That's So Vanilla

The secret to sweet satisfaction

Vanilla is an all-time favorite flavor enhancer for everything from ice cream to baked goods.  It’s versatile, familiar and comforting – what could be better?  Well, what if we told you that adding a few drops of vanilla to drinks could make them seem sweeter, without the added calories of sugar? 

According to a study published in Food Quality and Preference its true!  Researchers from Penn State implemented a blind taste test, providing participants with either chocolate milk or chocolate milk with vanilla added.  Consistently, tasters identified the vanilla version as significantly sweeter.  They contribute the finding to “learned odor” which essentially tricks the brain into thinking something is sweeter than it really is!  With these findings, the amount of sugar in re-formulated chocolate milks may be reduced up to 20-50%! 

The average 8oz chocolate milk has about 200 calories and 3 teaspoons of added sugar, and because it’s recommended to get no more than 10 teaspoons of added sugar a day, these findings have potential for significant impact in reducing childhood obesity. 

Vanilla may just be the secret to why our Banana Coconut Almond Hot Tea is so satisfying!  Give it a try! 

Published December 1st 2019