"For a bit of extra info, aspartame has 0 calories because it can't be broken down and have its energy extracted for use or storage as fat. Your body takes molecules apart, which releases energy. To use the handle analogy, sucrose is like a square box with a bar screwed onto it, and your body uses a screwdriver to take it apart. Aspartame is a ball with a bar nailed onto it. Your body doesn't have a claw hammer to take it apart."