How many carbs in a sugar free snack pack pudding?

When it comes to choosing sweet treats that won’t derail a healthy diet, sugar free snack pack puddings can seem like a good option. But are they really as low in carbs and calories as they seem? Let’s take a closer look at the nutrition facts.

The Basics of Snack Pack Pudding

Snack Pack makes a variety of ready-to-eat pudding cups in flavors like chocolate, vanilla, and tapioca. They come in both regular and sugar free varieties. The sugar free versions are sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners like sucralose and acesulfame potassium.

This allows them to have fewer carbs and calories than the regular puddings. For example, here’s a comparison of the nutrition facts for regular chocolate snack pack pudding versus the sugar free version:

Nutrition Facts Regular Chocolate Pudding Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding
Calories 100 60
Total Carbohydrates 16g 8g
Sugars 12g 0g

As you can see, the regular version has 100 calories and 16g net carbs, while the sugar free option has just 60 calories and 8g net carbs.

Net Carbs in Sugar Free Snack Packs

So how many of those carbs are net carbs when you account for fiber? Let’s take a look:

Regular Chocolate Snack Pack:

  • Total carbs: 16g
  • Fiber: 0g
  • Net carbs: 16g

Sugar Free Chocolate Snack Pack:

  • Total carbs: 8g
  • Fiber: 0g
  • Net carbs: 8g

Since the sugar free puddings contain no fiber, the total carbs and net carbs are the same. So each sugar free snack pack contains 8g of net carbs.

Net Carbs Can Vary By Flavor

It’s worth noting that the net carbs can vary slightly depending on the specific sugar free snack pack flavor:

  • Sugar free chocolate: 8g net carbs
  • Sugar free vanilla: 7g net carbs
  • Sugar free tapioca: 9g net carbs
  • Sugar free pistachio: 8g net carbs

But in general, they range from 7-9g of net carbs per individual snack cup.

Are Sugar Free Snack Packs Keto-Friendly?

How do these net carb counts fit into different diet plans? Let’s evaluate whether sugar free snack packs can be part of a keto, low carb, or diabetic diet.

Keto

The keto diet aims to get carbs low enough to induce ketosis, usually around 20-50g per day. With 7-9g net carbs per pudding cup, a sugar free snack pack would use up a significant chunk of your daily carb limit.

While an occasional pudding cup may fit into some keto diets, regular use would likely kick you out of ketosis. There are lower carb options for keto-friendly pudding using ingredients like avocado, chia seeds, or nut milk.

Low Carb

Low carb diets can range from 50-150g of carbs per day. With around 8g net carbs, a sugar free pudding cup would be a relatively low carb dessert choice for these types of diets.

You could easily fit in a daily snack pack pudding and stay within a low carb nutrition plan. Just account for the carbs and adjust other meals accordingly.

Diabetic Diet

For diabetics, the focus isn’t just on carbs alone, but the total impact on blood sugar levels. Sugar free snack packs are sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners, which don’t raise blood sugar.

However, the carb content can still modestly impact blood glucose levels. Checking with your doctor is advised, but a sugar free pudding cup would likely be a smart occasional treat in a diabetic diet.

Other Nutrition Considerations

Beyond just carbs and calories, there are a few other nutritional aspects of sugar free snack packs to consider:

  • Protein: Snack pack puddings contain 2-4g of protein per cup.
  • Fat: They are low fat, with 0-0.5g per serving.
  • Micronutrients: Being ultra-processed foods, snack packs lack vitamins, minerals, antioxidants.
  • Fiber: With 0g of fiber per cup, they don’t provide any prebiotic benefits.
  • Sodium: The snack packs contain about 125mg sodium each.

So while the carb and calorie content may fit into some nutrition plans, the highly processed nature means snack pack puddings lack beneficial nutrients. Other, less processed dessert options would be better for overall nutritional quality.

Sugar Free Snack Pack Ingredients

Speaking of being highly processed, let’s look at what is actually in a sugar free snack pack pudding:

Ingredients: Water, Modified Food Starch, Contains Less Than 2% of Natural and Artificial Flavor, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate (Preservatives), Salt, Carrageenan, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Xanthan Gum, Color Added.

So the main ingredients are water, starch, and thickeners to replicate the texture of pudding. Flavorings including sucralose and acesulfame potassium provide sweetness without sugar. Preservatives allow the shelf-stable pudding to last for 6-9 months.

Overall, the lengthy ingredients list full of hard-to-pronounce additives indicates this is a highly processed food. While fine for an occasional treat, for better nutrition it’s best not to make sugar free snack packs a daily habit.

Taste and Texture

How do sugar free snack packs stack up when it comes to taste and texture compared to regular pudding? Here’s a look:

  • Sweetness: With sucralose and other artificial sweeteners, the sugar free versions taste sweeter.
  • Flavor: The flavors like chocolate and vanilla are weaker than real sugar-sweetened pudding.
  • Texture: Sugar free puddings can have a thicker, gluggy texture from gums like xanthan.
  • Aftertaste: Some people detect an unpleasant chemical-like aftertaste from the sweeteners.

Whether you find the taste difference off-putting comes down to personal preference. The high sweetness may appeal to some, while others notice a more artificial taste.

Cost Comparison

One last factor to consider – how do sugar free snack packs compare price-wise to regular pudding cups? Here’s a look:

Regular Snack Pack Pudding Sugar Free Snack Pack Pudding
Package Size 4-pack 4-pack
Typical Price $2 $3

The sugar free pudding cups cost $1 more for a 4-pack on average. So you’ll pay a 50% premium for the low carb, low sugar options. Whether it’s worth the extra cost comes down to your budget and nutrition priorities.

The Verdict

At the end of the day, sugar free snack pack puddings provide a convenient lower carb sweet treat. But with 7-9g of net carbs each, they may not suit very low carb or keto diets.

Look at the overall ingredient list and your taste preferences to decide if artificial sweeteners are worth it. And consider the lack of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. An occasional pudding cup can be part of a healthy diet, but it shouldn’t become a daily habit.

If budget isn’t a concern, sugar free snack packs offer a quick carb-conscious dessert. But for better nutrition and lower cost, choose plain yogurt with fresh fruit or other less processed low carb treats.

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