Sugar vs. Substitute in cooking/baking

[Beacon]

I know this is probably one of those things that are very different individual to individual, but my best friend was just diagnosed as a Type I diabetic (a few months ago. She just told me last week.). We cook and eat together a lot and this will probably have little bearing on that but I was just wondering:

When do you use regular sugar and when do you opt for the substitute? I've heard that a lot of people prefer regualr sugar for baking but will use substitutes for things like cereal, coffee etc. I don't feel comfortable bugging her about things like this just yet as she's still kind of adjusting to the news.

[LauRa Lu]

I use niether, I don't know if that helps you at all :confused: I wouldn't use normal sugar for obvious reasons and I find coffee, tea and foods generally taste better with out the pretend stuff.

[duck]

My wife cooks "normally" for us...I don't eat a lot of cakes and cookies anyway, unless I am low (and I admit, sometimes I plan to go low so I can indeed imbibe). She has tried to cook with Splenda and we weren't enamoured with it. I do however use Splenda on cereal and in coffee, etc.

Your friend will adjust and learn how to deal with cooking for a diabetic. In some ways, it is different than before, but to me there is not that much of a difference--If one were to analyze a "diabetic diet" it would be construed as a "healthy" diet rather than a restrictive diet.

[Beacon]

That's what I thought. I feel like we're kind of doing this together-I'm trying to cook and eat healthier meals and so is she, just for different reasons.

Splenda tastes different when baked? Even the one for baking (which i hear has some real regular old sugar in it too)?

[duck]

That's what I thought. I feel like we're kind of doing this together-I'm trying to cook and eat healthier meals and so is she, just for different reasons.

Splenda tastes different when baked? Even the one for baking (which i hear has some real regular old sugar in it too)?

The baking version is basically "reduced sugar". There is some table-sugar in it. Try it, you may like it, the wife and I weren't enamoured, but it wasn't like it tasted like play-doh or anything. Other artificial sweeteners will break down and lose taste in heat.