During product development of @fitlato we aimed to create a great tasting product but we also wanted to create a product that ethically matched our personalities. After researching all the sugar replacements on the market they not only had to be derived from nature we also looked for ones that had additional benefits.

Xyltiol has been shown to prevent dental caries with regular consumption in addition it is also approved by the American Diabetes Association as a suitable sugar substitutes for diabetics. Xylitol has been heavily researched for its role in prevention of dental cavities. Naturally occurring in fruits, vegetables and berries it is artificially manufactured from xylan-rich plant materials such as birch and beechwood. Xylitol has been accepted as a natural sweetener approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry.

Xylitol inhibits the growth of the bacteria that causes dental cavities. It does this because these bacteria (Steptococcus Mutans) cannot utilise xylitol to grow. Over time with xylitol use, the quality of the bacteria in the mouth changes and fewer and fewer decay-causing bacteria survive on tooth surfaces. Less plaque forms and the level of acids attacking the tooth surface is lowered. Decay-producing bacteria (Streptococcus Mutans (SM)) is also passed from mothers to their newborn children. Reducing the overall bacterial load in mothers therefore reduces bacterial transmission resulting in fewer cavities for the child.

These were some of the most heavily researched benefits we found when selecting xylitol as one of our sugar substitutes for @fitlato during product development. In addition to these widely researched benefits in preventing/ reducing dental caries xylitol has also been approved by the American Diabetes Association as a suitable sugar substitute. Xylitol has a lower glycemic index that sugar (100 vs 7 ) which attributes to a large reduction in insulin spike vs sugar and xylitol also has fewer calories.

The final tick of approval was the taste test!! Well xylitol trumps all other sugar substitutes on this front. Research has indicated that the sweetness level, mouth feel and taste of xylitol was the most like sugar. We here @fitlato totally agree with this. 

If you are like us and #Sugar is hindering the progress in your weight loss #goals than this is a #GameChanger. During the product development of @fitlato Indi and Jane trailed and tested nearly every polyol on the market. Polyols are a group of sugar alcohols all with varying sweetness and caloric contribution mostly  derived from nature. During development we read what others had done, what other were using, and talked about what we thought we could improve. In addition we also had many meetings with food scientists and nutritionists to find the best from around the world, combining them to create the taste explosion that is fit-lato, using only natural polyols making it #Naturallysweet.

The polyols sometimes get a bad wrap for aggravating the gut which they can. However they also carry a large number of health benefits ( e.g. don't spike insulin, fight dental caries, are lower in calories, improve gut motility). The other crucial factor in the development of our product was to ensure we meet the nutritional goals, while managing the negative polyol effects yet have the best taste and texture possible.

After all our research we settled on a combination erythritol, xylitol, vegetable glycerol and natural stevia leaf. We use erythritol in the largest amount as it has the least effect on gut irritation ( also in @remedydrinks kombucha ) and is the lowest in calories 0.2kcal/g , followed by xylitol 3kcal/g then only the tiniest amount of stevia 0kcal/g as it is disgusting any higher than like 0.25g /kg. We had to add vegetable glycerol after long debate because it is the has the highest antifreeze (it works really well as a humiticant and powerful antifreeze) , a drop helped to improve texture and provide a warming affect in the pallet ( as the other polyols can have a cooling effect).

The combination and at the recommended serving size was all taken into strong scrutiny when formulating @fitlato and making the nutritional panel.We also had 2 choices for suitable fibres/ fillers. All gelato or icecream needs a filler, otherwise it will just be a hard icy mess which you cannot scoop or enjoy ( let's face it what's the point if not enjoyable). After conflicting evidence from 2 of the largest food technology companies in the world we settled on polydextrose over inulin (stated on some labels as prebiotic fibre). Both companies were stating their product had the lowest incidence of laxative effects however during testing both we found polydextrose had the least ( please do not take this as gospel as it was not a clinical trial, just our observation).

Finally our best find was our fit-flax. Our fit-flax is flaxseed membrane which enabled us to remove all gums, no xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean, carrageenan. The best part is that is is so powerful the dosage is so small, it's all natural and vegan. So over the past year we have been testing, week in week out, asking our customers for feedback. Talking to the best in the food industry to get a product on the shelf we can be truly proud of. We are in the process of packaging our no-sugar blend and our fit-flax as we have been able to transfer the use of these products into the kitchen and my baked goods are coming out amazingly. If you love sugar free, naturally sweet baking we can help you. 

This black bean mud cake is the fudgiest, most delicious indulgent tasting yet #guiltfree treat. Best enjoyed with a scoop of Fit-lato. 

Macro Mud Cake 

Ingredients

• 1 can of black beans juices and all
• 100g of apple puree ( https://spc.com.au/product/spc-apple-puree-4-x-120g/ )
• 120g of Egg whites 
• 80g Botanika Blends Cake Batter Protein ( https://botanikablends.com.au/ )
• 75g Fit-lato No-Sugar Blend
• 50g Cocoa powder 
• 5g Baking Soda
• 5g Baking Powder
• 50g Kirkland Dark Chocolate Chips 

Method

1. Blend all the wet ingredients 
2. Add them to the dry ingredients  
3. Put into a loaf tin 
4. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes (until you can pull a skewer out without batter sticking)

Macros 

CALORIES 111

FATS 4

CARBS 10

PROTEIN 10