If you’re looking for a safe, natural substitute to sugar, than Stevia is what you need. NOW produces several versions of no-calorie stevia, including stevia liquid (flavors such as chocolate or hazelnut and unflavored), powder, and even French-vanilla flavored packets.

Unlike chemical sweeteners with side effects and possible long-term issues, stevia has been shown to actually have positive long term effects, such as battling high blood pressure and diabetes.

I will warn you that stevia has an aftertaste similar to artificial sweeteners (even though it is all-natural). So you may need to get used to this. When combined with real sugar, the aftertaste is minimized. For a better yet different tasting product, check out Sweet & Slender.

Sweet & Slender is a low-calorie sweetener made from stevia and lo han guo (an asian fruit) extract. It is all natural and does contain some sugar. This product does not have the aftertaste that stevia alone has, although it does have a somewhat odd smell. I’m not sure what it smells like… honey maybe.

If you’re looking for an alternative to artificial sweeteners, this is a good choice to try. It’s not totally calorie free, but then most artificial sweeteners are mixed with sugar when you get it in packets anyway, so it’s equivalent.