N is for Nectar Sweets and Nevada Manna

I bet those words caught your attention. These are two low carb items that, eaten occasionally, help me stay on plan.

I’m sure Nectar Sweets sound like some sort of fruit juice or sweetener, but it is actually part of a brand of Syntrax whey protein powder that I really enjoy. I have tried many protein powders, and this one suits my nutritional needs and taste buds. I can’t handle the regular protein powders you can buy from local discount stores. It has been a trial and error process for me with protein powders, for sure. Not all ingredients, tastes and textures after mixing are created equal.

Syntrax Nectar does have a lot of fruit-flavored powders, but I have only tried and used a few of the dessert flavors. My favorite is Vanilla Bean Torte. Chocolate Truffle is pretty good, too. I like to blend some ice, protein powder, some water and a little heavy cream (occasionally some DaVinci sugar-free syrup) to make a shake-of-sorts on days when I feel like some variety for breakfast. If you enjoy iced coffee, preparing the Cappucino Latte flavor with ice and cream may be up your alley. The Vanilla Bean Torte has come in handy for recipes (like Scramcakes that I mentioned in my “E” post), and in making an individual protein cookie.

This is not a cheap protein powder, coming in at around $30 for a 2 pound container at Netrition. It will go far, though. ¼ cup=0 carbs. Vanilla Bean Torte is sugar-free and aspartame-free but is sweetened with Ace-K and Sucralose as the last ingredients on the list. Other ingredients: whey protein isolate (milk), natural & artificial Flavors, soy lecithin, salt, vanilla bean powder.

Nectar Naturals are sweetened with a stevia extract.

For more detailed information on the nutrition in all their protein powders, check out the Syntrax site. I know many low-carbers and body-conscious people who use whey protein powder regularly, and with great benefits to their overall health plans.

Nevada Manna Semi-Sweet Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips were created by Carb Smart. They contain no sugar and no sugar alcohols. Talk about something nice to have around when you need just a little handful of chocolate. These fit the bill for me. 2 T=8 total carbs, or 1 net carb. Ingredients listed on the package are chocolate liquor, polydextrose (soluble fiber), cocoa butter, cocoa powder, soy lecithin, sodium bicarbonate, vanilla, acesulfame potassium and sucralose. I just noticed that due to the warmer temperatures, these scrumptious little morsels won’t be available to order again until fall 2011. I try to buy several bags at once so I have enough around for baking and just general munching with almonds and macadamia nuts.