So, this weekend is 'The Great Preparation'. Trying to plan out my new SB WOE to get me through my first week of Phase 1.

I think I know the answer to this question....but I thought I'd double check. I do the majority of cooking around my house (with two male roommates, it's safer that way!). I prepare batches of meats in marinades and freeze them in ziploc bags for easy meals. However, I've noticed that a LOT of the marinades I have call for sugar and/or fruit juice. Is this a huge problem? I mean, the meat is soaked in it, but not cooked in it, as the marinade is thrown away...... Do I need to build an entirely new collection of marinades? Could I substitute the sugar for Splenda?....

I did try to search for an answer to this...so if it's been asked before, please just post a link to the answer and I'll try not to waste anymore of your time.. and if anyone has a link/list of sf marinades, I'd LOVE to see them. Marinaded chicken and lean pork is so quick and easy to fix....throw in a veggie and you're done!

Thanks so much!
Crystal

I've been doing a bit more research and have found a few marinade recipes here on the site.... Thanks to those who posted them, and I'll try to give feedback once I've used them.

However, I'd still like opinions, more rational then mine, about sugar in the marinades....can I replace it with Splenda/ et. al? Will it upset the 'acidity' something or other (yes, very technical term) that someone told me is how marinades help with making meat more tender? Or am I completely over analyzing this, and driving myself and anyone who happens by this thread buggy?

I'm guessing the latter...it usually is.

I don't use refined sugar or white flour in anything period. I'm learning to cook and bake without it. When I finished Phase1 I started using Agave Nectar (low glycemic) in small amounts when I needed something sweetened a bit.

From my way of thinking, if something is marinating in a mixture which has refined sugar then the food item will also have it. Now that I understand the destructive nature of it I don't use it.

I don't have the answer to your question regarding acidity, but don't feel that the sugar(or lack of) is affecting the tenderness, but just the flavor. Papaya is a natural meat tenderizer.