Are Atkins Bars Keto Friendly?

Atkins bars are marketed as low-carb meal replacement and snack bars that use sugar alcohols to mimic the taste of sugar with only a small amount. glycemic impact.

If you’re on the keto diet and you pop in the gas station mid-road trip, you might be thinking about grabbing one to satisfy your cravings without getting kicked out of ketosis.

Before you do that, you should be asking, “are Atkins bars keto-friendly?”

We share with you all the ingredients and nutritional information of these snack bars.

We also discuss Atkins Bars’ carb and sugar content so you can understand why you should avoid this low-carb snack bar on keto.

What are Atkins Low-Carb Bars?

Atkins Meal Bars are just like protein bars, only higher in calories and protein to suit the needs of people on the Atkins diet. They are also meant to be used as a substitute for light meals.

Atkins Snack Bars are similar bars manufactured by Atkins Manufacturers that are slightly lower in calories and protein than the Atkins Meal Bars. 

For instance, the Atkins Chocolate Crisp snack bar has 140 calories and 10g of protein, while the Chocolate Peanut Butter meal bar has 250 calories and 16g of protein.

Regardless, both Atkins Bars varieties are low in carbs, with about 2-4 net carbs in each bar. They are marketed to those following a low-carb diet like Atkins or Keto. 

What is the Atkins Diet?

The Atkins diet starts with an extremely low-carb induction phase. Then, you slowly increase your carb intake, so you find your carb tolerance level. 

Just like with keto, it helps you eat the right balance of carbs, protein, and fats for optimal weight loss. 

It holds that eating high-carb foods can lead to health problems, so they should be avoided.

After starting with the induction phase, you proceed to a balance phase, then do pre-maintenance, then move into lifetime maintenance. 

The balancing phase occurs when you slowly add more nuts, low-carb vegetables, and some fruits. Pre-maintenance allows you to add more carbs until your weight loss slows down.

Lastly, maintenance is when you can eat as much healthy carbs as your body can tolerate.

The idea is to continue gradually increasing the range of the foods you eat, adding more carbs to your diet until you reach your weight loss goals.

Remarkably like keto, right? That does not necessarily mean that Atkins Bars are keto-friendly. 

This product may not even be Atkins-friendly!

Atkins Bars Nutritional Information

The nutritional information of Atkins bars varies depending on the variety and flavor. As mentioned, meal bars replace light meals, so they are generally higher in calories and protein.

Both varieties come in a wide selection of flavors, like Chocolate Macadamia Nut and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. 

To compare the nutritional content of meal bars and snack bars, let’s use Atkins Cookies & Creme meal bars and Atkins Caramel Peanut Nougat snack bar as examples.

The meal bar contains 22g of total carbs and 9g of fiber, while the snack bar has 20g of total carbs and 11g of fiber. Both contain a gram of sugar.

The fiber in these bars comes from a combination of soluble corn fiber, polydextrose, and dextrin.

As for sugar alcohols, the meal bar has 9g while the snack bar contains 7g. 

The meal bar has 14g protein, 11g fats, vitamin A that’s 20% of the recommended daily value, and 20% of the DV of vitamin C.

Meanwhile, the snack bar has 9g protein, 11g fats as well, 15% of vitamin A’s daily value, and 15% of the daily value of vitamin C.

Lastly, both Atkins Bars have vitamin K, magnesium, and zinc which are added during the process. 

Atkins Bars Carbs and Sugar Content

On the keto diet, the main goal is to keep your carbs down as much as possible and avoid every kind of sugar.

Here’s a list of the number of net carbs in the different flavors of Atkins Meal Bars.

• Peanut Fudge Granola: 3g net carbs per 210 calories
• Chocolate Almond Caramel: 3g net carbs per 190 calories
• Chocolate Peanut Butter: 4g net carbs per 250 calories
• Cinnamon Bun: 5g net carbs per 200 calories
• Cookies & Creme: 9.5g net carbs per 200 calories
• Vanilla Pecan Crisp: 4g net carbs per 200 calories
• Raspberry Chia: 4g net carbs per 180 calories
• Blueberry Greek Yogurt: 5g net carbs per 200 calories
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: 11.5 g net carbs per 210 calories
• Peanut Butter Granola: 5g net carbs per 220 calories
• Mocha Almond: 4g net carbs per 200 calories
• Almond Coconut: 4g net carbs per 200 calories
• Chocolate Chip Granola: 5g net carbs per 210 calories
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel: 9g net carbs per 210 calories.

Take note that you are calculating the net carb count and not the total carb count on the package. It’s simple. Just subtract the fiber and sugar alcohol from the total carb count.

The principle behind net carbs is that not all carbs are being absorbed by the body. Remember though that this term is not recognized by the Food and Drug Administration.

Sugar alcohols are used in the following bars:

• Caramel Chocolate Nut Roll
• Caramel Chocolate Peanut Nougat Bar
• Cashew Trail Mix Bar
• Coconut Almond Delight Bar
• All Atkins Endulge Bars.

Sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners are usually praised on the keto diet for being low-carb alternatives to sugar.

However, some people cannot tolerate even small amounts of sugar alcohol. Foods that are high in these sweeteners may cause digestive issues like diarrhea and gas.

Atkins bars also contain sweeteners like sucralose and acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), which are linked to negative health outcomes.

Sucralose on the keto diet, for instance, can disrupt gut bacteria and increase inflammation in your body.

It can also cause insulin sensitivity, a condition associated with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Are Atkins Bars Keto-Friendly?

The Atkins Meal Bars that do not contain maltitol may seem more keto-friendly, but all their products are still considered unhealthy.

Remember that a food’s keto-friendliness not only depends on the net carbs per serving, but also the ingredients, the tendency to overeat, and how nutrient-dense it is.

We’ve mentioned that sugar alcohols may be low-carb but they can upset your stomach when eaten in large amounts.

Aside from that, eating refined carbs can also cause you to overeat. Your body digests these quickly, so you tend to get hungry more often.

Therefore, these “meal replacements” won’t do the trick. You’ll only end up wanting more Atkins bars since they don’t promote feelings of fullness.

Keto-friendly foods should be healthy whole foods. Atkins bars don’t fit this description. The bars contain too few vitamins and minerals to pass as a meal replacement for most people. 

The fats are also insufficient for a high-fat, low-carb diet like keto.

So, while they are technically okay to eat on the keto diet due to their low carb count, we don’t consider them a keto-friendly food.

You could eat one every now and then if you have no other options, but don’t make them a part of your regular diet.

FAQ Atkins and Keto Snack Bars

How Many Atkins Bars Can I Eat on Keto?

We just said you shouldn’t be eating Atkins Bars on the keto diet no matter how “low-carb” they claim to be. 

That’s because keto recommends low-carb whole foods like meat, fruits, and vegetables.

But if you don’t have a better option on hand, you can have one. 

Your focus should be on using your daily carb intake allowance on high-quality and nutritious foods.

This daily limit is usually below 50g. Find out how many carbs kick you out of ketosis for your exact calculations.

Are Protein Bars OK on Keto?

It depends on the bar and what’s in it.

Protein bars may be acceptable on the keto diet if they are low in carbs and if you only eat one occasionally. 

Not all protein bars are created equal, and some are so full of sugar that they might as well be in the candy section.

One well-known protein bar is Pure Protein. Check out whether Pure Protein bars are keto-friendly or not!

What Bars are Keto-Friendly?

Countless snack bars are keto-friendly. Take note that just because a product is marketed healthy doesn’t mean it is keto-friendly.

Some do not live up to their namesake because they contain a lot of preservatives, while others simply contain too many carbs. 

If you want to guarantee a healthy and keto-friendly snack bar, why not try making your own keto snacks?

Will Atkins Bars Stop Ketosis?

Atkins Bars will not necessarily kick you out of ketosis, especially if you eat only one or two. 

On the keto diet, your daily carb limit is around 25-50g carbs. A snack bar with 9.5g carbs may not kick you out of ketosis if you haven’t had any other carbs during the day.

If you’re worried that you’re out of ketosis, the best way to find out is by testing your ketone levels!

Which is Better, Atkins or Keto Diet?

It depends on you. 

Your lifestyle, activity levels, and other factors are some things to consider when deciding between Atkins or keto.

While both are low-carb, Atkins follows phases regarding your carb limit. Meanwhile, the standard ketogenic diet has a daily carb limit under 50g.

Keto is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet that promotes ketosis. 

Find out how to get started with the keto diet and how to enter the state of ketosis quickly!

One Atkins Bar is Enough!

When looking for a low-carb snack bar, the Atkins bar is not a great option due to the ingredients.

For keto, you want to use your carb limit on healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and good quality fats and protein.

As much as possible, you only want to eat these snack bars when you need a convenient snack on the go and don’t have a better option.

Always check the nutrition label of your snacks and focus on eating high-quality fats on keto.