In Atkins book he says most artificle sweetners contain about 1 carb per packet. But he also says that Splenda does not effect blood sugar. So if I put 2 packets in my tea in the morning and then have a Diet Rite soda or Snapple Diet Green Tea later in the day (both sweetened w/Splenda) do I need to add these as carbs? And if you do have to count them, how many would be in a can of soda or bottle of Snapple?

Splenda can be a little confusing in that regard.

The liquid Splenda used by food manufacturers does not have any carbs. So, things like Diet Rite soda or Da Vince syrups are truly 0 carb substances.

Only the Splenda you buy in powdered form has carbs. The carbs actually come from the powdery filler material used in the product to give it volume and substance similar to sugar.

Just to make things even more confusing there are two different versions of dry Splenda with differing carb counts. Again, that is due to the filler material - granular Splenda has enough filler to make it measure cup for cup like sugar. Packet splenda does not measure cup for cup like sugar.

Here is the carb breakdown Splenda's customer service sent to me last spring:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>The caloric and carbohydrate content for Splenda is as follows:

Splenda Granular
1 tsp = 0.5 gm carb = 2 calories
one half cup = 12 gm carb = 48 calories
1 cup = 24 gm carb = 96 calories

*1tsp = 1 serving

Packet of Splenda
1 packet = .9 gm of carb = 4 calories

0 grams of fat, 0 mg. of sodium, and 0 grams of protein per packet.
*1 packet has the sweetness of 2 tsp of sugar <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

~~~Teelbee

174 (Mar. 2002, highest weight), 164 (Jan. 2003, begin LC)
164/133/137-134
remember, amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic

Thanx for the info Teelbee. Can you buy the liquid Splenda anywhere?

Jeannie

I wrote to Splenda and asked about that myself. They don't currently market it to consumers, but I was told their marketing department "is aware" of the interest in a liquid Splenda product.

What many of us use instead of liquid Splenda are the sugarfree flavored syrups. Da Vinci, Torani, and Natural Flavors (I think that's the name) all produce a wide range of flavored syrups sweetened with Splenda.

The syrups have no carbs, so they are a real boon when it comes to making low carb treats.

~~~Teelbee

174 (Mar. 2002, highest weight), 164 (Jan. 2003, begin LC)
164/133/137-134
remember, amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic

I kinda figured that. I usually drink a large (12oz) cup of tea in the am with 2 splenda pkts and also drink iced tea throughout the day. So I guess that could really add up on the carb count. Guess I'll have to slow down and drink more WATER. YUCK!!!

Your tea, and iced tea should be consumed in *addition* to your daily water intake - not instead of...

(296/223/135) 04/01/03
The Downward Spiral Begins

And...to make matters worse, according to Atkins, both decaf and regular coffees and teas should be counted as one carb per eight ounces.

It bites!

Kellie, F38
Started Atkins 8/1/03 (off and on for the last few years but sticking to it this time!)
206/191/170-160 -- 11.75 inches GONE! (as of 10/05)

Jmac -

Why not use a sugarfree syrup in your tea? Vanilla, orange, spice, strawberry, coconut, etc. Tons of flavors and because the syrup manufacturers use liquid Splenda, you can have your tea WITHOUT ADDING CARBS.

If you don't want any flavor added to your tea, there is a place called Natures Flavors that makes a neutral base syrup. It's just a sweet liquid without flavor (like a simple syrup). Natures Flavors makes flavored syrup as well but they aren't my favorites. For flavors, stick with Torani or Da Vinci brands.




Member since 2001
http://www.ilovelowcarb.com
Size 24(start lowfat)/Size 18(start LC)/Size 14/Size 8

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jmac:
I kinda figured that. I usually drink a large (12oz) cup of tea in the am with 2 splenda pkts and also drink iced tea throughout the day. So I guess that could really add up on the carb count. Guess I'll have to slow down and drink more WATER. YUCK!!!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh, you'll probably get to like plain water in time - it kind of grows on you. The rule of thumb is to drink .5 ounce of water for each pound of weight. So, a 150-lb person should drink about 75 oz., while a 200-lb person should drink about 100 oz. (more, if perspiring heavily).

I have a little different take on the fluids consumption. In my opinion, the fluids from other beverages serve your body's water needs and I count them in my total consumption. That said, I do try to get at least 80% of my water requirement from plain water.

You can sweeten your tea with SF syrup or liquid Stevia (though I find Stevia to be tricky, as too much turns the food bitter).

Yes, count the carbs in the tea and Splenda. It's a good idea to watch to see if caffine slows your weight loss - it's apparently problematic for some people.

~~~Teelbee

174 (Mar. 2002, highest weight), 164 (Jan. 2003, begin LC)
164/133/137-134
remember, amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic

Thanx for the input. I do use some of the SF syrups, but I don't want them in my tea. I buy different flavors of herbal teas (all decaf) so I don't want to add other flavors. And DH drinks decaf coffee and if I suggested to him that he alter the taste of his premium (readnly drinks Starbucks) coffee with one of the SF syrups, I would get one of those "Are you out of your mind?!" looks.

Why would you have to count herbal green tea as 1 carb? I can understand the coffee since it's brewed from beans, but tea?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Why would you have to count herbal green tea as 1 carb? I can understand the coffee since it's brewed from beans, but tea?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I know ... we grew up thinking these were 0 calorie foods, but they do have a few calories. FWIW, the food industry can legally claim any food under 5 calories per serving as a 0 calorie food.

Tea is made from plant leaves and has approximately 2 calories per 6 oz. Two calories from carbohydrate is approximately equal to .5 gram carb. My DP database doesn't include herbal teas, but I'd assume they are similar.

So, it's probably fair to figure .5 carb per cup of herbal tea. That's probably only significant if you drink 5 or 6 cups a day. And, if it's a cold, wintery day, why not? The comfort of a hot beverage is well worth a few carbs, IMO.

~~~Teelbee

174 (Mar. 2002, highest weight), 164 (Jan. 2003, begin LC)
164/133/137-134
remember, amateurs built the Ark, professionals built the Titanic

I'm a long time lurker, but had to sign up to answer this one. Liquid splenda is available. There is one woman and a small operation that is allowed to bottle it. It is highly concentrated, so you use tiny amounts at a time.

Do a google search for "0-carb-syrup-concentrate" and you will find the site.

Thanx HappyLC! Did the search and found the site. It's http://locarber.com/ I'll have to get me some of this.

You are very welcome. I wasn't sure if we were allowed to post websites, but glad you found it.

Splenda is one of the products that make it possible for me to know I can do this for the rest of my life! Even my family has accepted that if they want something sweet, it is going to be made with Splenda.