Atkins and their fairy tale candy

October 1 2013 by in Fake low-carb products

Not an April Fools joke

This is sad. The Atkins company is now just another candy company, trying to fool you into believing that their candy isn’t candy.

Here’s the nutrition info for their brand new Chocolate Candies, and yes they are full of it:

Nasty

“Without the carbs or sugar”? That’s so far from the truth it’s just silly. These candies contain mostly maltitol, a sugar alcohol that partly turns into sugar in your body (and upsets your stomach). So yes, the Atkins candy is full of sugar.

Avoid this kind of junk like the plague if you’re interested in health or losing weight.

Eat real food instead.

Earlier

How to Lose Weight, Part 3: Eat Real Food

Atkins’ Fairy Tale Cookies

The Dreamfields Pasta Fraud

Why You Should Never Trust a Low-Carb Label

Another Low-Carb Bread Company Lying Through Their Teeth

The Problem With Low-Carb Bread

Low carb bread: Another fairy tale bites the dust

33 comments

1
mezzo
October 1 2013
All this stuff is "Ersatz". "Ersatz" doesn't work. It didn't work for low-fat products and it doesn't work for low-carb. Whether it is low-carb bread, noodles or candy - the substitute product is usually a chemical shitstorm and doesn't deserve the name "food" anymore.
2
FrankG
October 1 2013
It's not for me to say what others should eat and I realise there are those who find it hard to break old habits, or need to fit in with social occasions but with such an huge range of foods around the World I see no use for (as Mezzo rightly calls them) ersatz versions of real food.

If I were going to drink a cola I'd have the "full fat" version, a few real smarties (M&Ms) or whatever... IF I really felt the need. Not that I count these as real, whole food but at least they are honest to goodness what they state "on the box". Take a look at the list of ingredients on cola compared to its diet version and you'll see what I mean.

It seems to me like a vega*tarian who has moral and/or ethical reasons not to eat animals, chowing down on a "veggie burger" or "tofurky".

I just don't see the point.
3
????
October 1 2013
About 80% of the things you can buy at the Atkins store is psuedo-lowcarb candy. No surprise it crashed in the USA.
4
robert
October 1 2013
One advantage of going low-carb / sugar-free is that your sensitivity for sweetness increases manifold.

So if you can tolerate it and want something sweeter than usual, even a small teaspoon of honey is enough to add some sweetness to a bowl of full-fat curd or plain yoghurt. Of course a ripe banana would do the same.

Oh, and why is it always assumed that chocolate has to be sweet? The Atkins company could just sell 85% chocolate, but I suspect the profit would be a lot less. Those carbs are cheaper than good quality cocoa powder.

The list of ingredients of these sugar-drops is definitely way too long.
5
Robin Nixon
October 1 2013
Plus, exceed a single serving of these things and the maltitol is going to keep you visiting the toilet for a good while (I know, because I dabbled with the entire Atkins range for a while and found it stalls weight loss, grows cravings, and increases toilet time)!
6
Daci
October 1 2013
They know no shame..None at all. To say this is pathetic, is an understatement.
7
yulaffin
October 1 2013
I'll stick to real dark chocolate, thanks anyway.
8
Mark.
October 1 2013
Almost all sugar-free candy is now based on maltitol or maltitol syrup, and I'm a type 1 diabetic and I find they raise my blood sugar as much as ordinary candy, if a little more slowly. I might as well eat real candy if I must cheat and risk my health: it's cheaper and tastes better.

The problem with an Atkins company that sells anything but information is that it will forever be tempted to make dubious products. Real Atkins-diet food is everywhere if one looks.
9
ES
October 2 2013
I lost 60 pounds on Atkins, went from obesity to a normal weight, and enjoyed Atkins bars throughout my weight loss. When my weight loss stalled, I gave them up, but it made no difference.

I agree its best to eat real food, but the Atkins bars were part of my success on the Atkins diet. I still bring them along when I go out of town or away from home for a long stretch.

Reply: #13
10
Joy
October 2 2013
These Atkins products are a chemical shit storm. I think old Dr Atkins must be turning in his grave!
I have discovered that the only way to loose weight is to eat real food and not to bluff oneself with any so called low carb/nett carb nonsense. I tried the Atkins bars and they stalled my weightloss.
11
KPM
October 2 2013
Ugh, maltitol is a NIGHTMARE. My husband was having cravings, not necessarily for sweet, but more for texture...he was really wanting some gummy bears. We were walking around the mall one night and went into The Sweet Factory to see if they had sugar-free treats. He spotted no sugar added gummy candy and immediately scooped up a pound. After having maybe a handful of them I didn't know I would be paying for it later. General intestinal mayhem is how I'm going to describe it to save the details. Not fun! I would rather just eat a handful of real gummy bears and call it a night. At least you're not misled into thinking it's "safe" to eat as much as you want just because it's sugar free or low carb. When you're eating the "real" candy, you KNOW it's not good for you and you'll probably be more inclined to be aware of how much you're eating.
12
Robin Nixon
October 2 2013
It's exactly the same with the chocolate bars and candies for diabetics (theoretically suitable for low carbers too - but not in my experience). Certainly in the UK these products are all packed with up to 50% maltitol (sometimes more), so you can only eat one or two small pieces (if that) without adverse effects - and that ain't easy with chocolate - best to avoid completely. Plus maltitol has around 75% the carbs of sugar, so it stalls many (but not all for some reason) low carbers.
13
Reply to comment #9 by ES
Justin B
October 2 2013
ES,

Not all Atkins products are created equally. Some contain sugar alcohols, others don't. Some of their carb count math works, some don't. Unless you know what you're looking for, simply seeing the "Atkins" logo on something isn't enough to make a good decision about it.
14
Sunshine
October 2 2013
"These Atkins products are a chemical shit storm."

I couldn't have said it better myself Joy.

Reply: #15
15
Reply to comment #14 by Sunshine
robert
October 2 2013
I think you're not doing the poop any justice. I certainly wouldn't want to eat it, but it does contain a couple of vitamins. B12 comes to mind.

This Atkins bar on the other hand... let's not talk about this abomination anymore. As I'm not sure if it is compostable without giving the heap a tummy ache, I'd say it should be burned - or fed to its creator(s).

Reply: #17
16
christian
October 2 2013
Dr. Andreas, is the nutricional ketosis an advantage for those whith liver esteatoses?
Congratulations for the blog!

Reply: #19
17
Reply to comment #15 by robert
Sunshine
October 2 2013
And as for the vitamins such as B12 you mentioned... that is easily obtained from actual food.

The synthetic nutrients added are just so they can market as some health type food but fortunately I didn't just fall off the beef truck. :=)

Their chemical concoctions have no redeeming qualities. Low quality protein(s), chemicals, synthetic nutrients, artificial up the ying yang, sugar alcohols...
18
Gidarraga
October 3 2013
Dr. Eenfeldt is so right on this one. Eat real food. I dabbled in Atkins "foodstuffs" early on and learned the hard way. My worry is that we will collectively go through another low carb national fad, the food processors will get on the band wagon and make all sorts of ersatz low-carb crap, people will not get healthier, and all the low-fat religionists will say, "we told you so."
19
Reply to comment #16 by christian
Zepp
October 3 2013
Yes it is.. its the best way to get rid of fatty liver!

"Curbing carbohydrates is more effective than cutting calories for individuals who want to quickly reduce the amount of fat in their liver...."

http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&vi...
20
Artemis67
October 6 2013
Ugh--this stuff just disgusts me.

My first intro to low-carbing was through Atkins, back when the good doctor was still alive. I think there was a baking mix available back then, and some bars, but they didn't sell well and production ceased. I never used them; I did Atkins as a whole-foods diet and had great success with it. It wasn't difficult, either.

The original plan as conceived by Dr. Atkins works great, both for weight loss ans improved health, but mention it today? People think they have to buy this garbage--or they're too lazy to think and shop and cook, so they live on Atkins-approved junk food. I was willing to patiently explain that Atkins was not just steaks, bacon, and heavy cream, but I am not willing to be so patient in advocating a company that pushes this kind of garbage. I owe Dr. Atkins a great debt, but the ones running the show under his name these days can go hang.

Fortunately, there are plenty of other low-carb, plus LCHF/ketogenic resources available these days, so I can suggest those rather than the "New Atkins." But yes, seeing this sort of thing not only disgusts me, but makes me sad.
21
Fredrik
October 7 2013
They are for sure disgracing themselves...
22
Doug
October 12 2013
Sugar alcohols have become very common, not just in Atkins, but I see them in Russel Stover and Hershey's candies as well (fwiw at least Hershey's states their candy is "not a health food"). Shame on Atkins for how they market it but for me sugar alcohols still play a role in my diet. I used to have a horrible diet, and since going low carb, it has greatly improved. I still lean on stuff like this but am gradually weaning myself off, as I eat increasingly healthier foods. Some sugar alcohols like erythritol are safer, as they truly have 0 GI, but there is some suggestion they can still interfere with ketone production for those of us in ketosis, plus they don't taste nearly as good as maltitol. Either way, you still have to educate yourself and rely on the ingredients label, not how they advertise their food.
23
Greg
April 16 2014
What about products like Quest Bars? There are some many of these products on the market ...

Reply: #24
24
Reply to comment #23 by Greg
Zepp
April 16 2014
What about real home made food?

Every bar.. no exeption is candy.. not real food!

Eat one quest bar a year, then its no problem.

https://www.questproteinbar.com/ingredients

Questbars are low carb (net carbs?) and high protein.. its still candy.. eat real food.
25
mls
April 23 2015
I have to disagree about the Atkins products. I lose weight when on the Atkins low carb diet, and do eat their low carb bars (one for breakfast) and often have the chocolate candies or chocolate peanut candies at night. I find that I am still in ketosis and lose weight. I also eat real food such as meat, vegetables, cheese, and eggs. The low carb bar in the morning keeps me from being hungry most of the day until my evening meal.
26
Laura
March 26 2016
What about the "Atkins Harvest Bars"? They were newly released (in 2016 sometime). The say "NO SUGAR ALCOHOLS" on the label, and do not have them, I believe. Net carbs are figured by subtracting the fiber from the overall carbs. And how does a diabetic consider "net carbs" when deciding how much insulin to take?
27
augustine sebastian
April 18 2016
Don't believe in food companies buy fresh eat fresh, cook chapatties, green veggies
citrus fruits, limes etc avoid oils fats, eat lean meat exercise a lot drink toned milk avoid junk food and sweetened tea and coffee, skip a lunch or breakfast once as week avoid TV and android phones if not necessary, morning walk briskly control your gastronomic desires for a better you, avoid issues that make you tense or create anxiety, be happy, prayers in the morning and before sleep is good, reflect before you sleep what you did all day and plan your next day. lots of water and a good fibre diet of whole meal grain/lentils
28
Denise
May 16 2016
I have been on low carb high protein since January 18, 2016 and have lost 50 pounds as of May 9th, 2016. I also use the ketostix to check my urine...if it is turning "purple" that means you are burning the fat off your body. I have eaten the Atkins "candy" and bars and drank Atkins shakes for the extra protein. I eat 3 meals and snack IF I get hungry. I have not stopped losing weight and the ketostx continue turning purple even though I eat the Atkins "candy". The Atkins "candy" has helped me ALOT staying on track with the low carb.
29
William
June 4 2016
Wrong about Atkins. I lost over 60 pounds on it and that included the occasional atkins bar. The beauty of atkins is that you don't have to buy anything special, just ordinary food you would buy anyway. Don't want atkins bars? Don't buy them. But don't say they don't work, because that's not true. And I have never had a side effect from their consumption either.
30
Kellzer
July 12 2016
I had gestational diabetes and had to watch my carbs very closely. I would eat an Atkins and my sugar did not surge when I checked my blood sugar. These things are very helpful for certain people. When you cannot eat real food (like fruit), these little gems really help.
31
Mark
February 2 2017
Has anyone tried ruled.me.com? They have some really great recipes.
32
Shadowmerlin
October 7 2019
The Atkins bars are not intended to be "low carb". They have a lie GLYCEMIC INDEX, which means the carbs release slowly and don't peak in the blood. All the people saying negative things have obviously never understood what the Atkins Diet was all about. (It wasn't developed for weight loss; it's a herart-healthy diet.

If you really want to understand it, read "The New Atkins Diet Revolution". This diet (and the candy bars) do wonders for type 2 diabetics.
33
Elizabeth
November 10 2020
The bars as a snack once a day are truly helping me lose weight and keep my blood sugar down.

Nasty

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