[ladywyyn]

So I've been researching Agave and what it could offer me as a natural sweetener- I found an organic version of Blue Agave at our Grocery Outlet so I bought it ($2.99!) and brought it home.

Now I know it's got a low GI and that it tastes like honey (I tasted a tiny bit), but now I wonder if it is going to set off any carb cravings?

Has anyone else experienced any cravings with it? Any side effects? I am curious to see how everyone likes it! I don't know what the difference between agave and blue agave is- I'm still reading about it!

I'm still a little fuzzy and concerned that it is fructose... which shouldn't that be something to avoid in concentrated forms? *confuzzled*

[cottagebythesea]

Several of us here use agave, so I'm sure you'll get a lot of input on this.

I use it often in my baking as a substitute for brown sugar, and I love it on my yogurt. I haven't noticed that it sets off any cravings for me, but since it has 60 calories per Tbsp., I try to use it sparingly.

[Ruthxxx]

I have some(a gift) and use it carefully. It doesn't seem to affect my BGL. So far, I've not found a source for it around here.

[zeffryn]

I use it regularly in place of sugar. We don't use artificial sweeteners around here, so when something needs to be sweetened, it is usually that or palm sugar. like everyone else has mentioned, it does need to be used sparingly since it is pretty calorie hefty (not unlike sugar), but I find that in moderation it works fine with this diet. I have not experienced any particular cravings, but I will add that sweet things in my diet (artificially sweetened or not) usually lead to me wanting more of them. I have to really monitor the amount of sweet things in my life in general, not just the ones sweetened with agave.

it's tasty too! i <3 the vanilla flavored kind for coffee and tea.

[runningfromfat]

The general rule is 1 cup of sugar=3/4 cup of agave nectar. I actually go down to about 1/2cup because I've gotten use to not eating super sweet desserts. I haven't found that it causes a blood sugar spike and it's my favorite natural sweetener. Desserts last much longer around our house now!

ETA: if you're cooking with it turn down the oven a bit because it doesn't need to be at as high of a temperature as sugar.