Diets A-Z: Low carbo-licious?

Without carbohydrates, there is no 'real' sugar. But, does fat fill the taste gap? 'The flavours taste fake, you feel unhealthy eating them and they don't taste natural,' one of our taste testers observed. Seki Tijani says, 'Fat gives the flavour or "mouth feel" as it satisfies the taste buds. If they cut out the sugar and replace it with sweeteners, this will affect the taste, so adding more fat will trick the taste buds.'

Neil Ducray, marketing director at Nestle Rowntree, says that getting the taste right is a complex technological process. 'It's partly the sweetener. Getting the right taste profile and "mouth feel" between the caramel and chocolate in a Rolo, for example, is very hard.'

Protein is another ingredient that appears in higher quantities in many of the low-carb bars. 'Protein doesn't stimulate the insulin that causes the body to store carbs as energy and then fat,' says Tijani. Indeed the low-carb packet of Rolos has 3.7 grams of protein compared to the standard Rolos with 1.8 grams.

Kcal comparisons
When it comes to calorie (kcal) values, conventional chocolate bars and their low-carb alternatives would make a calorie-counter devotee shudder. A Mars Bar contains 294 kcal, but Carb Solutions, the 'healthy' bar is not far behind with 257 kcal and Biochem Strive and Akins Endulgence bars are both over the 200 kcal mark. But these days who counts the calories? 'It is all a bit 80s', says Tijani, 'we have moved from counting calories, as we are now a nation obsessed with carbohydrates. We pay more attention to what food ingredients are doing to the body, such as raising insulin, rather than eating less.'

The 'net carb' trap
Screaming out from the all low-carb bar packaging are the low 'net carb' values, a measurement invented by the manufacturers, which is around two or three grams. This is the key selling point for any carb-obsessed customer. The net carbs are the values that actually affect blood sugar levels and stimulate insulin - the 'impact carbohydrates'. Indigestible carbohydrates, like mannitol and sorbitol, which are artificial sweeteners, have a minimal effect on blood sugar so are not included in the net figure.

Carbing the cost
When it comes to price, at an average of £1.69 a bar, they are not a cheap snack. The two-stick low-carb Kit Kat is almost twice the price of the original Kit Kat of twice the size. Low-carb Rolos are £1.59, costing £1.09 more than the confectionary version. Seki Tijani says, 'They know people will pay for them as they have seen a niche in the market and people think they can grab a bar and get a meal's worth - it's exploitation!'

Neil Duprey, explains that the extra cost is down to the expensive sweeteners they use, 'It's because of the polydextrose. We have taken out most of the normal sugar and this is the primary replacement, which costs three times more than normal sugar.'

Tried and tested
We reviewed the top low-carb bars on the markets - see what our reviewers had to say

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