[matt_H]

I just found out that the packets of sweet n low contain 4 calories. It turns out that the FDA requires manufacturers to put a zero on the calorie label for products that contain less than 5 calories per serving. WTF? Why would the FDA do that?

I use ALOT of sweet n low. I drink maybe 5 or 6 cups a tea a day and I always add in 2 or 3 packets. I also use sweet n low in my morning oatmeal and I usually add like 4 or 5 packets to that. Its not HUGE, but I was still taking in like 100 calories or so that I wasn't accounting for.

So now I guess I don't trust labels that say 0 anymore.

And I'm probably going to deal with drinking tea and eating oatmeal "as is" from now on.

[nationalparker]

Thanks for posting this, Matt ... I didn't know that and of course, had to check Equal out as well (same thing) ... so that leads me to wonder if, when calculating the calories in diet soda, do they add up the zero ingredients and get zero ... rather than 4 calories per serving of the "non-calorie" sweetener that is used.

[SCraver]

All labels are rounded off. They don't put that something contains 152 calories - they put 150. Which is usually ok - but it sounds like you LIKE your sweet n low! That makes quite a difference if you are getting an additional 100 calories you didn't even know about!

[odonnela]

Splenda has calories also and carbs - not sure about Equal.
I'm not sure 25 packets a day of saccharin is necessarily good for a person......

[popspry]

Regardless of calories that is quite a lot of sweetner to be using.

[jefferzzzz]

I only eat maybe 1-2 packages once or twice a week. Not enough to really worry about the calories, but they really should HAVE to post the correct amount of calories. That is just wrong.

[sweetnlow28]

I know Splenda is also 4 calories per packet and exactly 92 calories per cup of granulated Splenda. I use about 25 calories worth of Splenda per day and I just throw it on my food log as "random".

You would actually be surprised to know how many "zero" calorie products do have calories and they add up fast! I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray is 4 calories per spray and over 400 calories per bottle. When you start getting spray happy on popcorn or bread, you can add 50-100 calories and not even know it. Regulations need to be changed in the US and Canada. It drives me nuts lol

[Aiesline]

Guys keep in mind that sucralose (splenda) is indigestible by the human body. We can't metabolize it. If we can't metabolize it we cant turn it into energy. If we can't turn it into energy it doesn't count. We didn't use it. We can't store it. I'd not worry about or even count your splenda consumption. I don't know about other artificial sweeteners though. A good friend of mine is a chemist. It's the only reason I know about the splenda thing. It has something to do with clorine somehow. She explained it but I've since forgotten.

*edit~ did some checking SACCHARINE (sweet and low) is in the same boat as Splenda. Our body can't metabolize it. It passes through the body pretty much unchanged. The calories from sweet and low do not count.

[barbcole]

Originally Posted by Aiesline

Guys keep in mind that sucralose (splenda) is indigestible by the human body. We can't metabolize it. If we can't metabolize it we cant turn it into energy. If we can't turn it into energy it doesn't count. We didn't use it. We can't store it. I'd not worry about or even count your splenda consumption. I don't know about other artificial sweeteners though. A good friend of mine is a chemist. It's the only reason I know about the splenda thing. It has something to do with clorine somehow. She explained it but I've since forgotten.

*edit~ did some checking SACCHARINE (sweet and low) is in the same boat as Splenda. Our body can't metabolize it. It passes through the body pretty much unchanged. The calories from sweet and low do not count.

This is not totally true.

Tracking of radio-marked sugar substitutes shows most (including Splenda and Sweet-n-Low) show only around 15% is excreted from the body un-metabolized. Therefore roughly 85% is used by the body for energy. Applying the necessary calculations of total energy in the substitute vs. amount metabolized, still leaves a range of 2-3.3 kcal/g in most substitutes. (Remember 1 kcal is 1 "Calorie" in US food labeling).

1 normal packet of Splenda is 1 gram, which is roughly 3 calories actually metabolized (discounting what's excreted).

The exception is Erythritol (Truvia). 90% of marked Erythritol is recovered in urine. And it has a significantly lower calorie count to begin with.

Not counting absorption issues, Erythritol is roughly .2 kcal/g. If 90% is not absorbed (metabolized), that's 0.02 kcal/g remaining.

Erythritol is usually packaged in a bulkier packet, a bit under 3.5 grams. So that's 0.07 calories per packet absorbed (.7 calories all together, counting what's excreted).

While it's unlikely most people would be ingesting artificial sweetener at a level that's going to make a dent in their weight loss plan, most of the time it *does* have calories.

I had a great science journal article to share that goes into the specifics of each substitute, the method of measurement, etc. but my post count isn't high enough to share the link... boo.

[Jesse Taylor]

Someone said something brilliant on the board the other day and it's "if you've never counted it, and you've never changed your consumption, and you're losing weight, what's the big deal?" I don't count Crystal Lite and I have 4 or more packets a day and each packet is 2 servings. I've always done it so I've never cared about the calories because I am losing weight.

Zero can be zero or four but if you've always used the same amount, why care now? Are you in that big of a need for a new deficite, then count it. If not, just keep it in and enjoy your tea or your oatmeal.

[rosababe]

No tea nor coffee..otherwise I will be insomnia

[Jesse Taylor]

Originally Posted by rosababe

No tea nor coffee..otherwise I will be insomnia

I'm thinking coffee is my problem. Here it is 4 in the morning and I'm up. Not fun.

[FitGirlyGirl]

I totally agree Jesse. I drink between 64 and 128 oz. of Crystal Light a day (I HATE plain water) and I don't count it. I know that it is 40-80 calories extra that doesn't go in my log. I don't care. Yes, it is possible that I might lose weight a tiny bit faster if I counted those calories, but I AM losing and counting them might potentially make me drink less and that would probably be more detrimental than the overlooked calories.

[katkitten]

What?! that is so upsetting! you have no idea how much Splenda I can consume in a day.

[katkitten]

Does Stevia have calories?