WHAT: Swerve sweetener and Lily's Premium Baking Chips
STATS: One teaspoon of Swerve granular sweetener contains zero calories and zero fat, 4 carbohydrate, zero fiber, zero protein and zero sugar grams. A serving size (60 chips) of Lily's contains 50 calories and 4.5 fat, 9 carbohydrate, 4 fiber, zero sugar and 1 protein grams. In Little Rock, we bought them at Natural Grocers, 9210 N. Rodney Parham Road and nearby Drug Emporium/Vitamin's Plus, 9112 N. Rodney Parham Road. More information at swervesweet.com and lilyssweets.com.
THE SKINNY: If you're following a low-carbohydrate or ketogenic diet, Valentine's Day needn't be Doomsday.
You just need some new baking staples in the pantry. Like Swerve and Lily's.
Swerve (available in granular and confectioners' varieties) is a natural, zero-calorie, Erythritol-based sweetener that measures and bakes like sugar without a sharp aftertaste. And Lily's rich, stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips are 55 percent cocoa with no added sugar.
I recently used both in this tasty treat: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fat Bombs by Paleomomnoms.com, recipe at tinyurl.com/fatbombsrecipe.
The only downside with Swerve and Lily's is that while they are no-sugar and low-carb, they aren't exactly low-cost.
-- Jennifer Christman
Slim Pickings is a weekly review of light foods.
jchristman@arkansasonline.com
ActiveStyle on 02/12/2018