Is Simply Lite Chocolate Keto Friendly?

At the time of writing this post, I’ve been on the ketogenic diet for over five years and logged over 250 blood ketone tests in an effort to estimate the effects of food and ingredients on my ketosis, including those in Simply Lite chocolate bars.

I used to pick these Simply Lite chocolate bars up years ago at Trader Joes before I knew better, and they were consistently kicking me out of ketosis until I realized they were a problem. Simply Lite chocolate is one of the more deceptive “low carb” products I’ve come across. I’ll explain why in this post, and recommend the best low carb chocolate I’ve found over the years as an alternative.

Savage Fuel Keto Friendly Grades:

• A: Completely compatible, positive or no impact on ketosis.

• B: Highly compatible, but don't go too crazy.

• C: Moderately compatible, be mindful and limit intelligently.

• D: Barely compatible, detrimental to ketosis and not recommended.

• F: Not compatible, overdo it just a little and kiss your ketosis goodbye.

Keto Friendly Grading Factors:

• Net Carbs per Serving: How many carbs are in this thing?

• Net Carbs per 100 calories: Since serving sizes often vary significantly, a net carb per 100 calorie ratio is a more consistent measure of keto-friendliness than net carbs per serving. Lower ratios are also an indicator of higher fat content because fat has more calories per gram than protein and carbohydrates.

• Sugar: Sugars have a higher glycemic index and larger negative impact on ketosis than other carbohydrates.

• Hidden Carbs: Hidden carbohydrates are based on the caloric values and glycemic indexes of ingredients sometimes classified as fibers or sugar alcohols.

• Easy to Overeat: Some foods are easy to over-eat and require extra willpower to limit overeating which is an important factor to consider.

• Nutritional Density: Foods that are relatively high in net carbs per 100 calories but are high in nutrition per calorie can still be worth eating like broccoli and cauliflower.

RULE of thumb for net carbs per 100 calorie ratio:
0-1 great, 1-2 ok, 2-3 caution, 3+ red alert

Simply Lite Chocolate Keto Friendly Grades:

Overall factors: Simply Lite chocolate uses large amounts of Maltitol which is a sugar alcohol with a glycemic index of 36. (more than half the GI of table sugar) I'm counting 50% of the Maltitol in these chocolate bars as net carbs for simplicity, which is low-balling since it's closer to about 67%. The hidden carbs from Maltitol are reflected below in the net carb counts and grades. They're also low in nutritional density and easy to overeat.

• Dark Chocolate: F-
  6.5g Net carbs per 100 calorie 25g piece
  6.5g Net carbs per 100 calories (Red+++)
  0g Sugar

• Dark Chocolate with Almonds: F-
  6.5g Net carbs per 100 calorie 25g piece
  6.5g Net carbs per 100 calories (Red+++)
  0g Sugar

• Milk Chocolate: F-
  6.5g Net carbs per 100 calorie 25g piece
  6.5g Net carbs per 100 calories (Red+++)
  2g Sugar

Simply Lite Chocolate Keto Friendly Conclusion:

Simply Lite chocolate bars may be marketed towards us low carb dieters, but the heavy use of Maltitol in these bars is deceptive and makes them terrible for any low carb or keto diet. Too many companies are disguising blood-sugar elevating Maltitol, which is technically a sugar alcohol, so those who don't know better subtract it. Don't support these companies and their terrible products.

Let's compare these Simply Lite chocolate bars to some real keto friendly sweet treats:

Simply Lite Chocolate Bars vs F-Bombs, ChocoPerfection, Nui Cookies, and Keto Bars

As you can see, when comparing Simply Lite chocolate bars to the best keto-friendly treats out there by net carbs per 100 calories, which is the most consistent indicator of keto friendliness, there is no contest. So in conclusion I recommend going with more keto friendly sweet treats like my personal favorite, ChocoPerfection.

They have a lot of great flavors too, dark and dark mint are my favorites and Raspberry is the only flavor I don’t like. The dark mint with a handful of macadamia nuts tastes just like thin mint cookies. You get the classic mint chocolate flavor with the salty and crunchy macadamia nuts, it’s my favorite ultra low carb dessert.

If you’re interested in trying some I’d recommend getting the variety pack and a pack of the dark chocolate so you can try all their flavors and still have more of the dark which you’re going to like anyways. They have free shipping in the United States too which is sweet.

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