A couple weeks ago I was contacted by Habit Foods to see if I wanted to try their new low calorie sweetener called Habitall. The premise is that their an all natural sweetener made from erythritol which is a naturally occurring sweetener found in some fruits, vegetables, and fermented foods. Polydextrose is a soluble fiber derived from starch in plants, and monk fruit is a vine fruit native to Chinca and Thailand.
You know what? I don’t really care what its made of. I don’t have the type of blog that will go in great detail about food ingredients since I have no idea what the hell any of them are. I’ve never even heard of monk fruit!
All I wanted to know – could Tony tell if something contained an “artificial” sweetener. I used to bake with Splenda, but he always could tell immediately that I didn’t use sugar. Rat farts.
While I had planned to make lemon poppy seed muffins using Habitall, I ran out of time over the weekend, but yesterday morning I had planned to make parfaits for me and my boss and I thought of making a strawberry sauce instead of using fresh strawberries. Um, turns out my strawberries got partially frozen in the back of my fridge, so this was a no brainer.
Strawberry Sauce
- 4 servings, 1/2 cup each: 27 calories, .23 fat, 1 mg sodium, 8.3 carbs, 1.5 fiber and.5 protein
Ingredients:
- 2 cups chopped strawberries
- 1/4 cup Habitall
- 1/4 cup water
Put everything in a pan and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the strawberries are soft. Using a potato masher, mash the strawberries into smaller pieces. Cool in the fridge. Serve with yogurt or over ice cream.
The verdict? This was delicious. Sweet with a touch of sour from the strawberries. I brought the rest of the sauce home and asked Tony to try it. He said that he couldn’t tell there wasn’t sugar in it!
The company is trying to launch a cost effective way to bring this product to market. You can check out their fundraising page here, that just kick started yesterday. Now I can’t wait to make the muffins to see what Tony thinks of those!
I know the calendar says its June, but yesterday morning when I woke up it felt like early spring!
Since I knew I was going to do Day 1 of Insanity last night, I ended up swimming for 30 minutes. I wish it were nicer that I could have swum outside – there weren’t even any kids out there – I think it was 72?
My blood sugar was 178 before the pool and dropped down to 104 after my workout – perfect!
Lunch was a roast beef flat out roll up with baby spinach, 1/2 ounce of cheese and tzatziki sauce. On the side were pretzels, carrots and cucumber with more tzatziki sauce for dipping. I found this two pack of Flatout at Sam’s for $4!
I drank all my Detox water yesterday too – 2 Liters before 4:00 p.m.!
For dinner I made grilled chicken thighs, using the Rudy’s bbq sauce. I ended up taking off the skin of mine before even grilling. I ended up eating only one of the pieces of chicken, had grilled zucchini tossed in 1 tablespoon of tzatziki (can you tell I love this stuff?!) and 1/2 cup macaroni salad and 1/2 cup of baked beans.
The only bad part about this time of year for grilling season is the damn cottonwood trees across the street. It actually looks like it’s snowing for about 4-5 days until we either get a good rain or all the cotton finally falls of the trees.
Before I knew it, it was 8:00 – Insanity Time! I have to say that I was able to complete about 80% of the workout. Some stuff like the squats to jump shot (think like a basketball shot) was easy, then some stuff like being in a plank, and then jumping both feet to each side for oblique plank crunches? Um, let’s just say that my “muffin top” got in the way of that. And for each set of three reps we did, I didn’t increase my speed – I was going for getting the right form vs. just going fast.
I was a sweaty mess after 40 minutes! And not kidding, while I was working out, I had a loaf of bread in the oven. Doesn’t everyone bake while working out?! 
About 30 minutes after I worked out I was starving! It wasn’t until this morning when I put in my food for yesterday that I realized after dinner I had only had 1050 calories for the day! I ended up eating 2 ounces of smoked almonds. That did the trick.
Stats for Monday:
- 1429 calories, 63 fat, 149 carbs, 33 fiber and 87 protein
- 41% calories from carbs, 40 from fat and 18 from protein
- 30 minute swim
- 40 minute Day 1 Insanity
- and guess what? No wine!
Question of the Day: How many of you cook with artificial sweeteners for either yourself or a family member? I am just curious!
Make it a great day!
I remember that plank/jump exercise because I didn’t do it, too hard. I know I’m a wimp 🙂
I only use Stevia in my yogurt. When I bake/cook I use real sugar. But I don’t cook much recipes that need sugar in it, the baking/desserts are left and I’m okay with that. I use real butter too when I bake. It just doesn’t taste good enough with ‘fake’ butter. I’d rather bake once a month with the real deal then every week with ‘fake’ ingredients. But that’s my weird way of cooking 🙂
I remember that plank/jump exercise because I didn’t do it, too hard. I know I’m a wimp 🙂
I only use Stevia in my yogurt. When I bake/cook I use real sugar. But I don’t cook much recipes that need sugar in it, the baking/desserts are left and I’m okay with that. I use real butter to when I bake. If I do it, I do it right otherwise I don’t bother.
Fran, my “muffin top” got in the way of me doing those plank obliques – oh well!
I was hoping you would post about your Insanity workout – great job!!! 80% is awesome – if you pay attention to some of the people on the DVD, they take lots of breaks!!! And, that oblique plank jump is brutal every time!!!
I did notice that last night Kim when I did Day 2 – I still was able to do about 85% of the workout though! 😀
Awesome!!! Keep it up!!
Insanity is right, but I wish I could get motivated to try it! Have not used artificial sweetners except in coffee or iced tea. I would if I knew it would taste the same. Try the muffins and let us know!
Great job on the Insanity workout! I have never tried it as I think my weak ankle won’t appreciate it…
I use stevia but also honey and maple syrup.
We don’t use artificial sweeteners at all; if we’re going to have a treat, it’s a dang treat! We do use alternatives to white table sugar, though, like raw honey from a local farm.
I can handle some artificial sweeteners, Tom despises them and can detect them even in the smallest amounts. When I first met him I told him to try sweet and low in his tea and he took one sip and said, oh my gosh this tastes like cancer!! 🙂 he is a wee bit particular about his food. I don’t really like to use them and prefer agave or honey.
OMG, “it tastes like cancer” made me spit out my coffee! My Dad grew up with the liquid sweet n low in his coffee, and you are right, it does taste like ass!
I don’t use any artificial sweeteners, but I do use stevia and erythritol. Recently, I tried monk fruit (tagatose). So far, I like them all!
Where do you even buy monk fruit?? I’ve never even heard of it before!
You are an exercise rock star! Great looking food. I have never heard of that sweetener – thanks for reviewing it. I don’t do artificial sweeteners anymore – too many side affects and chemicals.
I have tried artificial sweeteners and there isn’t one I like yet. They all have an aftertaste to me. Yuck! I’m one that doesn’t really check to many ingredients either, although I don’t count calories either. Some days I don’t eat at all, other days I eat like a pig…counting calories just seemed a waste….for me. I can’t believe you’re doing insanity, I’ve seen how hard that is…you go girl!!
Thanks Suzie – hope your temps warm up so you can use your fricken pool! 😀
Grilled zucchini with tzatziki? Genius! Why didn’t I think of that?! I don’t use artificial sweeteners because if I am going to have sugar, I want the real thing. I don’t like the artificial taste.
You are so cute in your insanity pictures. My god, that sounds bad doesn’t it!? BTW…the expression rat farts made me LOL. Have a great day Vat.
Glad I made you laugh Roz! Keep rocking out the yoga!
You are so inspiring with your insanity workout – nice job!
I don’t like the taste of any artificial sweeteners – it’s sugar or honey for me!
Girl, you were INSANE last night (haha, get it?)!!! Nice going!!!
And NO wine Shelley! 😀
No artificial sweetener in our home! And I love the working out while baking gig – too fun 🙂 The bread looks incredible.
The only place I use artificial sweetener (well.. I use stevia so I guess its “natural”) is in my coffee. I understand for diabetics though, artificial sweeteners can be a great go to! The parfaits make me drool. You know I am obsessed with parfaits!! Glad Tony liked it too. Great work on the insanity. I bet you’re going to rock this weight challenge.
Thanks Erica – I am surprised at how NOT sore I am – I think it’s the double stretches he does after the 5 minute warm up, and at the end. #igotthis!
My kids can always tell if I don’t use sugar. I had to laugh at your love of tzatziki–I’m the same way!
Your exercise is so inspiring! I’m hanging out at home with a puking child…well he’s not anymore, but he was yesterday. Trying to keep him quarantined from the baby.
Hope your son is feeling better, but sounds like you were pretty productive! 😀
I’ve never really tried baking with artificial sweeteners. I don’t bake much and when I do it’s cupcakes, and I think those just need good old sugar 🙂
I laughed when I saw you were baking bread while doing insanity on instagram. Too funny, but great job getting it done!
And you will be happy to know I didn’t even taste a slice of it – which is especially hard with the smell of fresh baking bread!
I never cook/bake with artificial sweeteners. I have a friend who does and I don’t like the taste.
I use them quite a bit since my husband is diabetic, and I try to cut the sugar in stuff for the rest of us as well. I love that you were baking bread while working out 🙂
Curious Kim if you can “taste” the artificial sweetener??
I try not to use artificial sweeteners anymore (I used to big time!), but sometimes it’s just easier. Depends on what I have in the house at the moment!!
Happy Tuesday, Biz!
Your son looks so happy with his braces off! Love that he wanted to bite into an apple first thing! 😀
now you know I use em for Mr. B, I am interested in this stuff you’re using…is it a equal measure or half? I just ordered Pure Liquid™ Vanilla Alcohol Free Stevia to try, thinking smoothies and the like, but i have a recipe for something (it is in a pile of junk to try, lol) that called for it. it isn’t practical for large quantity use as 6 drops = 1 tsp. I do like that more natrual aspect of it, not that I have much of a clue about it either but in my mind, naturally occuring must be better than man made-surely your body must have a better idea of what to do with it. Purely a guess though, lol. Have a great day Ms. Biz! 😀
Yep, you just measure equal amounts so if a recipe calls for a cup of sugar, you can use a cup of Habitall. They say that it doesn’t have the effects of other artificial sweeteners, i.e., you won’t shit your pants if you use it!
It has a similar texture to sugar unlike Splenda. Not sure it’s available in stores yet as they are just getting off the ground. I’ve never heard of Pure Liquid before? Let me know how Mr. B likes it!