Sucralose or stevia: what is the difference?
Sucralose and stevia both add sweetness with little impact on the energy total of a typical serving. Their ingredients, flavours and behaviour in recipes are not quite the same.
How they are made
Sucralose is a sweetener made by altering the structure of sugar, creating an ingredient that tastes very sweet in tiny amounts. Although it starts with sugar, the finished sweetener is different from ordinary table sugar.
Stevia sweeteners come from compounds called steviol glycosides, which are extracted and purified from stevia leaves. A label may list a particular glycoside or simply describe the ingredient as steviol glycosides.
Taste and texture
Both sweeteners are much sweeter than sugar, so only a small quantity is needed. Sucralose often has a sugar-like sweetness, while stevia can have a herbal, liquorice-like or slightly bitter finish, depending on the product and your own taste.
Neither ingredient provides the same bulk, browning or texture as sugar. Tabletop versions are therefore often mixed with other ingredients to make them easier to spoon, pour or use in recipes, and those additions can change the nutrition entry.
Using them in food and cooking
Sucralose can be used in many hot and cold preparations, although suitability for cooking depends on the particular product. Stevia can also work in hot and cold foods, but its noticeable aftertaste may be stronger in simple recipes where there are few other flavours.
Replacing sugar is not always a direct swap because sugar does more than sweeten. In baking, it can affect moisture, colour, structure and volume, so follow the product's conversion guidance rather than assuming equal spoonfuls will behave alike.
What to record in your tracker
For a pure high-intensity sweetener, the amount used is usually too small to contribute much energy. However, granulated sachets, spoonable blends and foods made with these sweeteners may contain other carbohydrates or ingredients, so check the full label rather than logging the sweetener name alone.
Choose the entry that matches the exact form and serving shown on the packaging. The more useful option is the one whose taste suits your food, whose format works for your recipe and whose label lets you record what you actually used.