NuNaturals Banana Muffins
What is stevia?
Stevia Plant
Stevia is an herb that originates from South America and was discovered by the Europeans. For many years it has been used in Asia as an alternative to sugar, and now that the FDA has approved its use in food production, it’s available in the United States.
Is stevia safe for use?
The FDA approved the use of stevia, and according to wikipedia there is preliminary evidence linking stevia to a decrease in hypertension and an increase in insulin production. HOWEVER, you should seek the advice of your physician if you have health issues prior to using stevia, or any sugar substitute.
When NuNaturals sent me samples of their stevia products, I was dubious at best. Unless you have a medical reason and need to limit your consumption of sugar, I’m not a fan of the use of commercial sweeteners, other organic sugar. I am in agreement with nutritionists who say that many Americans add too much sugar to their daily diet, but I prefer the sugar they use be organic and refined as little as possible.
Keep in mind that when you buy any sweetener, artificial or natural, it has been refined to a degree -Â including the products sent to me from NuNaturals. I have a hard time classifying anything as “whole” or “natural” if it’s been through an extensive refining process.
All that being said, after trying the products sent to me, I was pleased with the taste. I’ve tried the packets in my coffee and was surprised that there wasn’t an aftertaste. NuNaturals sent me MoreFiber as well, and I used this sweetener with added fiber in the following recipes. You’ll find sugar equivalents identified.
The energy bars have all the healthy ingredients I would expect, and they were simple to put together. The muffins were light and tender – as good as any muffin I’ve made in the past. I’m not sure I saved all that many calories – I have several muffins recipes that are lower in calories, but they are higher in sugar. So again, it all depends on your dietary needs.
The bottom line?
From my perspective, stick with organic sugar or honey if you don’t have health issues. If you need to use an artificial sweetener, talk to your doctor about the use of stevia. If your doctor gives the okay, then check out NuNaturals. They have a wide variety of products that are reasonably priced.
NuNaturals Vegan Energy Bars
Vegan Energy Bars
Serves 12
2 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips, dark chocolate if possible
1/2 cup peanut butter, all natural without added sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup, 100 percent maple (or use honey)
1/4 cup NuNaturals More Fiber, or 1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
6 tablespoons water
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine flax meal and water and set aside.
3. Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl, then add all wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Mixture will be very dry and require a tough hand to combine.
4. Spray am 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray and firmly press mixture evenly into the pan.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool and cut into bars.
Nutrition Per Serving
Calories: 169, Weight Watchers PointsPlus 5
Total Fat: 7.54g
Cholesterol: –
Sodium: 188mg
Total Carbs: 21.87g
Dietary Fiber: 2.96g
Sugars: 7.09g
Protein: 5.55g
NuNaturals Banana Muffins
Stevia Banana Muffins
Servings: 8 Large Muffins
- 4 bananas, smashed
- â…› cup NuNaturals Stevia, or 1/4 cup sugar
- ¼ cup NuNaturals More Fiber, or 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- â…“ cup butter
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup oatmeal
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line muffin tins with muffin liners and spray them with cooking spray.
3. Beat bananas, sweeteners, egg and butter until smooth.
4. Add remaining ingredients and combine. Don’t over-mix.
5. Spoon into muffin tins and bake for 12 – 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 207, Weigh Watchers PointsPlus 6
Total Fat: 8.38g
Cholesterol: 43mg
Sodium: 440mg
Total Carbs: 30.21g
Dietary Fiber: 4.02g
Sugars: 8.48g
Protein: 4.29g
Please see disclaimer for further details. Nutrition information is compiled with MacGourmet. If you find discrepancies, please let me know. It’s important to me that I provide you with accurate information.
I’ve been curious about stevia, but I’m a bit of a baking purist. I do love honey, or even maple syrup, in recipes. But I appreciate your take on stevia. I may give it a shot!
Katie@Cozydelicious recently posted..A Simple Egg- My Favorite Lunch
I keep forgetting about maple syrup as a sweetener. It would add wonderful flavor to muffins!
I just picked up some stevia packets the other day for the first time. Like you, I actually prefer using a little bit of real sugar to artificial sweetners, but I decided to mix it up a bit. I don’t plan on using a lot of stevia (or a lot of sugar for that matter).
Your baked goods look & sound good!
Andrea@WellnessNotes recently posted..Weekend Fun and Weekly Meals and Workouts
I agree, but I do like mixing it up a bit too, and the stevia is really sweet, so it was nice not too need a whole packet.
Thats a great piece of information .. didn’t had any idea on stevia .. never even heard of it before:) Fun of learning from blog hopping !
kankana recently posted..Kadhi Pakodi-Chickpea Dumplings in Yogurt Soup
I’d heard of stevia, but NuNaturals gave me the opportunity to do a bit of research and give it a try.
Interesting!!!
What is the source of fiber in this Nunaturals more fiber product?
I have tried a stevia extract and was highly disappointed. Although i like using the fresh leaves for sweet drinks and banana muffins and wherever i like light sweetening.
And yes , even i believe whole food is better always.
sangeeta recently posted..eggs fried rice with bok choy
Sounds like you and I are on the same page when it comes to preferring whole foods as much as possible. According to NuNaturals the fiber is “Dextrin Fiber: A soluble fiber derived from corn grown in the France. Oat Fiber: An insoluble fiber derived from oats grown in the United States. Acacia Gum: A soluble fiber derived from the gum of the Acacia tree, which grows primarily in Sudan, Chad, and Nigeria.”
Nice post, I have posted similar posts on my blog. However, you have covered the issue in great depth. Kudos. Really informative. Will surely help me in future posts for my blog.
Mohammed Suhaib@Cholesterol recently posted..Discover the Signs of Low Cholesterol
I love NuNAturals, especially their MoreFiber (I’m pretty sure that’s the one I used before). I usually stick to sugar when baking (like you said) but on my oats and in smoothies I use Truvia. I know it’s not really “natural” but it’s the one I trust the most, and the one I like the most
I usually tell clients just to not use a lot, and if they are all about using non-caloric sweeteners, it’s best to switch them up and not use a bunch of all one kind. They each have different properties so if you can use a little of each one, it’s probably best. But since there isn’t much data, I guess we’ll never know!
I was impressed with the MoreFiber, and I like the fact that the sweetener doesn’t have an aftertaste. Thank you for the information regarding what you tell your clients – very helpful.
Great to know about stevia, thanks for this post. The recipes seem wonderful. I’ll save them in my favorites to share with friends.
Have a wonderful weekend
I really liked the vegan bars. They were terrific in the morning on my way to work.
When I bake, I try to always go for the real thing.
I have never tried stevia, but I would be willing to.
Kristen (swanky dietitian) recently posted..Crazy for Curry
I’ve been using it in my coffee, and you really don’t need much.
I agree with you….watching what we are eating and using less sugar or honey in my recipes. Lovely muffins:)
http://mywanderingspoon.wordpress.com/2011/05/27/detox-lifestyle-and-more/
I’ve noticed that I don’t really need to use as much sugar as the recipe calls for much of the time.
great post!I always get so confused by all the different types of sugar/sweeteners available!
Simply Life recently posted..Long Weekends Are For
I do too. That’s why I stick to organic sugar whenever possible, but this is a nice alternative if you’re trying to keep the sugar in your diet in check.
I’ve not purchased stevia yet, but did listen to a Nutritionist saying to use it over any other artificial sweetener.
Lea Ann recently posted..Lamb Kabobs with Arugula and Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
It’s very sweet. You sure don’t need a whole lot of it.
These not only are healthy, they look delicious. How would you like to link this up on my new Linky, Bake with Bizzy.
I think the health information is important for everyone to read and the recipes will be fun to make.
http://bizzybakesb.blogspot.com/2011/05/bake-with-bizzy-2-almond-blueberry.html
Bizzy recently posted..Bake with Bizzy 2 Almond-Blueberry-Cranberry Cake – Nigella
Sure. I’ll do that right now. I’m sure the company would love the exposure.
Interesting info – very useful
Stevia is my new friend I love using that in everything… its so good! These look great got to try them!
claudia lamascolo/aka pegasuslegend recently posted..Fruit Buckwheat Pancakes
Stevia’s not currently available where I live now, but if I do manage to get my hands on it, I’ll surely try it out in one of your lively recipes here. I don’t really like the aftertaste of artificial sweeteners, so it’s good you mentioned about this.
I don’t either, but I like this alternative. Still, I have to say I’ll choose a teaspoon of organic sugar first.
Very cool post. Thanks for the info. I wanted to thank you in advance! I’m heading to Texas for two weeks to take care of my mum (broken legs) and she wants me to cook for her and my stepdad. She’s decided she wants healthy food! I’ll be relying heavily on your site
Parsley Sage recently posted..Crisps- Chips and Cottage Pies
Your mom has broken legs? My gosh! I hope she is mending! I hope she likes some of my recipes. You’ll have to let me know how she’s doing.
I did play with artificial sweeteners when my father became diabetic so he could share a dessert with us. In the end – I agree with your assessment. I’d rather watch my sugar intake than go with something not all natural. But I am pleased they are around for people who need them (which may be me one day).
Claudia recently posted..Finding Spring in Chicago
I hope not Claudia, but you are right. My stepdad is a diabetic, so it is nice that he has an alternative!
lovely information thank you for letting me know I have tasted directly from the plant I must check out more details of it
these desserts look delicious
torviewtoronto recently posted..Food palette series purple
Don’t know about Stevia…I hardly used artificial sugar in baking. Honey would be great for me, but it’s still SUGAR. NuNAturals fibers sound great.
Those banana muffins look divine.
Angie’s Recipes recently posted..Romaine Lettuce Chicken Salad with Pepper Rose Peach Vinaigrette
They really were good. Light and flavorful. I haven’t used an artificial sweetener in baking, but I have a coworker who does and loves it.
Hi Kristi! Thank you very much for the educational info. I love reading about this (as I don’t do too much research on my own). Your muffins look sooooo good! I am not a baker so I always drool over someone’s baked goods. Thank you for coming to my site and I’m glad I’m here…looking at all these yummy food. It’s fun and I wish I can actually eat them!
Nami @ Just One Cookbook recently posted..Green Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette
I’m not a baker either. It’s not that I can’t bake, it’s just that I would eat it all – my waistline expands.
I have only recently started to use stevia. I use sugar too but I always seem to reach for sweetener in my drinks.
Katrina @ In Katrina’s Kitchen recently posted..Soft Caramel Popcorn
I like sweetener in my coffee too, and the stevia really doesn’t have an aftertaste.
I’m just starting to experiment with cooking with stevia. Thanks for the interesting recipe!
I was pleased with the results. It can be very sweet, so moderation is recommended.
Great post! I actually have a Stevia plant in my garden but have not used any of the sweeteners available on the market. I agree and usually avoid artificial or heavenly processed items.
Magic of Spice recently posted..Whats on the side Chocolate Cocktails and A Tale of Three Cocoas
My friend has a stevia plant too. I took a bite and it really was fresh and sweet. I’ll have to grow some in my garden. I’ll bet it would be terrific in small quantities in a fruit salad.
Stevia is not an artificial sweetener. It is a food supplement, therefore it is safe to use, like an herb is used. I love the taste of NuNaturals Stevia, but don’t like the taste of most stevias on the market. I don’t cook with it, but I do use it in my drinks every day. Blue Sky makes sodas with stevia in them and my favorite flavor is the Cherry Vanilla Cream Soda.
I just wanted to clarify that it is not an artificial sweetener.
I agree, and looking back I wasn’t clear on my position. I hope you’ll read the changes and approve. Thank you for your comment so I would have the opportunity to clarify.
Kristi