Splenda has 4 calories a packet

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funkyspunky872
funkyspunky872 Posts: 866 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Or that's what I hear. Do you count it? I can't decide if it's true in the first place or worth my time to even bother with counting. I've also read that truvia has around 4 calories a packet, and I believe the truvia website states something about the body not being able to use those 4 calories for energy. (I'm not entirely sure, but I think I remember reading that straight on the company website at one point. Please correct me if I'm wrong and just imagined reading that somewhere! Haha.)

What do you guys think?

I guess I'm more concerned with drinks and foods made with splenda than the actual packets that I put in my coffee. (I can limit and control those.) For instance, there's a 'diet tea' sold at Publix made with splenda. It's awfully sweet; god knows how much splenda was put in there because the nutrition labels don't list measurements. Is it really 0 calories per serving? Then there's bakery goods made with splenda. Obviously they would be less caloric than those made with sugar, but how much less? When they made a cake with a cup of splenda or truvia and come up with the nutritional info, do they let the entire cup slide by as 0 calories? I've been avoiding these types of foods and recipes just because of this.
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Replies

  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
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    Don't worry about it

    I don't count calories from my mint floss either

    Try to see the forest from the trees
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I was pissed when I found this out. Foods with under 5 calories can be labeled as "0 calorie". 4 calories (3.8 to be exact) is pretty negligible, unless you're using 6 or 8 packets at a time, 4x a day in big-azz coffees. It can really add up. I wouldn't worry about commercial products that use splenda- the accuracy of their nutritional info will be about as good as any other commercial product, but homemade products it might be worth thinking about.

    Better yet, switch to pure stevia. There's probably some negligible amount of calories in there somewhere, but the amount you use per serving is SO SMALL (42mg = 1 sweetness serving) that even if it had the same caloric value as real sugar, each serving would have a maximum of 0.168 calories per serving. Note- I'm talking about PURE stevia, not truvia or other commercial product that's cut with erythritol (which is the sugar alcohol used to give truvia and purvia their granular textures). The brand I buy is Kal brand Pure Stevia from amazon.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
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    If you're putting a packet in your coffee once a day, I wouldn't worry about it.

    Putting in four packets to five cups of a coffee a day, maybe log in. (no, seriously, there's a woman I work with that does that)

    And when you're baking, I'd count the calories. If you use one cup of Splenda in a recipe, you're adding 96 calories and 24g of carbs to that recipe. A lot less than sugar, but enough to be counted, IMO.
  • markpmc
    markpmc Posts: 240 Member
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    It's true. I can't wait until you find out about the cooking spray scam :)
  • tinytinam
    tinytinam Posts: 57 Member
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    use Agave syrup or xylitol or real stevia. The others are full of chemicals not good for the body and can seriously mess you up. They are ok occasionally but the least side effect of splenda is to give you heartburn, enough said.
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    It's negligible, unless if you're having like 20 or more a day.
  • keithmustloseweight
    keithmustloseweight Posts: 309 Member
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    Unless you don't add milk either just stop using it.. you won't even notice the difference after a week. That's not just for splenda (which I wouldn't touch with a barge pole)
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    use Agave syrup or xylitol or real stevia. The others are full of chemicals not good for the body and can seriously mess you up. They are ok occasionally but the least side effect of splenda is to give you heartburn, enough said.

    Agave is not any better than real sugar or high fructose corn syrup. It's no more natural, and actually MUCH higher in fructose than most HFCS. It's a marketing scam. Don't use it.
  • Cranktastic
    Cranktastic Posts: 1,517 Member
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    Meh.
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
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    4 calories? Please tell me you guys don't count that into your diary!
  • Eat_clean_stay_tiny
    Eat_clean_stay_tiny Posts: 67
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    Eh
    I would count it but i have an ED so.. just don't count it.
    i count gum even, it's not worth it to count it unless your having 15 packets a day
  • gboybama
    gboybama Posts: 53 Member
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    I use about 1/8 a cup of Spenda with my one per day large coffee. It tastes awesome and I suffer no ill effects that I know of. I have continued to lose weight.

    I am highly skeptical of any claims that Splenda is somehow toxic without some sort of scientific proof. Until I hear something more compelling than people shouting unfounded negativity about it on on this board, I'm putting those comments in the same category as those that believed child immunization causes autism.


    ****STAFF NOTE: Post has been edited due to violations of guideline #17****
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/guidelines
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I use about 1/8 a cup of Spenda with my one per day large coffee. It tastes awesome and I suffer no ill effects that I know of. I have continued to lose weight.

    I am highly skeptical of any claims that Splenda is somehow toxic without some sort of scientific proof. Until I hear something more compelling than people shouting unfounded negativity about it on on this board, I'm putting those comments in the same category as the dumbasses that believed child immunization causes autism.
    Woah, overreact much? This thread is about if you should count the calories from splenda, but you came out guns hot with insults directed at....nobody?
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    One or Two packs a day - I don't count. If I decide to go all wild with the splenda and use a dozen packets maybe I'd count it. If I was using it for baking I'd definitely count it.
  • WaxMama
    WaxMama Posts: 369 Member
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    I use about 1/8 a cup of Spenda with my one per day large coffee. It tastes awesome and I suffer no ill effects that I know of. I have continued to lose weight.

    I am highly skeptical of any claims that Splenda is somehow toxic without some sort of scientific proof. Until I hear something more compelling than people shouting unfounded negativity about it on on this board, I'm putting those comments in the same category as the dumbasses that believed child immunization causes autism.
    Woah, overreact much? This thread is about if you should count the calories from splenda, but you came out guns hot with insults directed at....nobody?

    ^This!!!! I was reading the comments wondering when it was going to go from "do you log it?" to the highly debatable topic of artificial sugars... Now you've done it!
  • capnrus789
    capnrus789 Posts: 2,736 Member
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    4 calories? I can burn that with a good sneeze.
  • n0ob
    n0ob Posts: 2,390 Member
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    It's true. I can't wait until you find out about the cooking spray scam :)

    oh noes...do tell...
  • 1shauna1
    1shauna1 Posts: 993 Member
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    I usually have a couple of packets a day, and I don't count them. I do count the cream in my coffee.
  • VanessaGS
    VanessaGS Posts: 514 Member
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    Just buy Stevia. Artificial sweeteners are not good for you in the long run. Stevia is natural.
  • n0ob
    n0ob Posts: 2,390 Member
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    yeah, the first ingredients are maltodextrin or dextrose on those.

    Basically sugar...it's just not nearly as much as real sugar and it's in a form that dissolves easily (unless truvia or equal) and requires fewer packets ot sweeten.

    Folks would get stupid with it in a hurry if they were allowed to sell any artificial sweetener as a straight powder.

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