When you start the keto diet, do you instantly say goodbye to chocolates and candies? Unfortunately, since the keto diet is all about peeking carbs and sugars low, this is often the case.
But what if it didn’t have to be? Are there keto friendly chocolates out there that you can still enjoy while on keto?
That’s where Russell Stover comes in – because they have a sugar free line! Before we get ahead of ourselves, though – there are still questions to be answered.
When you hear the term “sugar-free” while on keto – your mind can easily get ahead of itself. What does sugar free even mean? Can you eat it?
Is Russell Stover’s line of sugar-free chocolates keto friendly?
If you want to find out, just keep reading! We’re going to be going through everything you need to know.
Russell Stover – What’s The Big Deal?
If you didn’t know already, Russell Stover Chocolates is a company based in North America. They supply delicious confections, candy, and chocolate.
Founded in 1923, the brand has grown in popularity, and is not a favorite among many. Now, the company is known for their ice cream, too, and their sugar-free line was launched back in 1998.
How Many Types Of Chocolate Do They Have In The Sugar Free Line?
There is a great variety of chocolates and candies in Russell Stover’s sugar free line. Let’s take a look at them below:
Coconut Mints
Dark Chocolate
Chocolate Candy
Caramel and Toffee
Creams
Nuts and Peanut Butter
Assorted Chocolates
Jelly Beans
Hard Candies
Truffles
If any of these delicious sounding treats appeal to you, stick around to find out more about them!
We’ll be focusing on the chocolates in this post, but there is plenty of information available about the hard candies and other confections the brand has to offer!
Nutritional Facts
Truffle
Serving size of 2 pieces (28g)
Total calories (kcal) – 110
Total carbs (g) – 17
Net carbs (g) – 0
Fat (g) – 8
Fiber (g) – 1
Protein (g) – 1
Sugar alcohol (g) – 16
Pecan Delights
Serving size of 2 pieces (34g)
Total calories (kcal) – 150
Total carbs (g) – 19
Net carbs (g) – 3
Fat (g) – 12
Fiber (g) – 1
Protein (g) – 2
Sugar alcohol (g) – 15
Caramel
Serving size of 2 pieces (28g)
Total calories (kcal) – 110
Total carbs (g) – 17
Net carbs (g) – 3
Fat (g) – 7
Fiber (g) – less than 1
Protein (g) – 4
Sugar alcohol (g) – 13
Almond Delights
Serving size of 2 pieces (34g)
Total calories (kcal) – 140
Total carbs (g) – 19
Net carbs (g) – 3
Fat (g) – 11
Fiber (g) – 1
Protein (g) – 3
Sugar alcohol (g) – 15
Toffee
Serving size of 3 pieces (44g)
Total calories (kcal) – 210
Total carbs (g) – 24
Net carbs (g) – 0
Fat (g) – 16
Fiber (g) – 1
Protein (g) – 2
Sugar alcohol (g) – 23
Assorted Fruit Hard Candy
Serving size of 3 pieces (17g)
Total calories (kcal) – 35
Total carbs (g) – 16
Net carbs (g) – 0
Fat (g) – 0
Fiber (g) – 0
Protein (g) – 0
Sugar alcohol (g) – 16
Ingredients Used
Some common ingredients used in Russell Stover products include:
Rebiana (Stevia Extract)
Maltitol
Artificial and Natural Flavors
Cocoa Butter
Citric Acid
Milk Fat
Sodium Caseinate (Milk)
Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier)
Chocolate
Salt
Vanilla
Maltitol Syrup
Soy Lecithin
Maltitol
Below is a list of the various ingredients used in specific products from Russell Stover. Let’s take a look down below and see what we can find in these chocolates!
Truffle – Dark Chocolate, Butter, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate
Assorted Fruit Hard Candy – Maltitol Syrup, Citric Acid, Natural And Artificial Flavors, FD and C Colors
Which Sweeteners Are Used In The Sugar-Free Line?
If you’re on the keto diet, knowing which sweeteners the companies use in order to create their products is incredibly important.
When it comes to Russell Stover products, they are made using stevia extract, maltitol syrup, and maltitol. In some products, the brand also uses polydextrose, which we will talk about in a minute.
Depending on the stevia, stevia leaf extract can be anywhere from 30 to 150 times sweeter than regular sugar. This product is often used as a substitute for regular sugar.
The product is plant-based, and the actual sweetness we can taste comes from steviol glycosides, the active ingredient. Stevia is a common ingredient used in carb and sugar-free products.
This is because stevia actually cannot be metabolized by the body, resulting in it having no calories or carbs.
Maltitol, on the other hand, is another matter. This ingredient is often used as a sweetener, and has between 70 and 90% sweetness similarity to regular table sugar.
Despite maltitol being a sugar alcohol, it actually has the highest glycemic index (GI) of all of the sugar alcohols.
This comes to a value of 35 for maltitol powder, and for maltitol syrup, a whopping 52. If you were wondering, regular table sugar has a GI of around 60, so maltitol products really aren’t far off.
For anyone unfamiliar with the glycemic index, it is a value anywhere from 0 to 100, with 100 referring to pure glucose.
A value is assigned to foods that result in a rise in blood glucose levels two hours after eating it. When it comes to the keto diet, you want to reduce this number by as much as possible.
When your blood sugar levels rise, you are not entering ketosis. Therefore, anyone on a keto diet should always avoid foods that have high GI values, as it is counterproductive to their diet.
Polydextrose is the other ingredient sometimes used in Russell Stover chocolates. This is a synthetic polymer of glucose, and the FDA classifies it as a soluble fiber.
This ingredient is often used as a sweetener in the food industry, but it can also be used for bulking and texture.
However, this ingredient can only be partially fermented, leading to minimal absorption. As a result, polydextrose doesn’t have a lot of nutritional value.
To sum things up, stevia is a keto friendly ingredient, and can be enjoyed while on keto.
Maltitol, on the other hand, is not keto friendly by any means and should always be avoided while on a keto diet.
Are Russell Stover Sugar-Free Chocolates Suitable On A Keto Diet?
It is important to remember that just because a product is sugar free, doesn’t mean that it is low carb or suitable for a keto diet.
In this case with Russell Stover sugar free chocolates, these products certainly are not suitable for a keto or low carb diet.
There is no sucrose in these chocolates, but there is still plenty of sugar alcohol, as illustrated by the nutritional information given above.
Even worse, the sweeteners they use include maltitol – the one with a very high glycemic index.
While maltitol powder has a lower GI than its syrup counterpart, the values are still too high for a keto diet.
Unfortunately, Russell Stover sugar free chocolates use both ingredients in the majority of their products. This means that these chocolates will, without a doubt, have a negative effect on your ketosis.
It doesn’t end there, though. These chocolates and candies are also full of artificial ingredients for coloring and flavoring – so they are highly-processed goods.
Processed foods in general do not have a positive impact on our health, but for anyone trying to be on a keto diet, these ingredients can be even worse.
So, when you take a step back and look at everything, it becomes increasingly clear that Russell Stover chocolates, even from their sugar free line, are not suitable for a keto diet.
These foods are highly processed, and contain a number of ingredients that actively work against ketosis.
Since so much work and effort is going into achieving ketosis, you certainly will want to stay away from these products.
These chocolates may be a good option for anyone who is not on a strict low carb diet and wants to indulge in a chocolate or two.
The chocolates in this sugar free line, while not void of additives and carbs, are more suitable than regular chocolates.
So, if you do not mind taking in some carbs and processed food, then go ahead and enjoy one of these chocolates!
With that being said, it’s important to remember the nutritional information of these chocolates.
As you can see from the information given previously, a serving of chocolate (which can be 2 or 3, depending on the chocolate), can have anywhere from 16 to 24 grams of net carbs.
This means that intake will certainly need to be limited. That, however, doesn’t mean that you can’t still enjoy one every now and then.
When You Can Get Them
Generally, you will be able to find Russell Stover chocolates in your typical grocery stores, including their sugar free line.
However, if you don’t feel like leaving the house, you can also order them directly from their website, or from Amazon.
Final Thoughts
To sum up what we found – it’s bad news. Russell Stover sugar free chocolate line is not suitable for anyone who wants to stick to their keto diet.
These products are high in calories and sweeteners such as maltitol, which affect your glucose levels.
Not only that, but these foods are highly processed, which is also something that should be avoided on the keto diet.
Since Russell Stover uses sweeteners such as stevia extract, polydextrose, and maltitol, they should be avoided while on keto. Stevia is keto friendly, and polydextrose has little to no nutritional value, but maltitol is the issue.
As a result, these chocolates are a no-go for keto dieters. However, for anyone who is on a low carb diet and doesn’t mind taking in a few extra carbs, these chocolates are a good option!
They are lower in calories, carbs, and sugar than regular chocolates, so they can still be enjoyed every once in a while.
Hi, my name is Anna Kadance and I have been following a keto diet, on and off, for just over two years now. When I first started, I was in a deep depression due to my weight and the fact that I just couldn’t seem to get rid of it.
My body had given me two beautiful children, but now that our family was complete, I wanted to take it back as my own and get my pre-baby body back. I tried diet after diet, exercise program after program - nothing worked!
