Really, do we have to count it as anything? All it has in it is skim milk, beans, and egg whites, none of which we really have to worry about limiting right? I don't count it, I just eat it!
Really the only things I count each day are:
Fats, Nuts, Fruits, Grains (all to make sure I don't eat too much of them)
Dairy, beans, veggies, and water (all to make sure I get enough)
If it's "real food" with some artificial sweetener in it, I don't count it as a sweet treat (i.e. the brownies or my skim latte, which I count as a dairy serving).
One thing I love about SBD is the lack of counting! :
But, if you happen to use a sugar substitute that is a sugar alcohol (like if you made your brownies with erythritol), you would want to count it because the main reason for counting the calories with your sweet treats is to try to avoid the laxative effect some of them have. Oh, and, at least IMHO, to help us eat less of the sweet things.
I have to admit after all this time I am still not clear on how to apply the 100 calorie sweet treat limit. I agree it's a good idea to limit sweet things, and I know from experience that sugar alcohols affect me in a very unpleasant way, along with too much of any artificial sweetener.
But the thing is, if I have a skim milk latte and a bean brownie and count it as sweet treats, then I'm done for the day, and I really haven't had all that much sweetener. And most of the calories in those things come from milk, beans, or eggs, which are real food, not artificial sweeteners.
On the other hand, I can eat 20 5-calorie sugar free jello cups or practically unlimited diet soda, and if I did this I would be getting MUCH more artificial sweetener, and probably not be having a fun day, but I'd be within my limit. Guess I need to go back to read this part of the book again.
This is probably a case where I am overthinking things as I tend to do. But as I often tell DH, I just like for things to make sense.