I have looked at the sugar free jello pudding cups with 20 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber and 19 grams of sugar alcohol. How does this work and is it ok to eat? I understand that sugar alcohol doesn't get absorbed inthe intestines. but doesn't the jello need carbs to make it thick? Please help, I'm lost.

Jason

There's an excellent article here on this site about sugar alcohol.

Hope this helps.

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April

The face of a child can say a lot -- especially the mouth part of the face.

My Blog

From a fellow newbie...Great post....I've been mulling around with that question too! April! Great article! Very, very helpful...for the life of me I couldn't figure sugar alcohol.

Smiles, Candace

Question, do you live in Canada, Jason? Just asking, (you can just reply no) because I haven't been able to find sugar free jello anywhere and was hoping maybe you had a suggestion.

By the way......

The thickener in sugar-free puddings is Xanthan gum. Sugar-free puddings do contain carbs, but not because of the thickener. I'm looking at a box of sugar-free instant pudding just now and it has 5 carbs per serving, and there's 4 servings in the box -- and that's before you add the skim milk. The carbs come from the corn starch (first ingredient) and nonfat milk. Some of the carbs come from the Xanthan, perhaps, but not much. For nutritional info about Xanthan gum, look at this.

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April

The face of a child can say a lot -- especially the mouth part of the face.

My Blog

Thanks, April, for referencing Andrea's overview of sugar alcohols. I've probably been more than strenuous in avoiding these net-carb foods, especially candy. However, since I don't have a particular problem with cravings and "cavings" I'll take this information into consideration for special treats.

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Barb L.
Atkins since Jan 2003
Maintenance as of 4/05


My Fitday Journal

Other than the occasional SF Jello pudding cup (the ones I get only have 14g total carbs), I am trying to swear off sugar-alcohol-sweetened treats. It's just too hard to control the cravings, and after I finish off the puddings I have, I'm not buying any more of those, either. I will use Splenda now and then, especially if I am baking, and I will drink an aspartame-sweetened diet soda, but the LC chocolate/cookies/goodies have been my downfall in the past. Especially chocolate. I am trying to swear off all chocolate candy, LC and regular, to get my cravings under control.

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Jen
Mother of two boys (5/14/04, 4/1/07)
Done Atkins more times than I can count
Trying to get back at it!
Low carb forever (even if I do keep falling off the wagon!)

Sugar alcohols are evil..they cause severe cramping..severe nausea...and severe gas and bloating..and also they contain carbs, which they dont print on the package labeling!!!

Also, they cause cravings and binge eating for me...

Believe me, they caused greater danger than eating regular candy.

fia-they sure can cause difficulties for many, yes. if you check out the article april linked, above, it will give you a lot more info about how they work, why some cause those icky problems, and the carb count issues.

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Fia,

As Goddess stated, they do cause issues for SOME people. I am one of the relative few that don't have issues with S/A's unless I consume too much. I found that out when after eating WAY TOO MANY sugar free chocolate candies, I spent the entire afternoon chained to my toilet! Obviously, portion control isn't an issue for me now when I eat them, (lesson learned) but the vast majority of individuals also suffer the 'irritations' you describe in greater amounts than I do.

When beginning my LC journey, I pretty much stayed away from them, but as time went on, I gradually enjoyed foods that were made with S/A's. As with all things, moderation is definitely the key for me!

Donna

I found a Lindt 70% cocoa bar at my local grocery store and bought one. I decided to try it since it doesn't contain sugar alcohols. I DOES however contain a little sugar. So what I do is allow myself a half a bar if I'm REALLY jonsin' for chocolate. That's 4.5 carbs. I can comfortably fit that into my allowed carbs for the day. I think it's worth going with the REAL thing instead of those ex-lax bars. SO, if you are at a point in your plan where you can afford a little REAL chocolate, it might be worth it. (unless this will cause you to lose control)

Look here to see a Lindt 70% chocolate bar There's also an 85% cocoa bar, which I am going to have to look for. I make my own chocolate concoction and use bars like these in them. I also add baking chocolate, butter, cocoa powder, splenda, and sometimes half and half. Makes a great topping for LC icecream (watch out, they contain sugar alcohols too!!!), but I churn my own. I think I am going to experiment with this concoction and add it to a little cream cheese and see if I can get it to be like fudge.

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