Are ATKINS Bars Keto Approved? [Endulge, Harvest & Meal Bars]

atkins bars keto

Do you feel silly by wondering if Atkins Bars really are keto friendly? 

Well don’t be, that’s a reasonable concern.

They are delicious and give a quick energy boost when you are on-the-go.

But are Atkins Bars keto approved treat?

You can’t always trust every label that states “low-carb” or no added sugar.

Thus finding a keto friendly bar can be difficult.

We are going to check out Atkins Bars and see if and how they fit into your keto diet regimen.

atkins bars keto

Are Atkins Bars Keto Friendly Snack?

It’s obvious, keto friendly bars need to be low in net carbs. But, not all products with 0 net carbs are safe for keto. I am referring to sugar alcohols and other additives that can have an effect on your blood sugar levels.

  • The main sneaky sugar alcohol to look out for is Maltitol, a sweetener which Atkins uses in some of their products.
  • The problem with Maltitol is it causes a blood sugar spike – making it definitely not keto friendly.
  • Maltitol has high glycemic index – 35. As a reference, honey has a GI of 50 and keto friendly sugar alcohol Erythritol has GI of 1.
keto friendly atkins bar

Are Atkins bars keto friendly?

  • Most Atkins bars are keto friendly. The ones that are low in net carbs and doesn’t contain maltitol or any other sugar alcohol that has an effect on your blood sugar.
  • Unfortunately, there are several Atkins Bars that contain maltitol, so make sure to read the labels. You can read exactly which ones to avoid below.

Or you can just check out keto-approved Atkins Bars here

Which Atkins Bars Are Keto Approved?

Atkins has 2 main snack product lines: Atkins Bars and Atkins Endulge Treats. As they state on their homepage: Atkins bars are perfect for a light snack.

Atkins sweet treats are more “sweet” in taste and as they state on their home page, comes without all of the added sugar.

Below is the full list of Atkins Bars. The ones which contain Maltitol are colored red. Avoid them, other bars are acceptable in reasonable amounts during keto.

Harvest Trail Bars

  • Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Bar – 4g net carbs
  • Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar – 4g net carbs
keto friendly atkins bars 2

Snack Bars

  • Peanut Butter Protein Wafer Crisps – 3g net carbs
  • Chocolate Mint Protein Wafer Crisps – 4g net carbs
  • Lemon Vanilla Protein Wafer Crisps – 3g net carbs
  • White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bar – 4g net carbs 
  • Lemon Bar – 3g net carbs
  • Caramel Chocolate Nut Roll -3g net carbs < MALTITOL
  • Caramel Chocolate Peanut Nougat Bar – 2g net carbs < MALTITOL
  • Caramel Double Chocolate Crunch Bar – 4g net carbs
  • Cashew Trail Mix Bar – 6g net carbs < MALTITOL
  • Coconut Almond Delight Bar – 3g net carbs < MALTITOL
  • Dark Chocolate Almond Coconut Crunch Bar – 4g net carbs
  • Triple Chocolate Bar – 4g net carbs 
  • Chocolate Chip Crisp Bar – 4g net carbs 
  • Cranberry Almond Bar – 3g net carbs 
  • Peanut Butter Fudge Crisp Bar – 2g net carbs

Atkins Endulge Bars

  • ALL Atkins Endulge Treats contain Maltitol

All bars in this list that aren’t colored red, are keto-friendly. But always keep in mind that you need to fit your daily macros, so try to read the labels.

Or you can just check out keto-approved Atkins Bars here

The Reason for Confusion

As with all the low-carb products, the box says “3g of net carbs”, but when you look at the nutrition information, it says 23g of carbs and 2g of sugar. 

What’s up with that?

Obviously following keto means that you need to keep your carbs down as much as possible and avoid every kind of sugar.

atkins bar keto 2

  • To clarify the situation, when you check the carbs of any product and evaluate its keto-friendliness, you need to calculate the net carb count, not the total carb count on the package.
  • How should you do that? The calculation is simple. You subtract the fiber and sugar alcohol from the total carb count, and you will get net carbs per product.

Net Carbs = Total Carbohydrates – Fiber – Sugar Alcohols/Glycerin (if applicable)

So in this example, the calculation would be:

3g (net carbs) = 23g (total carbs) – 12g (dietary fiber) – 8g (Glycerin)

RELATEDBest Ketone Breath Meters in 2020 [+Beginner’s Guide]

How Many Carbs Can You Eat Then?

Keep in mind that keto isn’t about getting your menu to zero carbs every day. That is just a good goal to start out with. If I would allow you to eat 50 of carbs per day, you will be grabbing a Snickers bar before I can say keto.

  • Most people will get into ketosis by lowering their carb intake to 20g of net carbs per day. And these carbs should come from keto friendly vegetables.
  • Once you are keto-adapted, then you have more wiggle room and depending on your body, can eat 50 grams of net carbs or even more. But don’t count on it. It’s something you need to test out by yourself and obviously measure.

PROTIPHow I found my sweet spot as I got deep into ketosis (keto-adapted), and just started testing my blood ketone and glucose levels.

I used a blood ketone monitor. I took a measurement before and after a meal. So I can track exactly how different foods, including Atkins bars, affected my body.

Should You Eat Atkins Bars During Keto?

As you may guess already, there is no one answer here.

From the plus side

  • If you fight with cravings, are considering a cheat meal or cheat day, you are traveling or camping, or you just cannot eat full keto then yes, most Atkins bars are a good choice. At the end of the day, they have quite good macros – high in protein and fiber, low in carbs.
  • It’s 100% better alternative than eating fast carbs or a full cheat meal that can transform into a full weekend binge eating fest. Which will results in an awful keto hangover. Once you experience it, you know what I’m talking about. So, in general, I will say, that if you have a choice then consider all options if you are on edge then go for it.

From the negative side

  • It does have a lot of ingredients from protein and fiber to sweeteners and who knows what more. Sugar alcohols, used for that good taste, have a controversial reputation, just like artificial sweeteners. In addition to that, some people can’t stand sugar alcohols – which makes them bloated and buffy. 
  • Also, you need to be aware to avoid anything that has maltitol in it, as this will have an effect on your blood sugar. If you want to avoid sugar alcohols and don’t want to read the labels, then it’s best to avoid Atkins bars. In that case, read on and check our best alternative suggestions below (free of anything artificial).

Are There Any Alternatives?

If for whatever reason you know have chosen not to go on with Atkins Bars, then don’t worry not all is lost. The good news is that there are loads of delicious keto friendly protein bars and snacks out there.

Definitely check out our keto protein bar list and keto approved chocolate list to get some ideas.

But in short, I would suggest checking out Perfect Keto bars – made explicitly for keto dieters. It’s 100% free of anything artificial, and they honestly taste great.

Also, you can get 20% off of Perfect Keto Bars if you use a coupon: BODYKETOSIS

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