Whether you’re looking for something for your sweet tooth or a quick pick-me-up, there’s nothing that tastes as good as candy. To be more specific, there’s about nothing better than chocolate candy. If you’re familiar with chocolates, you’re probably familiar with Russell Stover Candies.
Starting back in the 1920s, Russell Stover Candies, Inc has come a long way since this company’s beginnings. With that in mind, one of the most popular candies this company offers is its line of sugar-free chocolates. But is Russell Stover sugar-free chocolate keto friendly?
Even I admit that sugar-free candy has come a long way. Sugar-free candy can be great for people who can’t have sugar or are trying to watch their intake of junk food to lose weight or build muscle.
Today, I’m going to answer the question of if Russell Stover sugar-free chocolate is okay to have on a keto diet. Let’s get right into it!
Is Russell Stover Sugar-Free Keto Friendly?
Is Russell Stover Sugar-Free keto-friendly? Unfortunately, no, these chocolates are not good on a keto diet. It’s understandable to see Russell Stover sugar-free chocolates and get excited. But taking a closer look at this product’s ingredient label reveals why these sugar-free chocolates aren’t all they’re cracked up to be for keto dieters.
At first, you might look at this product’s label and see that this chocolate candy only contains two net carbs per serving. So far, so good. But you’ll see an ingredient called maltitol on the ingredient list, which is not good for anyone on a keto diet.
What the Heck is Maltitol?
Chances are, you’ve probably had certain foods that contain maltitol or maltitol syrup. Maltitol is a type of sugar alcohol. Other popular sugar alcohols are xylitol, sorbitol, and lactitol. Another popular ingredient in sugar-free beverages and foods is called stevia extract.
Sugar alcohols are in many sugar-free products since they’re not technically table sugar. While I’m no expert, those who are still debate whether or not sugar alcohols are completely safe for the body in the long term.
That’s because maltitol’s glycemic index is extremely high at 36. To put it another way, sucrose (which is table sugar) has a glycemic index of 65! I’m not saying this ingredient is bad, it’s not unsafe to consume. But it isn’t a good ingredient while you’re on a keto diet.
Sweeteners like maltitol syrup can rapidly spike blood sugar levels, effectively taking you out of ketosis. And, with 17 grams of this sugar alcohol in every serving of Russell Stover’s sugar-free chocolate, this food is gonna kick ketosis to the curb pretty fast.
Another unpleasant thing I’ve heard about too much maltitol syrup or maltitol powder is that they can make you spend a lot of time in the nearest bathroom! I’ll just leave it at that.
What Are the Ingredients in Russell Stover Sugar-Free Chocolate?
Since there are many products in the line of Russell Stover sugar-free candies, it would take pages and pages to list out so much nutritional information!
However, I still wanted you to take a closer look at the ingredients in Russell Stover sugar-free candy. What to do? I figured I would choose one of the most popular Russell Stover sugar-free candy and those are its peanut butter cups.
With that in mind, here is the list of ingredients in Russell Stover sugar-free chocolate peanut butter cups.
Chocolate candy: Maltitol, cocoa butter, chocolate, milk fat, sodium caseinate, salt, vanilla, soy lecithin, rebiana (stevia extract).
Peanut butter: dry roasted peanuts, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, soy oil, salt.
Other ingredients: salt, soy lecithin, maltitol, hydrogenated vegetable oil.
The Full Line of Russell Stover Sugar-Free Candy
While Russell Stover sugar-free chocolate candy isn’t good as part of a keto-friendly diet, that doesn’t mean you can’t gift these chocolates to other people. Considering that, here are all the products in the Russell Stover sugar-free chocolate candy line.
- Chocolate almond tile bar
- Anise hard candy
- Chocolate gems
- Caramels
- Chocolate candy miniatures
- Chocolate covered peanuts
- Chocolate truffles
- Chocolate medallions
- Jelly beans
- Mint patties
- Chocolate peanut butter cups
- Saltwater taffy
- Strawberry cream chocolate bites
Who Makes Keto-Friendly Candies?
I don’t want you to leave bummed out. With that in mind, there are companies that make candy that’s considered keto-friendly. If you’re on a ketogenic diet and have a sweet tooth, check out some of these keto-friendly chocolate candies.
Lily’s Dark Chocolate Bar
As mentioned earlier, Russell Stover sugar-free chocolates are great, but they can kick you out of ketosis. If you’re on a keto diet, that’s the last thing you want.
Fortunately, you can still enjoy sugar-free chocolate candy on a keto diet by checking out Lily’s Dark Chocolate Candy Bar. This candy bar is made with stevia extract, which is a keto-friendly sweetener.
Plus, this candy bar is great if you’re on a low-carb diet. Each serving of this candy bar only contains four net carbs! If you’re a fan of dark chocolate, don’t miss this one.
SlimFast Keto Fat Bomb Snack Cups
If you are around my age, you might remember seeing a ton of ads and commercials for the popular SlimFast line of meal replacement beverages. I have to admit, I thought they were awesome and still do. With that said, I hadn’t heard a lot from this company in the past few years.
So, imagine my surprise while reading this article and seeing that SlimFast makes a line of candy for people on a keto diet! This candy is called SlimFast Keto Fat Bombs. One of the most popular products in this line of keto-friendly candies is the peanut butter cups.
Each serving of this sugar-free candy only contains two net carbs. It also features no artificial flavors!
Kiss My Keto Chocolates
Lastly, another popular candy for anyone on a keto diet is from a company called Kiss My Keto. These candies contain a mixture of fiber and sugar alcohols, making them fairly easy on your GI tract.
Plus, each serving of these amazing bars contains only two grams of net carbs. In addition, this chocolate is also sweetened with stevia (which is one of a few keto-friendly sweeteners).
There you have it, there are no Russell Stover sugar-free keto candies out there (yet). These candies aren’t good if you’re on a keto diet. While these candies don’t have a lot of net carbs, they do contain the sugar alcohol known as maltitol. Fortunately, you can find other candies made with stevia extract that are keto-friendly treats.