Question about "no sugar added" ice cream.

Statlady · 05-02-2003, 01:19 PM

I sent DH to the store in search of "no sugar added" ice cream. He called me from the store to tell me that the "no sugar added" Dreyer's ice cream had the same number of carbs as the "regular" Dreyer's ice cream (about 15 grams). Huh? If there's no sugar added, then were do the carbs come from. Lactose? If that's true that the "regular" ice cream should have more carbs--some from lactose and some from sugar. I just don't get it! Does anyone know what's going on here?

scbegonias · 05-02-2003, 03:13 PM

Statlady, mmm, ice cream. Are you trying to lose weight by low carbing/cutting out sugar, or are you trying to be healthy and manage symptoms? (I think I remember that you're a thin cyster, now?) The reason why I ask is that both my PCP and nutritionist told me that if I want to have a treat, premium ice cream is the way to go. What happens is that the fat in the ice cream results in a lower placement on the glycemic index. (High fat content will retard the rate of absorption of carbohydrate into the body.)However, if you want to eat ice cream every day (wink, wink), I'd go with no sugar. Good luck!

Statlady · 05-02-2003, 03:48 PM

scbegonias,

I am what most people would consider thin, but I am hoping to lose about 10 lbs. I have been following Body for Life, but have recently switched to the IR Diet. In the book they say that "no sugar added" ice cream is a high-protein food that doesn't have to be balanced. They say that regular ice cream is a combination food b/c it has sugar. So, I simply don't understand how the two types can have the same amount of carbs if one is sugar-free and the other is not. I was hoping to add ice cream or frozen yogurt to my diet as a healthy, balanced snack every once in awhile--maybe once every other week.

scbegonias · 05-02-2003, 06:05 PM

Statlady, hmm, that is odd about the carbo similarities. Can you tell anything by the ingredients? Maybe it is just a combo of the ingredients being slightly different and the milk carbs.

Anyone else?

Good luck with the 10 lbs. I'm on a 5 lb kick myself after gaining 10 since I got married nearly two years ago (I think 5 are muscle gain). It's tough.

simone · 05-04-2003, 12:04 AM

I was checking out ice creams in the store the other day and the "no sugar added" ones are confusing and sometimes downright deceitful.

First of all, some brands using maltitol will include the maltitol in the total carb count, so you'll have a similar carb count, but still fewer calories overall.

Second, one brand I found that I don't think you have in the US, Chapmans, said "no sugar added" on the label, but the ingredients said, "mono and disaccharides." Those are sugars, just under a different name!!! So, the lable probably was saying that they didn't add "table sugar" or sucrose.

Anyways, if the ingredient list has anything like "saccharide," or anything with gluc- or glyc-, it's a sugar. Things ending in "ose" are sugars (like dextrose). Things ending in "ol" are sugar alcohols, like maltitol.

beth30 · 05-05-2003, 03:08 PM

I was watching the Food Network the other day and they had a piece on Blue Bunny No Sugar Added ice cream. It's the first ice cream made with Splenda. Also, I think some of those other "no sugar added" ice creams use sugar alcohols. I think I read in an Atkins book that those are as bad as eating sugar. Your body reacts to them as if you just ate sugar. (don't take my word for this. I'm not 100% sure this if from Atkins.)

I haven't seen the label for the Blue Bunny ice cream, but hopefully this gives you an alternative.

Beth

emma42 · 05-06-2003, 05:04 PM

Hi,

I'm somersizing (suzanne somers plan) and she has recipes for low carb ice cream if you have an ice cream maker. I just usually have whipped heavy cream (sweetened w/ splenda) and berries to satisfy my ice cream cravings.

Just a thing about maltitol--the body doesn't absorb it (don't know why) so if you're doing atkins--you can subtract maltitol from the carb count to get net carbs. I buy Carb Safe chocolate bars (white chocolate) from Trader Joes and though each serving has 14 grams of carbs, on the label they subtract the 14g of maltitol giving a net carb total of zero per serving. The milk chocolate has .5g per serving.

Some people's systems can't handle maltitol--causes the runs. I have no problem with it but to be safe, it's not recommended to eat a lot of it.

Statlady · 05-06-2003, 06:06 PM

Hey, thanks all for the info! That makes a lot more sense now. I looked at the label of the ice cream I was thinking of buying and discovered it has sorbitol in it (a sugar alchohol I'm guessing). Now I have no idea what Atkins says about artificial sweeteners, but I do know what the IR Diet says about them. It says that they do not cause your blood sugar (and insulin) to spike the way regular sugar does, but that you shouldn't have them alone (like in diet soda) as they will cause your insulin to rise *some* and you want to have food in your system for the insulin to work on. What this means to me is you shouldn't drink diet soda on an empty stomach. When the sweeteners are in food, however, you shouldn't have a problem. I'm sure there's someone somewhere that says the exact opposite of this, but that how it always goes it seems . . . . .

Bethany · 05-08-2003, 11:43 PM

**GASP**
You are right girl!!! I checked my Chapman's "sugar free" (ya right) ice cream sandwiches & they too have mono- & disaccharides!

Are we sure saccharides aren't OK?? Maybe they are like sugar alcohols (can you say "grasping at straws"? How 'bout "in denial" LOL) Is there anywhere you know of where I can read more about saccharides?

I am so PISSED right now b/c I love those things & have them for treats pretty often. The total carb count for 1 is (I think) about 6 grams when you subtract the Sorbitol or Mannitol.

Since it's only 6 grams of carbs do you think it's OK, even though it contains saccharides, or is it a big no-no for us???

So SAD

Statlady · 05-13-2003, 01:44 PM

6 grams of carbs doesn't sound so bad to me. Remember that some of those come from lactose which isn't as bad (IMO) as refined sugar. I say if you like it, eat it! Just don't go crazy.

I also wanted to let you all know that there's another brand of ice cream made with Splenda--Velvet Ice Cream. I haven't tried it yet, but it's at home in my freezer. I don't know if you can get it outside of Ohio, however.

Bethany · 05-13-2003, 06:51 PM

Thanks Statlady for your response. I was thinking about what you said & you are right, it probably wouldn't be so bad to eat those sugar free ice cream sandwiches every now & then. They are still much lower in carbs than the real thing &, hey, ya gotta live man!!!
I guess I'll have to cut down to having one 2 or 3 times/wk instead of every day. Also, I rechecked the net carb count & it's 8, not 6

Drat!!
Btw, the Velvet Ice Cream sounds amazing... unfortunately it takes forever for the newer products to come to Canada. But I'll keep looking for it!!

simone · 05-16-2003, 04:55 PM

Bethany,

sorry I didn't reply, I forgot about this thread. I'm pretty sure tha some "saccharides" are okay (like oligosaccharides -- the prefix says what chemical is bonded to the sugar), but I honestly don't know enough about it all to say. I found a really extensive site about all different sugars but I found this site about carbs. It's pure chemistry, but it dosn't appear to talk about the effects of different carbs on the body from a dietary perspective.

http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iupac/2carb/glo.html
http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iupac/2carb/cont.html