You may have come across No Sugar Company Keto Bar and wondered if it’s a healthy choice – after all, it’s sugar-free! This dietitian review will help you decide if it’s a healthy addition to your grocery cart. Continue reading for my review of No Sugar Company Keto Bar ingredients and nutrition facts.
This protein bar review is part of our Protein & Snack bar series. Check out more protein and snack bar reviews here.
About No Sugar Company Keto Bars
No Sugar Company’s Keto Bars are promoted as a convenient, on-the-go snack for those following a keto diet. The company describes them as “rich in flavour, packed with good-for-you fats and quality ingredients”.
No Sugar Company Keto Bar Ingredients
| Flavour | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Lemon Meringue | Resistant dextrin (soluble tapioca fibre), Fats blend (almond butter [almonds], *RSPO certified palm kernel oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin, milkfat), Erythritol, Rice protein, Fava bean protein isolate, Natural flavours, Vegetable glycerin, Salt, Stevia extract, Vanilla extract. |
| Cookies & Cream | Fats blend (Cocoa Butter, Palm Kernel Oil, Almond Butter [almonds], Coconut oil, Sunflower Lecithin, milk fat), Isomalto Oligosaccharide syrup, Fava Bean Protein Isolate, Erythritol, Tapioca Fibre, Cocoa Powder (processed with alkali), Rice Protein, Natural Flavours, Vegetable Glycerin, Sea Salt, Stevia Extract, Salt. |
| Birthday Cake | Fats blend (almond butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, sunflower lecithin, peanut butter), white chocolate flavored coating (tapioca fiber, palm kernel oil, inulin, erythritol, milkfat, natural cream flavor, sunflower lecithin, vanilla extract, salt, stevia extract), fava bean protein isolate, sprouted brown rice protein isolate, isomalto-oligosaccharide fiber, erythritol, natural flavor, natural vanilla flavor, vegetable glycerin, sprinkles, (gum arabic, spirulina extract, red cabbage extract, turmeric extract, & radish extract), sea salt, stevia extract. |
| Chocolate Peanut Butter | Fats blend (Peanut Butter [peanuts], Cocoa Butter, Peanut Oil, Sunflower Lecithin, Coconut oil, Almond Butter [almonds]), Faba Bean Protein Isolate, Erythritol, Isomalto Oligosaccharide, Chocolate Liquor, Rice Protein, Resistant dextrin (soluble corn fibre), Natural Flavours, Sea Salt, Vegetable Glycerin, Stevia Extract, Vanilla Powder. |
| Chocolate Fudge Brownie | Fats blend (Cocoa Butter, Almond Butter[ almonds],Coconut oil, Sunflower Lecithin), Isomalto Oligosaccharide syrup, Fava Bean Protein Isolate, Chocolate Liquor, Erythritol, Rice Protein, Cocoa Powder (processed with alkali), Resistant dextrin (soluble corn fibre), Natural Flavours, Vegetable Glycerin, Sea Salt, Stevia Extract, Vanilla powder. |
| Chocolate Mint | Fats blend (Cocoa Butter, Almond Butter, [almonds] Coconut oil, Sunflower Lecithin), Isomalto Oligosaccharide syrup, Fava Bean Protein Isolate, Chocolate Liquor, Erythritol, Rice Protein, Cocoa Powder (pressed with alkali), Resistant dextrin (soluble corn fibre), Natural Mint, Vegetable Glycerin, Sea Salt, Stevia Extract, Vanilla Powder. |
| Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough | Fats blend (Almond Butter, Cocoa Butter, Coconut oil, Sunflower Lecithin, Peanut Butter), Fair Trade Dark Chocolate Flavoured Coating (Chocolate Liquor, Erythritol, Chicory Root, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla, Reb A), Fava Bean Protein Isolate, Organic Cocoa Nibs, Isomalto-oligosaccharide Fiber, RiceProtein, Erythritol, Vegetable Glycerin, Natural Flavour, Sea Salt, Stevia Extract. |
The following list represents the ingredients from the Cookies & Cream flavour. See the above chart for the ingredients from all flavours.
Cocoa butter: the fat that is removed from cocoa beans during processing.
Palm kernel oil: source of saturated fat extracted from palm plants. Read everything you need to know about Palm Oil in my review here.
Almond butter: made from ground almonds
Coconut oil: oil from the white part of the coconut. This type of oil is made of mostly saturated fat.
Sunflower lecithin: used as an emulsifier to help fats blend with other ingredients. Read more about lecithins in our Lecithin Ingredient Review here.
Milk fat: isolated fat from cow’s milk.
Isomalto-oligosaccharide syrup: a non-sugar sweetener made from starch consisting of non-digestible and digestible carbohydrates. The non-digestible carbohydrates are fermented in the large intestine and are considered a prebiotic.
Fava bean protein isolate: source of plant-based protein isolated from fava beans. This is the main source of protein in No Sugar Keto bars.
Erythritol: a type of sugar alcohol used to sweeten these bars. It is made by fermenting dextrose or sucrose (forms of sugar). Erythritol is absorbed in the small intestine and is excreted from the body through urine. It is considered zero calories since it is not metabolized in the body.
Tapioca fibre: a gluten-free flour from the cassava plant. It is used as a binding and thickening agent in foods.
Cocoa powder: unsweetened form of chocolate. The leftover part of the cocoa bean after the cocoa butter has been removed.
Rice protein: source of added protein extracted from rice.
Natural flavours: flavouring extracted from plant or animal sources. Check out my review of Natural Flavours here for everything you need to know.
Vegetable glycerin: a type of sugar alcohol produced by hydrolysis of fats and oils. Glycerin has many uses as a food ingredient, including sweetener, bulking agent or filler, hydrating agent, and solvent.
Sea salt: a source of added sodium used for flavouring.
Stevia leaf extract: a non-caloric sweetener used as an alternative to sugar.
Priority allergens:
Contains almonds and/or peanuts. May contain peanuts and/or tree nuts, soy, sesame, and milk.
No Sugar Company Keto Bar Nutrition Facts
| Lemon Meringue | Cookies & Cream | Birthday Cake | Chocolate Peanut Butter | Chocolate Fudge Brownie | Chocolate Mint | Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 130 | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
| Fat (g) | 8 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
| Saturated fat (g) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sodium (mg) | 95 | 170 | 130 | 130 | 125 | 130 | 200 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 20 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 14 |
| Fibre (g) | 12 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 7 |
| Sugar (g) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Erythritol (g) | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Protein (g) | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Potassium (mg) | 30 | 75 | 30 | 125 | 100 | 100 | 125 |
| Calcium (mg) | 50 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| Iron (mg) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1.25 | 2.25 | 2 | 1.25 |
| Vitamin D (mg) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The following nutrition facts are from the Cookies & Cream flavour, with the range of all flavours in parenthesis. See the above chart for details.
Calories: 160 (130-180)
Fat: 12g (8-13g), from cocoa butter, palm oil, almond butter, coconut oil, and milk fat.
Saturated fat: 6g (5-7g), from cocoa butter, palm oil, and coconut oil.
Sodium: 170mg (95-200mg), from sea salt.
Carbohydrate: 18g (14-20g), from isomalto-oligosaccharide syrup, erythritol, and tapioca fibre.
Fibre: 11g (7-12g), from isomalto-oligosaccharide syrup and tapioca fibre.
Sugar: 0g
Erythritol: 5g (4-7g)
Protein: 9g (7-9g), from fava bean protein and rice protein.
Other nutrients: potassium 75mg (30-125mg), calcium 10mg (10-50mg), iron 2mg (0-2,25mg), vitamin D 0mg.
Are No Sugar Company Keto Bars a Healthy Choice? Bottomline
On the positive side, these bars are high in fibre and protein and are sugar-free. Like other sugar-free bars, these bars contain non-sugar sweeteners as alternatives to sugar. Here we see erythritol, a sugar alcohol. Some people are sensitive to sugar alcohol and might experience cramping and bloating after eating these ingredients, but not everyone. As long as you tolerate erythritol, it’s not a concern. Stevia is also used as a sweetener which is a preferred substitute for sugar.
No Sugar Keto bars contain additives for texture and flavouring, but less than many other protein bars on the market, especially keto-friendly bars.
The main ingredients in No Sugar Keto bars are fats, which makes sense given that these are keto protein bars. It’s difficult to decipher how much fat comes from each fat source. On the plus side, No Sugar Keto bars are a source of unsaturated fats from almond butter, a less processed ingredient. However, based on the saturated fat content, these bars likely contain a significant amount of cocoa butter, palm oil and coconut oil.
Now, I don’t have an issue with products high in fat. For one, this is what will usually make products more satiating. My concern here is that when it comes to fats, the sources of fat with the most health benefits come from whole foods – nuts, seeds, fish, for example. Getting a significant amount of fats in your diet from a packaged, shelf-stable protein bar is likely not going to provide much health benefit, beyond being a satiating snack at the time. For this reason, I don’t recommend these bars for regular use.
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Sources
- Sugar Alcohols and Polydextrose Used as Sweeteners in Foods. Health Canada (2005). Accessed September 25, 2023.
- O’Donnell, K., & Kearsley, M. W. (2012). Sweeteners and sugar alternatives in food technology (2nd ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
- Glycerin, Technical Evaluation Report, USDA (2013).
- Bob’s Redmill, What is Tapioca Flour & Where Does it Come from? (2022).
- Novel Food Information – Isomalto-oligosaccharide, Health Canada (2012).
