Maltitol is not advised for a keto diet, you may be surprised as to how many products advertising themselves as being ‘keto’ or ‘sugar-free’ contain maltitol. Read on to find out what are you looking for and what your best keto-friendly alternative to maltitol are.
What is Maltitol?
Maltitol is a sugar alcohol. They are found naturally in many foods including some fruits and vegetables.
Sugar alcohols are normally manufactured as opposed to being used in their natural form. Sugar alcohols are regularly used as they are sweet, however, they only have around half of the calories of regular sugar. That is why maltitol is a popular ingredient in low-calorie and sugar-free foods.
Sugar alcohols are also considered a carbohydrate.
What products are you likely to find Maltitol in?
There are a whole host of foods that contain maltitol, if you start looking at labels of foods, you may be surprised as to how many of the foods you eat will contain maltitol.
Some of the most common foods which contain maltitol are;
- Sugar-free Sweets
- Sugar-free chocolate
- Energy / Protein bars
- Baked goods
- Jams & Preserves
- Chewing gum
- Ice cream
- Dairy desserts
There are many other foods that contain maltitol. Next time you are in the supermarket, walk around and have a look at the ingredients on some of the common items you eat now, if you’re not on keto, or that you used to eat in a pre-keto life. You will be surprised to see how many everyday foods contain maltitol.
Maltitol is a common everyday ingredient that you will find in a lot of foods.
What is the Nutritional Value of Maltitol?
Although maltitol has half of the calories of regular sugar maltitol has a score of 52 on the glycemic index (GI). Regular table sugar has a GI of 60. This means that maltitol is very likely to spike your blood sugar levels.
Can you have Maltitol on a Keto diet?
The main goal of a keto diet is to reduce the amount of sugar (carbs) that are consumed on a daily basis. The goal is to be under 20 grams of carbs a day. Maltitol does not fit within these macros. Maltitol is not fully digested by the body, so does not raise blood sugar as much as regular table sugar, however, it is still likely to spike your blood sugar levels which has the potential to kick you out of ketosis.
What you do need to be careful of are products advertising themselves as being ‘sugar-free’ and therefore keto-friendly. They are in fact sugar-free, but they are not keto-friendly if maltitol is listed.
What are the Keto-Friendly alternatives to Maltitol?
There are a number of amazing keto-friendly sugar alternatives that you can use on a keto diet.
List of Keto-Friendly Sugar Alternatives
Are you looking for the best sweetener for keto? If yes, then you’ve come to the right place.
There are many types of sweeteners that can be used in keto recipes.
Some of the most popular keto-approved sweeteners are;
As you can see, there are plenty of keto-friendly alternatives to sugar, you do not have to miss out on anything! If you have a sweet tooth, why not check out this keto hot chocolate or keto chocolate hearts? Lovingly made with keto-friendly sugars!
FAQs around Maltitol
If you are still on the fence about maltitol you may have a few more questions, check out our FAQs to see if you can find the answer you’re looking for!
Final Thoughts
We have established that we cannot eat maltitol on a keto diet and the reasons for this; it has a high GI and is likely to knock you out of ketosis. However, never fear, there are plenty of other keto-friendly sugar options that you can use for all of your sugar and sweet tooth needs!
Give them a go and let us know what your favourite keto-friendly sugar is and why! ???
