No added sugar does not mean low calorie. Fat, starch, protein and other ingredients still contribute energy. Removing sugar is a useful recipe change when it reduces what you want to reduce. It is not permission to stop reading the total. Calories have not agreed to leave just because sugar did.
Give the claim credit for its actual meaning. Then check whether the finished food delivers a better protein and calorie balance. That is the comparison worth making.
Why no added sugar can still mean plenty of calories
Protein and ordinary digestible carbohydrate each provide about four calories per gram. Fat provides about nine. Indian labelling rules also assign energy factors to fibre and polyols, with a separate zero factor for erythritol. [1]
A bar containing nuts, cocoa butter and protein ingredients can therefore have significant energy without added table sugar. Those ingredients have different functions and nutrient profiles, but they do not become calorie free.
This is not a criticism of fat or nuts. It is a reminder that a sugar claim does not measure the whole serving.
Read a hypothetical label
Imagine a 50 g snack with 15 g protein, 12 g fat and 18 g available carbohydrate. Assume for this simplified example that there is no fibre or polyol requiring a different energy factor.
Protein supplies about 60 calories, fat 108 and carbohydrate 72. The total is about 240 calories. A recipe with starch and naturally occurring sugars still contains carbohydrate even without added sugar.
This is a teaching example, not a complete commercial label or a FEERO recipe. Its purpose is to show how energy remains even when the added sugar figure is zero.
The claim itself has conditions
Under Indian FSSAI rules, no added sugar is more than leaving out sucrose. The conditions also address sugar containing ingredients used to sweeten or replace added sugars. When sugars are naturally present, an appropriate declaration is required. [2]
For example, replacing sugar with dried fruit paste used as a sweetening substitute does not automatically satisfy the claim. A consumer should not assume all such labels are interchangeable across countries.
The added versus total sugar guide explains the related label terms.
What the swap changes matters most
Replacing sugar with a lower energy ingredient reduces that ingredient's energy contribution. Check the whole recipe to confirm the final calorie change. Also check for changes in fat, portion size or coating. You need the final numbers to know the result.
Use a lower sugar snack as a deliberate replacement and compare the complete servings. Adding it on top of the same diet increases energy even if it contains no added sugar.
Research on sugar and body weight highlights the role of energy changes in interpreting the outcome. [3]
Use the claim without the halo
First check why reducing added sugar matters to your choice. Then check the calories and portion, followed by protein, fibre and fats. Read the sweetener ingredients if you have known tolerance issues.
Do not assume that a low sugar bar is unsuitable just because it is energy rich. That extra energy has a purpose for someone who needs more food. The mistake is believing the sugar claim automatically makes it a light snack.
Use no added sugar as information about the recipe, then verify the calories and protein. A well designed swap should improve the job the food does. One attractive claim is not enough to excuse a serving that misses your goals.