I found a sweet trend wandering around the exhibit hall of the recent American Dietetic Association meeting. The search for the perfect calorie-free sweetener continues. The commonly used zero-calorie sweeteners, Equal and Splenda, make some consumers uneasy, even though they come with a long history of safe use and are FDA-approved.

Use of stevia, a plant-based natural sweetener used for centuries by native people in South America is increasing. Stevioside, the main ingredient in stevia, is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and essentially calorie-free. Stevia entered the U.S. market classified as a dietary supplement and is not sold with other sweeteners. The unanswered question to some is whether using large amounts would pose a problem. Some dieters tend to go overboard when they find and like a calorie-free product. The other issue to many, including me, is the taste -- it definitely needs to be acquired.

Coca Cola, in partnership with Cargill, has now jumped into the stevia market with Truvia. Pepsi, with Whole Earth Sweetener, will be introducing PureVia. These products are produced from rebaudioside, the sweeter and better-tasting part of the stevia plant.

Truvia and PureVia, as opposed to stevia, will sit on the shelf next to other calorie-free sweeteners. I have tried both and found them tasty. These products will appeal to people looking for a more ''natural'' calorie-free sweetener. Expect to find them in drinks and other foods.

Diet soda and calorie-free sweeteners have risen in popularity along with our waist sizes and weight. Take them for what they are, a lower calorie beverage or snack, but do not think they are the magical road to weight loss.

Sheah Rarback is a registered dietitian at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami.

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