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Dieter (and Diabetic) Guide to Buying Chocolate
You have to be looking for it but when you do, you realize the sugar-free chocolate market has exploded! Clearly while I was minding my own business this past year, chewing on chocolate covered almonds, various companies have come out with sugar-free options. What I found was certain drug stores and supermarkets had certain brands of sugar free chocolate. So if you are looking for a specific brand, keep going to different stores, you might just find it.
My introduction to sugar-free chocolate occurred when I was conducting a taste test of sugar-free chocolate for an article I was writing for WebMD. What I found out was that the sugar replacement du jour for sugar-free chocolates is maltitol (a sugar alcohol). Almost all of the companies are using it to make their sugar free chocolate.
This group of sugar replacers (which includes sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, and isomalt, in addition to maltitol) is particularly helpful to people with diabetes because only a portion of it is digested and absorbed. And the part that is absorbed through the intestinal tract is absorbed slowly, so there is little rise in blood sugar and little need for insulin.
Sound too good to be true? There's a downside to sugar free chocolate that everyone should know about.
Downside #1: Intestinal Discomfort Could Be In Your Future
Warning labels are there on these sugar-free chocolate packages for good reason. In fine print on pretty much all of the packages of the sugar-free chocolate, it reads "Excessive consumption may cause a laxative effect." This warning is there because when some people enjoy a certain amount of sugar-free chocolate that contains maltitol (or another sugar alcohol), there could be some resulting intestinal discomfort and a mild laxative effect. This is thanks to the part of the sugar alcohol that isn't digested or absorbed. It goes through the intestinal tract and starts to ferment and attract water into the intestinal tract. A certain, individualized amount of discomfort, ranging from gas to diarrhea can result, depending on the amount consumed and each person's intestinal tract. I call this a little extra motivation to eat these chocolates in moderation!
The American Dietetic Association advises that more than 50 grams of sorbitol or 20 grams of mannitol per day can cause diarrhea. You can see the amount of sugar alcohol in a serving of each sugar-free chocolate product by reading the nutrition information label. The label will tell you how many grams of maltitol, for example, is in each serving. For the Dove Mint Creme product, for example, it's 17 grams of "sugar alcohols" per 5 pieces or 40 grams of chocolate. Each serving on the package should be a pretty reasonable amount of chocolate, an amount you probably don't want to go beyond calorie-wise.
Downside #2: Sugar-Free doesn't mean Saturated-Fat Free or Calorie-Free
There are basically two things that make chocolate the food of the Gods that we appreciate so much, one is the sweet ingredient (in the case of sugar-free chocolate it's maltitol), and the other is cocoa butter. Cocoa butter happens to be rich in saturated fat so that's why you'll notice for many of these products this particular number can get rather high on the Nutrition Facts label. Five pieces of Russell Stover Sugar Free Chocolate Candy Miniatures (a 40 gram serving) add up to 190 calories, 14 grams of fat and 9 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of fiber, and 0 grams sugar (20 grams sugar alcohol).
To Top Tasters
There were a few brands that most of my tasters really liked and would buy again (myself included). So...to save you some trouble, here are the top tasting sugar-free chocolates:
* Galler Belgian Royal, made in Belgium (available at Whole Foods Markets)
Taste comments: Taste and texture is great! This brand fooled me into thinking it was regular chocolate. I would definitely buy this chocolate again and again. It has that smooth and creamy Swiss chocolate taste and texture.
How much did it cost? About $5.99 for a 100-gram bar
* Dove Sugar-Free Rich Dark Chocolates with Chocolate Crème (also comes in Raspberry Crème option)
Taste comments: nice smooth texture and rich dark chocolate taste>
How much did it cost? $3.29 for a 96-gram bag
* Yamate Chocolatier Sugar Free Milk (available at Whole Foods Markets)
Taste comments: nice creamy texture and rich chocolate flavor.
How much did it cost? $3.39 for an 85-gram bar
* Weight Watchers Pecan Crowns (contains some sugar)
Taste comments: Caramel texture is good—thick and chewy. Very satisfying to the bite. Tastes like a regular, delicious turtle candy.
How much did it cost? $2.99 for an 85-gram bag
* Nestle Turtles Sugar Free
Taste comments: Okay caramel flavor. Texture is off, too runny, melts away too soon. Slightly off flavor but otherwise tastes pretty good.
How much did it cost? $1.99 for a 92-gram bag
Are There Calorie Savings?
The good news is YES there are calorie savings. The bad news is it isn't a really impressive amount. The 40-gram serving of Dove sugar-free chocolate will cost you 190 calories while the same amount of regular milk chocolate totals around 210 calories. If this is a daily calorie savings of 20 calories, then the weekly savings could potentially be 140 calories and the monthly savings, 560. When we put it that way, it sounds pretty good doesn't it?
The Bottom Line
There are definitely some brands of sugar-free chocolate that seem to be doing a great job and that many people would probably buy again. The intestinal effects of larger amounts of the sugar replacer used in sugar free chocolate, maltitol, is extra motivation to stick to the serving size (or less) listed on the package. The calorie savings are small but they can add up for someone who really likes to have a little bit of chocolate every day. But the person these new products would benefit the most is someone with diabetes who would like to enjoy a little bite of chocolate without worry of it raising their blood sugar levels. And for this benefit, many of these sugar-free chocolates are worth their weight in gold. For some of us who don't have diabetes or who have perhaps Irritable Bowel Syndrome... small satisfying bites of regular chocolate might be in order.
Now, if you don't mind,I believe it's time for me to enjoy some chocolate.
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Sugar-Free Chocolate Pudding Recipe, Chocolate Recipes to Diet(t) For
Technorati Tags: chocolate, sugarfreechocolate, diabetes, diet, weightloss
My introduction to sugar-free chocolate occurred when I was conducting a taste test of sugar-free chocolate for an article I was writing for WebMD. What I found out was that the sugar replacement du jour for sugar-free chocolates is maltitol (a sugar alcohol). Almost all of the companies are using it to make their sugar free chocolate.
This group of sugar replacers (which includes sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, and isomalt, in addition to maltitol) is particularly helpful to people with diabetes because only a portion of it is digested and absorbed. And the part that is absorbed through the intestinal tract is absorbed slowly, so there is little rise in blood sugar and little need for insulin.
Sound too good to be true? There's a downside to sugar free chocolate that everyone should know about.
Downside #1: Intestinal Discomfort Could Be In Your Future
Warning labels are there on these sugar-free chocolate packages for good reason. In fine print on pretty much all of the packages of the sugar-free chocolate, it reads "Excessive consumption may cause a laxative effect." This warning is there because when some people enjoy a certain amount of sugar-free chocolate that contains maltitol (or another sugar alcohol), there could be some resulting intestinal discomfort and a mild laxative effect. This is thanks to the part of the sugar alcohol that isn't digested or absorbed. It goes through the intestinal tract and starts to ferment and attract water into the intestinal tract. A certain, individualized amount of discomfort, ranging from gas to diarrhea can result, depending on the amount consumed and each person's intestinal tract. I call this a little extra motivation to eat these chocolates in moderation!
The American Dietetic Association advises that more than 50 grams of sorbitol or 20 grams of mannitol per day can cause diarrhea. You can see the amount of sugar alcohol in a serving of each sugar-free chocolate product by reading the nutrition information label. The label will tell you how many grams of maltitol, for example, is in each serving. For the Dove Mint Creme product, for example, it's 17 grams of "sugar alcohols" per 5 pieces or 40 grams of chocolate. Each serving on the package should be a pretty reasonable amount of chocolate, an amount you probably don't want to go beyond calorie-wise.
Downside #2: Sugar-Free doesn't mean Saturated-Fat Free or Calorie-Free
There are basically two things that make chocolate the food of the Gods that we appreciate so much, one is the sweet ingredient (in the case of sugar-free chocolate it's maltitol), and the other is cocoa butter. Cocoa butter happens to be rich in saturated fat so that's why you'll notice for many of these products this particular number can get rather high on the Nutrition Facts label. Five pieces of Russell Stover Sugar Free Chocolate Candy Miniatures (a 40 gram serving) add up to 190 calories, 14 grams of fat and 9 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of fiber, and 0 grams sugar (20 grams sugar alcohol).
To Top Tasters
There were a few brands that most of my tasters really liked and would buy again (myself included). So...to save you some trouble, here are the top tasting sugar-free chocolates:
* Galler Belgian Royal, made in Belgium (available at Whole Foods Markets)
Taste comments: Taste and texture is great! This brand fooled me into thinking it was regular chocolate. I would definitely buy this chocolate again and again. It has that smooth and creamy Swiss chocolate taste and texture.
How much did it cost? About $5.99 for a 100-gram bar
* Dove Sugar-Free Rich Dark Chocolates with Chocolate Crème (also comes in Raspberry Crème option)
Taste comments: nice smooth texture and rich dark chocolate taste>
How much did it cost? $3.29 for a 96-gram bag
* Yamate Chocolatier Sugar Free Milk (available at Whole Foods Markets)
Taste comments: nice creamy texture and rich chocolate flavor.
How much did it cost? $3.39 for an 85-gram bar
* Weight Watchers Pecan Crowns (contains some sugar)
Taste comments: Caramel texture is good—thick and chewy. Very satisfying to the bite. Tastes like a regular, delicious turtle candy.
How much did it cost? $2.99 for an 85-gram bag
* Nestle Turtles Sugar Free
Taste comments: Okay caramel flavor. Texture is off, too runny, melts away too soon. Slightly off flavor but otherwise tastes pretty good.
How much did it cost? $1.99 for a 92-gram bag
Are There Calorie Savings?
The good news is YES there are calorie savings. The bad news is it isn't a really impressive amount. The 40-gram serving of Dove sugar-free chocolate will cost you 190 calories while the same amount of regular milk chocolate totals around 210 calories. If this is a daily calorie savings of 20 calories, then the weekly savings could potentially be 140 calories and the monthly savings, 560. When we put it that way, it sounds pretty good doesn't it?
The Bottom Line
There are definitely some brands of sugar-free chocolate that seem to be doing a great job and that many people would probably buy again. The intestinal effects of larger amounts of the sugar replacer used in sugar free chocolate, maltitol, is extra motivation to stick to the serving size (or less) listed on the package. The calorie savings are small but they can add up for someone who really likes to have a little bit of chocolate every day. But the person these new products would benefit the most is someone with diabetes who would like to enjoy a little bite of chocolate without worry of it raising their blood sugar levels. And for this benefit, many of these sugar-free chocolates are worth their weight in gold. For some of us who don't have diabetes or who have perhaps Irritable Bowel Syndrome... small satisfying bites of regular chocolate might be in order.
Now, if you don't mind,I believe it's time for me to enjoy some chocolate.
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Sugar-Free Chocolate Pudding Recipe, Chocolate Recipes to Diet(t) For
Technorati Tags: chocolate, sugarfreechocolate, diabetes, diet, weightloss
13 Comments:
I am looking for information ( books, websites ) on foods / drinks for my partner, who has ( been diagnosed with AIDS but is doing quite well) Chronic Liver Disease / Cirrhosis. He is currently not on HIV meds but his doctor is working on it. Food is becoming distasteful, it nauseates him. So I am looking for recipes that woud be beneficial to him.
Thanks,
Allen
Im looking for some basic food charts.
Im undergoing GNY surgery end of the month and need a simple chart on Protein I know the basics but need something I can use for ideas for shopping and eating out!
My choice is Yamate Chocolatier..
since i cant eat nesquick, it's only way to go..
I have two suggestions. Boost and other nutritional drinks make drinks for diabetics. Also, I make this strawberry shake. It's heavy in protein which might be good because he probably isn't eating well. The recipe is:
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1/4 cup old fashioned cooking oats
4 packets of sweetner
small amount of fat free milk for mixing
Directions: put the milk in the bottom of your blender. Add all other ingredients until smooth. The cottage cheese may sound grose but it is really good. This drink can easily be a meal in itself. It is really good if you sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on the top. I adapted this recipe from Winsor Pilates. You definitely want to check with his doctor to ensure that all ingredients are appropriate with respect to his medical conditions. I hope that I have been able to be of some help to him.
Andrea
went to walmart and bought sugar free ice cream and sugar free choclate syrup. both used splenda instead. the ice cream was ok, but the chocolate syrup was bitter. splenda didnt take the bitter taste out of the chocolate, so i tossed it--it was terrible
just a warning,
rdt
Thanks Elaine for setting me straight on the malitol causing intestinal distress. My mother had diabetes and when she ate too much it caused the distress and I, her daughter, borderline diabetes, have the same problem. Now I know why. I'm going to stick to the serving size from now on...BB
I am diabetic and have always been a chocolate lover. Unfortunately, my system will not tolerate even small amounts of the sugar replacements used to make sugar-free candies, cookies, ice cream, etc.
The only thing I have found that can give me that illusion of eating/drinking chocolate is General Food International Suisse Mocha sugar-free naturally decaffeinated low calorie coffee drink mix. I mix it with my regular decaf coffee and have no unpleasant side affects from it.
I have had a serious IBS upset with many tests being done and confirming IBS again. I was doing well until yesterday I bought sugar free ice cream had a couple of servings last evening and this AM had a serious case of diabetes like I had been having. The difference was Maltitol the one last night had it, the one I was buying always did not. It took serious research to discover how this episode this AM happened again. I looked at the label and discovered the sugar free ice cream I was using did not have Maltitol the one bought yesterday did have. This will have to be flagged when buying sugar free items. A friend clued me into the Maltitol.
Girl..
I wanted to know if anything would happen if a person who is diabetic eats these sugarfree chocolates on a daily basis be of any harm..Does somebody have a chart of the amount of intake of food for diabetic people.
I'd be interested to see the list of chocolates you tasted... As a diabetic, I prefer amber lyn sugar free chocolates.
I prefer CarbSafe "LOW EFFECTIVE CARB - SUGAR FREE Dark Chocolate bars from Trader Joe's. 15g carbs and 5g fat per serving They also make a milk chocolate version. It too has the maltitol effect, so I have just two squares to satisfy my chocolate cravings.
I too love the trader joes Carbsafe brand chocolate. But I prefer the mild as opposed to the dark. It's delicious.
Hello and Thank you so much for the Heads Up on the Manitol. I knew I got the trots when I ate manitol. I love the wafer cookies with the cream inside and a friend and I got them and sure nuf both of us got the runs. so we figured it was the manitol, now why the rest of the alcohols don't bother me, I do not know.
Also,to Andrea who left the awesome protein drink recipe , sound so good, but I also have cirrosis and I am awaiting word to be on list for Liver Transplant. I have Hep.c and we are not suppose to have a lot of protein. So Allen ck first with your partners doctor.Please. I know exactly what he is going thru with the nausea and not wanting to eat I was told to drink to stay hydrated,try Boost but I use the walmart brand Equate, much cheaper. And also keep some pedialyte on hand, awful but works for the electrolytes. I have tried a lot of things to eat, mainly easy to eat and quick. jello , puddngs, all sugar free as I am type 2 diabetic also, and I have Ibs,
I like soups very much so easy for me to eat. My sister is a pro cook so am I so we have some expertise in the cooking area,and also I am certified herbalist and took nutrition as a course also, so adding herbs and spices , mild of course, is a must. I love salmon, not in can, with citrus marinate, and steamed veggies, easy to eat. Some thing he does not have to chew, makes for a lot easier to deal with food. Just some ideas, also ck out google for lots of sites for different recipes. He must force himself to eat and then gets easier, I know, I would not eat and only got worse. Staying healthy is the only way he will be able to tolerate the treatments. I know from experience. Good Luck and much Love , Cher - spirit wind dancer
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