Do you buy Low-Carb products?

[Nette]

Are you a Low-Carber or a Smart-Carber?

You should read this article (http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/SavingandDebt/P75551.asp) on CNN if you buy pre-packaged low carb items or eat advertised low carb dishes when eating out.

As a veteran SugarBuster, I can definitely call myself a "smart-carber" but I've never subscribed to the logic of buying prepackaged-so-called-low-carb foods.

Just a warning!

[WeirdEyes]

I'm a Smart-Carber...doing South Beach. And, no, I DO NOT buy any of the "low-carb" stuff. I know it is REALLY not good for me. Thanks for sharing the article.

[castlegazer]

I have never before, but I bought the new Ben & Jerry's Carb Karma the other day - this stuff is wierd, but its not a gimmik. It taste a little like frozen no fat whipped cream and it uses Splenda. It was definately an acquired taste but it was truly low carb - plus you couldn't eat too much of it because it just was that wierd - but satisfying I found in a wierd way.

[Castillo Mom]

So does that mean I should stay away from even Atkins lc products? I buy the Atkins candy bars, breakfast bars and ice cream from time to time.

I have noticed, however, some products at my local Ralphs like mayo that touts lc on the label. Duh!

[Robinrs]

As with anything you can do it "smart" or uninformed. I choose to be informed.

I do my research and have realized the way the labels are touted to market it successfully. You cannot blame them, though, I've been in advertising for over 20 years, and you've shot yourself in the foot if you don't get in the middle of this craze!

I bought a loaf of bread from Whole foods, for instance, that claimed to be 4 carbs per slice. I put all of the nutritional label into Fitday.com and it turned out to be more. You have to be careful.

I do use the products but treat them as you would any treat. You eat them sparingly and realize that they are a treat. There will always be the person who will only depend on what they read and that can be to their detriment on this regimen.

I prefer to make my own foods because I then know what's in them. The sugar alcohols are my enemy so I avoid them. I also think it's important to check the total carbs because if it goes from 24 to 4 by subtracting sugars... :confused: ... that's going to affect me!

Kind of stupid that the KFC commercial was mentioned in this article. Considering the outrage that had it taken off in days, the example was moot.

[septbride2002]

I was buying a lot of low carb products - lc ice cream, lc bread, and so on. But then I realized I was stalling and I think the reason why was them. Now I try to stick with whole foods that I know exactly how many carbs are in them. I still keep around sugar free vanilla syrup and splenda but otherwise I try to avoid the low carb products. Like Robin said I treat them as a treat. Last night I made Lasagna and had to use a low carb spaghetti sauce. Otherwise everything was whole foods.

~Amanda

[helenk]

I have tried to be informed about my choices, but I did feel myself getting sucked in last week when I saw the "low carb" cookies and cakes at the grocery store, fortunately I reigned myself in before doing anything stupid.
I buy 3 things that are listed as low carb, all cost the same as the regular products: Beyers Ice Cream, I eat it sparingly because it does have a strange consistency to it, but it helps curb my chocolate cravings, I buy some of the lean cuisines but only the ones that list the 12 -15 carbs, they have meat and vegetables no potatoes or rice, and I buy Arnolds low carb bread.
I read the labels and look at the total carbs before they start subtracting everything out, I also try to keep an eye on my calorie intake.
If you read some of the labels on the carb smart products, like peanut butter, or salad dressing it is almost funny, because their amount of carbs are only slightly less than say Skippy peanut butter or Kraft salad dressing.....and the price difference is ridiculous. It really can get to be quite a scam.

[Nette]

With all the hub-bub about the low carb doritos, I thought I would give this a bump.

Beware the extra fat and calories!

[Nancy]

I remeber the same thing happening with the low fat craze...Things that were always fat free now had a label stuck on the front. I had to convince my husband to eat some of the foods he alwasy did because he wasn't going to eat any of that fat free crap.

I also wondered about that "net carb" label and what it meant. The article cleared that up too.