Using the online Syns calculator in Canada

[SuzieC]

Hi everyone!
This is my first post, and I could sure use some motivation. Looking forward to chatting with all of you!
I have a question about SW. I am an online member, and I would like to calculate the Syns for a packaged snack using their online Syns calculator. However, the options they have for entering the energy is kCal or kJ. But, in Canada, package information show Calories. So for let's say a 100 Calorie snack, are the KCal 0.01? That doesn't seem right at all! Hoping someone can help me translate the values properly so i can calculate the right Syn value.
For reference, this is the package information:
Food: Praeventia Dark Chocolate Chip 70% Cocoa with red wine extract snacks
One pouch: 30 grams
Calories: 150
Fat: 6 g
Carbohydrate: 20 g
Protein: 3 gram

Thanks!
Suzie

 

[BritMumInCanada]

hey Suzie,

for things with no free food allowance, you just need to use the snackulator calculator (which uses the calculation 20 calories = 1 syn) as items with no free food, all the other nutritional information isnt really taken into account when there is no free food.

so for that 30 gram pouch, it would be 7.5 syns.

if any item does have a free food allowance, then you need to use the syn calculator, first selecting your free food (the free food will be the first ingredient listed on the ingredients list of the packet) then uncheck the 100g little button, as most nutritional information isnt for 100g in Canada.

Then you will need to input the calories, fat, carbs, protein and lastly the weight given for the nutritional information listed.

It will then give you the syn value for that weight, but be aware if an item comes up as syns, and is for say 150g, but the whole packet is 300g you will need to double the syns if you are having the whole packet.

I will try and get a picture of the back of a packet for nutritional information for Canada products and show you which information you need to input, but basically as you listed at the end of your post i.e. calories 150, fat 6g, carbs 20g, protein 3g and then package portion size 30g, making sure you have unchecked the per 100g button and checked the per serving button.

all of these foods below, have NO Free Food allowance:

Alcoholic drinks
Biscuits, including cereal bars and savoury crackers
Bread & crispbreads
Breakfast cereals
Cakes & bakery items, e.g. carrot cake
Crisps & snacks
Dressings & dips, e.g. salsa, salad dressing
Fruit - canned, dried and stewed
Pastry products (sweet & savoury), e.g. salmon en croute, apple pie
Pizza
Puddings & desserts
Sandwich/deli fillers
Sandwiches and wraps
Sauces, e.g. jars of tomato-based pasta sauce
Soft drinks, including yogurt drinks fruit/vegetable juice and fruit smoothies
Soups, all varieties
Sweets & chocolates

so you can work out syns, by just looking at the calories and applying the 1 syn to every 20 calories.

Hope that helps

 

[azlan]

Kcal is shortened to Calorie so just use the calorie value given on the pack i.e 150

I put the details you gave into the syns calculator and it says 7.5 syns on all choices
HTH

 

[SuzieC]

Thank you so much! This is so helpful! I can finally calculate my Syns.

I'm just curious - in the UK, do group locations sell an actual calculator that calculates Syns (not an online one)? I remember Weight Watchers used to have calculators that you can buy at WW locations.

 

[Circes]

No, SW doesn't provide a syn calculator other then the online one, which I think is a good thing.

 

[SuzieC]

Ah ok. Well it would be helpful for me as the books mainly suited for UK food, but if the online one is all they have, then that's good, too! Luckily it is available for online members.

 

[BritMumInCanada]

Ah ok. Well it would be helpful for me as the books mainly suited for UK food, but if the online one is all they have, then that's good, too! Luckily it is available for online members.

Just stick to unprepared products where you can, like the fresh fruit and veg, lean meats and fish etc and dried plain rices, pastas etc and you will be okay, as those are pretty much guarenteed to be free.

It is when you start looking at flavoured or seasoned things, ready meals, things with lots of additives etc that you have to be careful and of course I am gradually putting together a list of things I have discovered to be either syn free or low synned, so those should help.

Also don't forget if a food doesnt have a free food allowance, like the list I put earlier in this thread (mainly snacks, sauces, drinks etc) then you can easily work out by looking at the calories and applying 1 syn to every 20 calories.

Hope that helps

 

[Emmaline]

Hi Suzie, Just thought I would add another welcome to the forum - the more the merrier! - and you can't get any better than here.

Seems like you have gotten a good bit of info already but it's all foriegn to me!...

P.S. I always Google anything I want to find out about, amazing isn't it?

Keep up the good work.