A Healthy Way to Avoid Refined Sugar Stevia is a 100 % natural sweetener with no calories. It comes from a green leafy plant that is native to South America. Cooking with Stevia is a good way to avoid refined sugar and artificial sweeteners and may have other health benefits as well. A little goes a long way, only one teaspoon has the sweetening power of about one cup of sugar. There are several ways to buy stevia for the most health benefits and for cooking. Shop around for organic brands with the most stevioside which is the sweet compound of stevia. Inside you will find my favorite recipes...