Managing blood sugar levels is an important part of living with diabetes. Many people with diabetes enjoy the occasional sweet treat, but need to be mindful of how different foods impact their blood sugar. Voortman makes a line of sugar free cookies that can be an option for people with diabetes looking for a sweet snack. However, it’s important to look at the nutrition information and ingredients to see if they will work with your diet and blood sugar management plan.
Are Sugar Free Cookies OK for Diabetics?
Sugar free does not necessarily mean a food is diabetes-friendly. Sugar free cookies and other sweets are made with sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners instead of regular sugar. While the sugar substitutes themselves do not contain carbohydrates or directly impact blood sugar levels, sugar free cookies can still affect blood sugar in a few ways:
- They may contain other carbohydrates – Sugar free cookies are not necessarily low carb or carb free. They often contain flour and other carbohydrate-containing ingredients that can impact blood sugar.
- The sweet taste can trigger an insulin response – Even though artificial sweeteners don’t contain sugar, the sweet taste can cause your body to release insulin in anticipation of a blood sugar rise. This insulin release can result in blood sugar dropping too low if no sugar is present.
- They affect appetite – The sweet flavor may increase cravings for other sugary foods.
So sugar free cookies are not automatically safe for diabetes just because they don’t contain actual sugar. The specific nutrition information and ingredients must be taken into account. Overall carb content, presence of other sugars like maltitol, and portion size should be considered.
Nutrition Information for Voortman Sugar Free Cookies
Voortman makes a variety of sugar free cookie flavors. Here is some of the nutrition information per cookie for a few popular flavors:
Sugar Free Vanilla Wafers
- Calories: 60
- Total Carbs: 14g
- Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 0g
- Includes 0g added sugars
- Protein: 1g
Sugar Free Chocolate Wafers
- Calories: 60
- Total Carbs: 15g
- Fiber: 2g
- Total Sugars: 0g
- Includes 0g added sugars
- Protein: 1g
Sugar Free Lemon Wafers
- Calories: 60
- Total Carbs: 15g
- Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 0g
- Includes 0g added sugars
- Protein: 1g
As you can see, while the cookies are labeled as sugar free, they still contain a significant amount of carbohydrates, primarily from wheat flour. The fiber content is very low. So these cookies do contain carbs that can impact blood sugar levels.
Ingredients in Voortman Sugar Free Cookies
In addition to looking at the nutrition label, it’s important to look at the ingredients list to see exactly what is used to make sugar free cookies instead of sugar.
Common sugar substitutes used in sugar free baked goods include:
- Aspartame
- Saccharin
- Sucralose
- Stevia
- Acesulfame potassium
Voortman uses two different sugar alcohols in their sugar free cookie varieties:
Maltitol
Maltitol is a common sugar alcohol used as a sugar substitute in sugar free foods. It contains about half the calories of sugar and does not spike blood sugar as significantly as regular sugar.
However, maltitol can still increase blood glucose, just not as high as regular sugar. The glycemic index of maltitol is about 35, whereas regular sugar is 65.
Maltitol may cause digestive issues in some people, especially in larger amounts. The FDA requires foods containing maltitol to state that excessive consumption can have a laxative effect.
Sorbitol
Sorbitol has about 60% the sweetness of regular sugar with only about half the calories. It is less likely to spike blood sugar compared to regular sugar.
The glycemic index of sorbitol is about 9, much lower than regular sugar. However, it’s still not zero impact.
Too much sorbitol can also be problematic for digestive health, causing gas, bloating and diarrhea.
So while the sugar alcohols used in Voortman cookies are generally better options than plain sugar for people with diabetes, they can still impact blood glucose, especially in large amounts. And they come with gastrointestinal side effects.
Are Voortman Sugar Free Cookies Suitable for Diabetes?
Whether Voortman sugar free cookies are suitable for a diabetes diet depends on the individual:
- Carb limits – They may not fit into a low carb meal plan for managing blood sugar.
- Ingredient tolerances – Some people are sensitive to sugar alcohols like maltitol and may experience digestive upsets.
- Portion control – It’s important to stick to reasonable serving sizes to keep carb impact in check.
- Effects on cravings – The sweet taste may increase desire for other high carb foods.
The cookies may be an occasional treat for some people with diabetes who don’t find they cause significant blood sugar fluctuations and who tolerate the ingredients well. Those who follow a very strict low carb diet probably want to avoid them.
People with diabetes need to pay close attention to how specific foods affect their personal blood sugar levels. Monitoring your levels 1-2 hours after eating a Voortman sugar free cookie can indicate if it results in any spikes for you personally.
Healthier Sugar Free Cookie Options for Diabetes
There are some potentially healthier options for sugar free cookies, depending on your diet preferences:
- Look for options made with whole grain flour instead of refined white flour
- Seek out cookies with more fiber, which helps control blood sugar response
- Try baked goods made with almond flour or coconut flour for lower net carbs
- Consider cookies made with natural sweeteners like stevia, erythritol or monk fruit
- Check for options with added protein and healthy fats to help stabilize blood sugar
You can even find recipes online to bake your own sugar free cookies at home using diabetes-friendly ingredients. This gives you total control over what goes in them.
Tips for Choosing Sugar Free Cookies with Diabetes
If you want to incorporate sugar free cookies as an occasional treat, keep these tips in mind:
- Read nutrition facts and ingredients lists closely
- Compare brands and flavors and choose the best nutrition options
- Watch portion sizes and measure cookie servings
- Time with meals and take insulin/medication as needed
- Consider your personal carb limit and blood sugar goals
- Monitor your blood sugar response afterward
- Account for their carb counts in your daily meal plan
- Adjust medications if needed for best blood sugar control
Incorporating Sugar Free Cookies into a Diabetes Diet
Here are some ways you might be able to work sugar free cookies into your healthy diabetes meal plan:
- Enjoy a few cookies measured out for dessert after a balanced meal
- Use them as a snack between meals, paired with protein and fat
- Replace sugary desserts with a small serving of cookies on occasion
- Use them as part of a carb counting strategy for a meal or snack
- Pair with other low glycemic foods to help control blood sugar response
Just keep your carbohydrate and calorie budget and blood sugar goals in mind. And as always, consult your dietitian or diabetes care team about appropriate sweets and snacks for your individual diet.
The Bottom Line
While Voortman sugar free cookies are lower in sugar than traditional cookies, they still contain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols that can affect blood sugar levels. The amount that they impact you depends on your personal carb tolerance and sensitivity to the specific sugar substitutes used.
Paying attention to portion sizes of the cookies and how they fit into your overall meal plan is important. Monitoring your blood sugar levels after eating them will tell you how your body responds to the cookies specifically.
An occasional carefully portioned serving may be fine depending on your diabetes management approach. But they should be consumed in moderation as part of an overall healthy diet, not as a free food.
Talk to your doctor or dietitian about whether and how you might be able to incorporate treats like Voortman sugar free cookies into your meal plan in a way that still maintains good blood sugar control.
