Those readers who are diabetic and really have difficulty controlling blood sugar might want to avert their eyes. Are you averting? Ok. The Breyers Carb Smart Ice Cream Bars are nearing the limit of what The Glucoholic is willing to consider “low carb”. Though nowhere near a sugar free snack, these bars do taste so good that they warrant a try for those who can tolerate relatively low net carb snacks. Looking a little closer at the nutritional information might help you make a decision about whether or not this product is a healthy choice for you.
First, let’s explain what we mean when we say “net carbs.” There is actually quite a bit of controversy over the meaning of this phrase, but we like to use it in our vernacular to mean “digestible carbs that will have some impact on blood sugar.” The next thing to do is to try to put together a formula that will take the carbohydrate information from the nutrition label and convert it to some number of grams that represents “net carbs.”
Using these ice cream bars as an example we see that each bar contains 9 grams of carbohydrates, including 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of sugar alcohol. In general, we can subtract the fiber from the total, leaving us with 7 grams of net carbs. Next we need to account for the sugar alcohol. If you do enough searching on the web you will find plenty of information about sugar alcohols, so for brevity we will say that in the worst case scenario the specific sugar alcohols used would yield about 1 gram of digestible carbs and 1 gram that would not be digested. This means that we can take one more gram from the total and get around 6 net carbs per bar. Not bad compared to a slice of pizza!
You will also get 15 grams of fat, of which 0 grams are trans and 11 grams are saturated. Each serving also contains 15mg of cholesterol, 45mg of sodium, and 2 grams of protein. At 170 calories these things have a lot of fat, and they are definitely not a low calorie snack!
The Glucoholic always likes to deliver the not perfect news first, so with that out of the way let’s talk about what is great about these little treasures – the taste! Each bar is sweetened with Splenda and acesulfame potassium and boy can you tell. The chocolate shell is crispy, but quickly dissolves in your mouth leaving a taste that is a little more like dark chocolate than milk chocolate. The ice cream is indistinguishable from traditional ice cream. The combination of tastes is something special, and is quite comparable to similar snacks that The Glucoholic would never be able to consider otherwise.
We have been buying 2 to 3 boxes a week
at our Wal Mart store and noticed over the last couple of weeks they no longer carry lo carb breyers ice cream bars.
What to do, Where to find ? HELP
Mary
I have had the same problem. I talked to the manager at Walmart and he said they were no longer going to carry them. My husband likes the fudge bars. but no other stores have them. I also need help finding them.
Consider going to the Breyers website and checking for their Carbsmart store locator. On the East coast, I found them at Giant and at Weis Markets.
I’m finding far fewer low-carb products in brand name markets these days. I NEVER see ANY Breyers Carb Smart ice cream products anymore 🙁 When I asked the store manager (at several different chains) I was told they now carried the “no sugar added” variety. I tried to explain that that wasn’t the same thing AT ALL, but he either didn’t get it or didn’t care, cuz he said that’s the only “low sugar” ice cream item they are currently going to be stocking.
Thanks for the information on the comparative carb of sugar alcohol vs sugar. My wife and I, both borderline diabetic, are addicted to this delicious ice cream. Breyers also offer Carb Smart Vanilla ice cream which has less fat and calories but without the chocolate which is to die for. Both are great products. It is available at Stater Brothers in the southern California metropolitan area. Also like you said, Splenda is a fine sugar substitute, we use it routinely to replace sugar.
I, too, have been trying to find the vanilla ice cream bars. and, Publix, our local grocery store has suddenly stopped carrying them. Why???????????????
If you really Insulin Resistant or a T2 diabetic consider this bar to have 7 grams of carbs. The advertising that it has 4 net carbs is misleading. Carbs mnus fiber is how you should consider the item for safety sake.
I personally, once in a while eat only 1/2 of a bar. IT is satisfying enough. I grew up on original Breyers Ice Cream. That was something special.
i love the fudge and chocolate covered ice cream bars.. as of now our walmart is still carrying them. however the have dropped many other low carb foods from other company’s. I think maybe we should go directly to walmart headquarters to find out why or to encourage them to rethink this product change.
Kroger carries them in several varieties
Winco also carries these if you have them in your area. I bought a box last week and LOVE LOVE them! they satisfy my sweet tooth for sure!
WE CANNOT FIND CARB SMART AT WALMART IN THE MINNESOTA REGION..WIFE AND I ARE DIABETIC AND THIS IS THE ONLY TREAT WE LIKE THATS STILL LOW ON CARBS..WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FIND..WALMART PEOPLE TRY TO SELL YOU NO SUGAR ADDED…ITS NOT THE SAME AND THEY DONT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND–VERY FRUSTRATING
I haven’t tried the carb smart bars but will be looking for them. I have tried both the vanilla and chocolate carb smart icecream and it’s great. Albertsons,in Vero Beach is the only store around that carry the chocolate.I am able to get vanilla at publix and winn dixie so I get a case at a time of the chocolate when at albertsons…why don’t the other stores carry the chocolate????
I am finding them in Northern VA in Arlington at Giant and at Shopper’s Food Warehouse. They are yummy, but I was surprised at the total calorie load. Still, one bar a night seems to be great to satisfy that need for something. I am eating an apple also afterward or before to tide me over after dinner. I liked the comment someone made about eating half of one at a time- 90 calorie treats seem more appropriate.
Some Food Lions in the Raleigh, Benson, NC area carry these items. Wal-Mart in Garner, NC still carries this item.
Just today I found I could NO LONGER purchase the carb smart bars at Price Chopper (after going to TWO of their stores!) I’m around Saratoga Springs, NY and cannot find them….I always bought them at Price Chopper but they no longer carry them. Do they NOT care for diabetics???? darn ’em !
Where do I find carb bars? Local stores are not carrying them any longer.
My Dominicks store in River Grove, IL on Thatcher Avenue claims they can no longer obtain Breyer low carb fudge bars or ice cream bars. I love them and have been buying 2 or 3 pkgs. a week. Why is Breyers no longer supplying them?
Time has passed. Both local Walmarts and Food Lion carry several Carb Smart varieties. It’s the popularity of the Atkins diet, I think.
I read the advertising on the Breyers website. “Fudge Bar has net 3g of carbs!” “Vanilla Almond Bar has net 5g.” Neither of those, even ignoring the sugar alcohol controversy, jibes with the Nutrition Facts label of the box! Nor even the Nutrition facts on their website (which match the box.)
Your low carb fudge bars are almost impossible to buy! Wal mart is the only grocer that carrys them! The problem is they are out of stock 70% of the time ! Safeway,Albertsons,Haggens, Fred Meyer, QFC… None of these grocers carry the fudge bars. Why won’t these grocers carry them ?
What happened to the carb smart almond cars wiith Splenda at Walmart or HEB in copperas cove tx 76522?