Sun Crystals All-Natural Sweetener

I acquired two packets of Sun Crystals free in the mail as a result of a promotion on their website. Sun Crystals is an interesting low-calorie sweetener. It is a blend of stevia and real sugar. Stevia is a calorie-free plant. Each packet is 5 calories each.

As the name Sun Crystals suggests, the sweetener has actual crystals. In other words, it is granulated versus the typical powdery low-to-no calorie sweeteners. I am used to just pouring my powdered Equal into my tea which dissolves immediately and drinking it right up. When I tried Sun Crystals I poured two packets in and did not stir it. I thought the Sun Crystals made the tea taste sweet enough.

There are two things I wish I realized ahead of time. The first thing is that each Sun Crystals packet is equal to two teaspoons of sugar. I ended up getting what equates taste-wise to 4 teaspoons of sugar.I did not realize this until I got to the end of my cup of tea. I reached a rude awakening then! The second thing is I should have stirred my tea, because then I would have tasted how abhorrently sweet it was from the beginning, and would not have drank it.

I do think Sun Crystals is a quality product when used correctly. I should have used 1 packet for my 8 oz cup. Additionally, I like that the company provides people an all-natural alternative as their low-calorie sweetener instead of the chemicals that many people typically usually use.

Update On Jul 23, 2009: Each packet has one gram of total carbohydrate. The site is still offering those packets free, as of 7/23/09, here: link. Also, here is the general link to their site: Sun Crystals.