Hidden Carbs - Bars

[Sarah]

Hi Everyone, just finished doing some calculations, so I thought I'd share:

There's not much mystery about why these bars cause stalls - they contain a lot more carbs than the labels indicate. The statements about why the carbs from glycerine,
polydextrose, maltitol, litese, etc...are not included in the carb count are very questionable. If it counts as a calorie, and you digest it, and it is a carbohydrate, you
should be counting it.

By doing the basic calorie calculations (total calories, minus fat calories, minus protein calories = carb calories at 4 calories per gram) I recently took a closer look at the
real carb counts of Atkins Bars

Almond Brownie: 15grams of carbs - 2grams fibre = 13g carbs
Banana Colada : 8.75 g - 1g = 7.75 g carbs
Chocolate Coconut: 15.25g - 1g = 14.25g carbs
Chocolate Macadamia: 7g - 1g = 6 g carbs
Chocolate Peanut Butter: 6.25g - 1.2g = 5.05g carbs
Chocolate Raspberry: 6.5g - 1g = 5.25g
Chunky Peanut Butter: 4g - 1g = 3g
Chocolate Macadamia: 10.25g - 2g = 8.25g
Praline Crunch: 5g - .1g = 4.9g

As you can see, some of the bars are really not that bad, but some are carbohydrate whoppers. If you can eat them and still lose, go for it. But if you are stalled out and
wondering why - don't forget the real carb count of these "snacks". (I'm not picking on Atkins, here, other brands are just as bad or worse!)

[doreen T]

Yes, the carbs and calories in sugar alcohols definitely do count, even if they aren't represented on the label. At the present time, manufacturers are not required by law to disclose the carb counts for maltitol, sorbitol, maltodextrin, glycerine, etc.... since the guidelines for their declaration haven't yet been set down, as they have for sugars, starch and fiber. The Canadian Diabetes Association is pressing for these ingredients to be counted as full carbs.

Folks should be prepared for their favourite "sugar-free" treats, which currently claim only 2 or 3 carb grams per serving, to someday be showing 12 or 15 carbs per serving. The recipe won't have changed a bit, it's just that the manufacturer will no longer be able to take advantage of a loop-hole in labelling regulations.

thanks again for this important information

Doreen

[alan]

Thanks Sarah,

I have been over indulging on my Carb Solutions high protein bars (Chocolate Fudge Almond) and probably that is the reason I am not losing any more weight. Each bar is 230 calories and 80 is from fat. It claims to be 2gr of carbohydrate but I don't know how true that is after your post.

Label contains the statemeny "Glycein, polydextrose,xylitol, and malitol are not included in the calorie count, have been omitted from the Total Carbohydrate count as they have only a negligible impact on blood sugar levels".

Is this the same type of statement that is found on the Atkins bars.

[Karen]

Hi Allan,

On our Home Page in the orange bar at the top, are Low Carb Tools. There is a nutrient database and a Hidden Carb Calculator. If you plug in the numbers from the back of the bar, you can see if there are any hidden carbs.

Karen

[PatHawk]

This is incredible:eek:
How do these manufacturers get away with this kind of stuff:confused: Especially when they are advertised as low carb products. It makes me angry, cause they are very expensive and not always easy to find/purchase, and then we find out that they may be misrepresenting the carb content.
Very good to know, especially when there is a corresponding change in weight that is not immediately obvious as to why.
Thanks for sharing this with us.:)

[cocoa8]

I think the Atkin's bars are the lowest in the hidden carbs. I always do the calculations before I buy any new protein bar that comes out. I found that bars that say 2-3 grams are really as high as 20 g!So far I think the biochem brand are the highest. The Carb Solutions are pretty high too.

[bluugirl]

wow that's amazing- i had no idea. I usually have an atkins advantage bar/day - i started recently since i wanted something tasty and fast to snack on or for lunch. actually they are so sweet tasting, i usually end up eating half of one, then i eat the rest later. if that's the case avout the hidden carbs, then what does one snack on once they are sick of cheese ?
i purchased beef jerky today - first time i'm trying it, unfortunately i didn't like it one bit. plus i don't eat products made with pork (personal reasons).

[LCasa90125]

OMG, I had no idea either,
well... that's not entirely true... I suspected something was up and basically stopped eating any of the bars because of how I would feel after I ate some of them. Especially the Biochem vanilla, they actually have 'sugar' grams in them.

I'd feel like I got sick after eating them and didn't know why until I read the content counts... and even then, it didn't seem like it was enough to make me sick... Seeing now, how the hidden carbs add even more, I understand.

Darn, they taste so good too... :( And it's ashame the #$%^*& government lets this happen, but not suprising any more...

Now I keep them for emergency's only, and my son was eating them as meal replacements. But that's it... after these are gone, I'm not buying any more ever again.
Laurie

[alan]

Laurie,

Everyone needs something to carry them through the rough time. (My rough time is after dinner)

How about giving this a shot. Buy one box of Sugar Free, Fat Free, Instant Chocolate Pudding and mix it with 16 oz (2 cups) of heavy whipping cream. Put it in you mix master and blend until it is mixed thoughly. Now the funny part.
Take a one gallon zip lock bag and pour the mixture into the bag and zip lock it. Then using your countertop smooth the mixtue out so it fills the entire surface of the bag. Using something stiff (carboard etc.) move the bag into the freezer. Total 48 carbs. but if you do as I do and only break off a reasonable chunk its a great treat and a hell of a lot cheaper than those lying bars. Good Luck

[grawen]

I like those Atkins Chocolate Mocha Crunch bars... but you didn't have them on your list. Now I'm curious!

[eebee]

Are there any low carb bars that are honest? The Carbsmart site http://store.yahoo.com/carbsmart/labelingfaq.html
has info about bars not declaring the full carb count but doesn't indicate which ones are OK

[Karen]

They're all walkin' on the 'shady' side of the street. Or do you guys say 'dodgy'?

Karen

[eebee]

Dodgy yes- but of course we are all bi lingual and speak American too nowadays!

[Karen]

Hey! I'm speaking Canadian. Can't you tell that I'm pronouncing words like flavour instead of flavor and colour instead of color? Eh? !LOL!;)



Karen

[eebee]

I think we will all be spelling everything the same soon thanks to Microsoft spell-checkers!

[r.mines]

Ah, but spell-check comes in multiple flavours too - from American English to Zimbabwe English! Yes indeedy, there is even a New Zealand flavour! I usually spell in Canadian, eh.

Rachel

[KetoKaren]

Ok, I have an idea. It's not a good idea, but it'd make me feel better.

How about we sit Dr. Atkins down and ask him to eat a Milky Way Fun size bar just so he can remember what 14.25 grams of sugary carbs running merrily through the bloodstream feel like (or I suppose we could ask him to eat an Atkins Chocolate Coconut bar instead) . ;)

[bluugirl]

LOL

[Ophelia]

Now I'm suspicious!!!! Does anyone know if Atkins Chocolate Shake Mix
really does have only 2g. carbs per serving (2 scoops) or whether there
are undeclared carbs here as well?
Thanks!

[alan]

Ophelia,

I checked the wording on the Low Carb Shake Mix and I cannot find the same comments that were on the bars that led posters to claim that there were hidden carbs in the bars.

In my opinion the shakes are OK but I am just one voice in the wind.

Alan

[bluugirl]

Can you list the #of carbs, #of protein, # of fat, and total calories per serving ? it's a simple calculation

[doreen T]

.. and the ingredients list would be helpful too ... sometimes the reason the carbs are hidden is because the manufacturer doesn't declare them in the first place in the nutrient data.

Doreen

[Ophelia]

There is no listing of calories, protein, carbs etc. on the Shake Mix package -- only vitamins, minerals etc., so I can't do the calculation! (the alleged carb count of 2 comes from the Atkins catalogue, not from the package). The ingredients listed are: Calcium Caseinate, Milk Protein Concentrate, Egg Whites, Glutamine Peptides, Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Isolate, Dutch Cocoa, Sunflower Oil - Polydextrose, Lecithin, Guar Gum, Vanillin, Acesulfame Potassium. Does that help?
Thanks!

[eebee]

This bar comes out well using the calculator-I must be doing something wrong! Can anyone spot what?

"AdvantEdge® Carb Control™ Nutrition Bar

Nutritional Facts
Serving size 1 bar
Amount Per Serving
General Nutrition
Calories 200
Calories from Fat 45
Total Fat 5 g
Sugars 2 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol >5 mg
Total Carbohydrates 2.5 g
Sodium 125 mg
Potassium 80 mg
Dietary Fiber 3 g
Protein 24 g
Vitamins % minerals
Selenium 30 %
Biotin 30 %
Vitamin A 30 %
Vitamin D 30 %
Thiamin 30 %
Niacin 30 %
Phosphorus 20 %
Molybdenum 30 %
Pantothenic Acid 30 %
Chromium 30 %
Vitamin K 30 %
Riboflavin 30 %
Vitamin B12 35 %
Vitamin E 30 %
Iodine 30 %
Copper 30 %
Magnesium 10 %
Vitamin B6 30 %
Vitamin C 30 %
Calcium 25 %
Zinc 30 %
Folate 30 %
Manganese 30 %
Iron 30 %
Ingredients:
Protein Blend (calcium casseinate, hydrolyzed gelatin, whey protein isolate, soy protein isolate, milk protein isolate and whey protein concentrate), glycerine, water, casein, oligofructose, maltitol, palm and palm kernel oils, canola oil. nAtural flavors, skim milk powder, milk mineral concentrate, soy bean oil, yogurt solids, malic acid, monoglycerides, citric acid, licorice root extract, lecithim, salt, tumeric oleorosin color, vitamin and mineral blend (ascorbic acid, magnesium oxide, copper gluconate, ferric orthophosphate, dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, biotin, niacinamide, zinc oxide, beta-carotene, calcium pantothenate, Vitamin A palmitate, phytonadione, pyridoxine hydrochloride, manganese sulfate, riboflavin, thiamin mononitrate, cholecalciferol, potassium iodide, mixed tocopherols, cyanoccobalamin, chromium chloride, folic acid, sodium molybdate and sodium selenite), maltodextrins and sucralose. May contain traces of peanuts, various nuts and seeds. "
:confused:

[bluugirl]

is this bar counting fiber or not? total carbs is 2.5g....fiber 3g, sugar is 2g...


cals from fat = 9*5=45
cals from carbs = 4*2.5 = 10
cals from protein =4 *24= 96
total= 45+10+96= 151cal

package says 200..

200-151 = 49cals not accounted for?
49/4=12.25g extra carbs?

i'm really not sure about this calculation...

[bluugirl]

or maybe its 12.25-3(for the fiber) = 9.25g extra carbs ?

[eebee]

I dont know - this is all the info it gives on the site. The Url is http://www.eas.co.nz/

[alan]

Hi eebee,

Boy you must love to type to get all the data from the package. I have lost about 45lbs over 6 months but I am at a plateau for the past 6 weeks. Don't really mind as it gives me a new jumping off point when I am ready.

What # of carbs do you stay under in order to keep losing weight? I have trouble counting but we eat bacon/eggs or moch french toast for Breakfast. A green salad with either chicken/tuna on the side and dinner consists of meat/fish with moch potatoes mixed with leafy spinach. For dessert we eat moch cheese cake at dinner and a low carb jello dessert at lunchtime.

[bluugirl]

moch?

[eebee]

Hi Allen. I didnt type I copied and pasted from the info on the site!

I seem to have to stay at 20 grams to lose weight but I think that that is because I am very wicked and include wine in my daily intake! We have such lovely wine shere and after work it is hard to change my habits and give it up so I haven't yet. Also it may be my age I found weigh tloss a doddle in my 30s but now I am 55 it is a lot harder. I am happy to take it slowly and still enjoy my life though.:D

[eebee]

Alan- my apologies for spelling your name wrongly in my last post. Also could you please tell us what moch is?

[alan]

Hi eebee,

Good friends of mine just returned from trip to NZ and AUS. They said it was quite cold in Christchurch and warmed slowly as they headed up toward Aukland.
Loved the scenery and took many photos.

I own a stock and chat with a guy who lives in NZ by the name of Paul Bright. His wife teaches dance and he too often speaks of the high quality of NZ wine.

My son is stationed in HI and when I go to see him in October if I haven't started losing I am going back on induction program. I am too far away from my goal. Nice chatting with you.

[doreen T]

Originally posted by eebee
.....could you please tell us what moch is? hi eebee,

I'm going to make a guess here that moch is a typo ... the word is actually MOCK potatoes. Some of us call it FAUX-tatoes ... mashed cauliflower, with butter, a little cream or cream cheese, and other adornments is an clever imposter for the high-carb potato.

Try it, you'll like it ;)

Doreen

[alan]

Another change of pace is to take the normal mock potato recipe and add a cooked pkg of frozen leaf or chopped spinach (well drained)

I remember as a kid that was the way my mom got me to eat spinach and I guess I never lost the taste for it that way.

Anyone have a good idea as to how to come up with a low carb meat sauce. We are tired of sauteed mushrooms and onions. Like to use it with meatballs.

Karen, any input on this request would be appreciated.

Al

[IslandGirl]

Greetings!

For a quick reference, check out this site as an intro to LC Pasta ideas (yep, including a nice simple sauce for those meatballs) from the Aussie Gourmet.
http://stores.yahoo.com/carbsmart/lcpasta.html

I recommend HIS webpage, too. More sauces and sauce ideas than you can shake a stick at AND he's in your corner of the world!
http://www.carb-lite.au.com/


Have you had an eyeball at Karen's recipes here on site? Some great sauce ideas there (cream, bacon & thyme!) and the link is on the red bar above!

Or our reader recipes section? Enjoy.

[Jackie K.]

I just read this post. I also eat one carb solution bar a day. Now it does make sense, that I am stuck. I tried to lower my carbs, and thought these bars would be good. Well, that figures, they are good tasting. So now I got to give them up or at least watch out eating them.
It's a real eye opener. I just looked for the # of carbs. And see that it's low and I grab it. I've been stuck for over a month now. And even not feeling to well, I still can't lose the weight but gained 2 lbs. Maybe there's a reason for it now.

[mary nappi]

i found that these low carb bars also effected my weight loss to. i use to have one in the morning with my coffee, and one maybe for a snack later on in the day, but my weight got to be stalled and i couldn't figure out why until i heard about this thing about the low carb bars. so i cut back on them now and it has helped me alot. i still eat one once in awhile when i'm on the go and can't eat a regular meal, but at no other time.
i don't think a lot of dieters know of this.
mary