except gluten free ones :D) certain grains and even tylenol! But to be honest this will probably help me be more healthy.  Now that college has started there's not much time to think about eating healthfully.

Anyway, now I drink green smoothies for breakfast as opposed to cereal and in the recipe for the one I most often make it calls for Agave Nectar.  I found this interesting I had heard some about it from my childhood friends who also have gluten allergies, but other than that I had no real information on it.  Early this evening while I was in the kitchen making sweet potatoes for dinner, my mom put honey in her batch.  I asked her if she new anything about Agave Nectar and would she think that it would be more healthy to put that in things like my smoothies or our sweet potatoes.  It was funny that I asked because just this morning she had watched a report about Agave Nectar on Good Morning America.  Since it's early into the new year and with everyone trying to get fit they did a report on refined sugars vs raw sugars.  So apparently they reported that Agave Nectar is actually worse for you than honey! It has more concentrated fructose in it that high fructose corn syrup.  side note: don't believe those commercials that come on tv that say there is nothing wrong with high fructose corn syrup and that it's natural and made from corn.  Made from corn, yes. Natural, no. It's processed. 

 But on the bright side of things there is this great little green plant and when it is in powered form it is a wonderful low calorie sweetener. You've probably heard about Stevia or at least seen commercials from Truvia which is a crystalized form of Stevia.  What I like about Stevia is that it has no bitter aftertaste like most low cal sweeteners.  For instance splenda, sweet'n'low or equal just to name a few. And best of all, its natural! There is no processing involved, except making it into a powder.  My most favorite thing about it though is how it doesn't give you a head ache or sugar rush.  Sugar makes me spacey and I tend not to be able to focus when its in my system and they are no such side affects with Stevia! It's also cheaper. For one whole 4oz. bottle you get 1146 servings.  I drop is equal to 1 Tbs. of sugar.  

Here is the recipe for my Green Smoothies :)

1-1/4  C. water

2 big handfuls of greens of your choice (I use fresh spinach)

1 T. coconut oil

Blend together and then add 1C of ice

Add:

3 peaches (I use freshly frozen but you can use fresh pitted ones)

1/3 peeled cucumber

1 banana

squirt agave or a little honey (or in my case stevia)

1 C. frozen fruit (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries etc.)

opt. 1/2 t. flax meal

Blend until smooth!

makes 3 servings

If your worried about it tasting greenish it really doesn't! the coconut oil takes care of that primarily and there is so much other fruit that you can't tell, except for the color of course :)