Filed under: CarbWire Review — Tags: toastyflatbread — @ April 21, 2004
Quiznos Sub (incidently one of the fastest growing franchises) last week announced a low-carb option to nearly its entire menu. Instead of using the bread we’re all used to, the chain can substitute in flatbread for all the sandwiches on the menu. This gives Quiznos the biggest low-carb menu in the fiercly competitive sub market.
How did Quiznos do?
Really well. While we only had the Mesquite Chicken with Bacon, the results were terrific. There are 20 sandwiches to choose from, so there will be a lot more “research” in the coming weeks. The only negative is the flatbread only comes in one size. Regular sandwiches come in three sizes (the flatbread seems to run in the middle of the pack).
What did it cost?
Since the sizing is different, it’s hard to say how much more the low-carb costed. If you opt for chips and a drink, it’s 50
Filed under: Traveling — Tags: cruise — @
Carnival Cruise Lines today announced that it will soon have low-carb fare fleet wide. The new entrees are being rolled out this week and should be available on all ships within a month.
bq. Dinner menus in the ships’ main dining rooms will feature an appetizer, salad and entree with a low carbohydrate count. The number of carbohydrate grams per dish is listed beneath each low carb selection.
Here are some samples of the new foods:
Appetizers
* Vine Ripe Beefsteak Tomatoes and Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella – Marinated with Basil Leaves and Virgin Olive Oil – 3 grams of carbs
* Hickory Smoked Alaskan Salmon – Garnished with Purple Onion Rings, Fresh Dill and Baby Capers – 2 grams of carbs
Entrees
* Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola Butter – Aged Center-Cut Beef Tenderloin, Grilled to Perfection with Green Beans – 8 grams of carbs
Pepper-Seared Supreme of Young Long Island Duckling – Marsala Infused Purple Onion Confit, Steamed Bok Choy and Sauteed Spinach – 6 grams of carbs
* Tender Roasted Prime Rib of American Beef au Jus – Broccoli Roses and Grilled Tomato – 4 grams of carbs
* Jerked Pork Loin — Slowly Roasted Center Cut Pork Loin, Marinated in Island
Spices and Herbs Sauteed Savoy Cabbage with Bacon — 6 grams of carbs.
Filed under: New Product — Tags: cokec2 — @ April 19, 2004
Coca-Cola today officially announced Coca-Cola C2, its new soda with half the sugar, carbs and calories of regular colas. The company said that it will launch the new product in Japan first and then the United States this summer.
“Consumers are the true architects of this idea,” said Doug Daft, chairman and chief executive officer of Coca-Cola. “Coca-Cola C2 was created to specifically address their desire for a lower-calorie cola with that great Coca-Cola taste.”
Coca-Cola C2 will be available in retail and foodservice outlets in bottles and cans, fountain, and as a frozen carbonated beverage. An integrated marketing campaign will support the summer roll-outs, including television, radio, out-of-home and Internet advertising.
As we reported last month, Pepsi will soon introduce Pepsi Edge, a mid-carb soda that is competing for the same market as Coke C2.
Update: Since this post was filed, we have written much on Coke C2, including an exclusive CarbWire Coke C2 review.
Filed under: Health — Tags: pregnancy — @
The experts at Babyfit.com are warning pregnant women that low-carb diets can be harmful to a healthy pregnancy and baby.
bq. Becky Hand, a prenatal dietitian, explains that low carbohydrate diets are not safe during pregnancy because carbohydrates are needed to combine with fat fragments so that they can be used for energy. Without sufficient carbohydrates, the body cannot use its fat in the normal way and there is an incomplete breakdown of fat. This produces a by-product called ketones. When ketones accumulate in the blood and urine it causes ketosis–a condition that can cause brain damage and irreversible mental retardation in the infant.
Filed under: Business — Tags: tropicana — @
Orange juice titan Tropicana attributes a recent boost in sales to its new low-carb line. Results for the last quarter show volume up by more than 10 percent. The company is owned by Pepsi (no stranger to low-carb).
Since Pepsi did not break down the numbers, it’s hard to tell exactly how much the Essentials line helped the bottom line. The company is trading just under its 52-week high.
Filed under: Atkins Diet — Tags: ipo — @
Atkins Nutritionals Inc. started an advertising campaign intended to curb the “cheeseburger” image of the company. The ads feature a copy of the new Atkins Lifestyle Food Guide Pyramid. Some say that this move is an attempt to move towards an IPO.
Filed under: New Product — Tags: homebistro — @ April 15, 2004
CarbWire reader Andrew Rodney let us know about the gourmet low-carb offerings from Home Bistro:
bq. “These are ‘chef-prepared meals’ that arrive frozen that you boil. Not cheap. But they had a ‘low carb sampler‘ so I ordered it. I just ate one (Filet Mignon with B
Filed under: Study — Tags: Study — @ April 14, 2004
According to a study by Morgan Stanley analysts, many consumers continue to watch their carb intake after going off the diets, which could have lasting implications for food and beverage companies.
bq. Experience with a low-carb diet appears to radically change many consumers’ self-discipline, awareness of nutrition issues, and even taste preferences, according to the survey. This may mean high-carb categories with some nutritional value such as oatmeal or yogurt may recover as the number of active dieters decline, according to the analysts. However, other categories such as carbonated soft drinks and candy could remain hurt by the trend.
“Our consumer research indicates that new low-carb product introductions that have legitimate nutritional credentials may have staying power, whereas those in inherently indulgent categories are more likely to fail,” said food analyst David Adelman.
Filed under: New Product — Tags: oneaday — @
Bayer today introduced One-A-Day CarbSmart, a complete multivitamin specially formulated to provide key nutrients that low-carb dieters may not be getting enough of, including B vitamins found in enriched grains like bread and pasta, vitamins C, E and beta-carotene which are antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables, and potassium and calcium found in yogurt and milk.
“Adults following a low-carbohydrate lifestyle may not be getting enough of key nutrients by eliminating whole food groups,” said Robyn Flipse, MS, RD, author of ‘The Wedding Dress Diet’ and ‘Fighting the Freshman Fifteen’ and active member of the American Dietetic Association. “Taking a complete multivitamin while restricting carbohydrates is often important to balance your nutrient intake.”
Filed under: Atkins Diet — Tags: lowcarbfrenzy — @
Atkins has sent out a press release warning consumers about low-carbohydrate product frenzy.
bq. “We think it’s terrific that people have finally embraced controlled-carbohydrate nutrition,” says Dr. Stuart Trager, medical director of Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. “But as the pioneer and leader in this field for over 30 years, Atkins has always been and will continue to be committed to the science behind this nutritional strategy. If you’re just lowering your carbs with many of the new food products that are now hitting the market without correctly following a healthy low-carb lifestyle, you could easily get in trouble.”
Since there is no real definition of what low-carb means, and even then serving size can make that figure relative, Atkins is just warning consumers to be on the look out.
Filed under: In The News — @ April 13, 2004
Cattle rustling, a common crime in the olden days, is apparently staging a comeback thanks to the popularity of low-carb diets. The Washington Post reports:
bq. The growing national popularity of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets has kept beef prices high, even after the threat of mad cow disease arose in the Pacific Northwest late last year. But law enforcement officials say that Americans’ new eating habits also appear to be inspiring a new generation of rustlers to steal and sell cattle, particularly newborn calves not yet seared with identifying brands, in illicit marketplaces for substantial profit.
Filed under: New Product,Restaurants — Tags: quiznos — @
Quiznos has unveiled more than 20 “Low Carb Toasty Flatbread” sandwiches under 10 grams of net carbs each. The low-carb sandwiches–available nationwide at participating restaurants for $4.39 to $5.79–are prepared similarly to Quiznos toasted sub sandwiches. Quiznos serves your favorite sub recipe (ours is the Mesquite Chicken with Bacon) on top of a round, soft, low-carb flatbread, which is then toasted in the oven to “bring out all the flavors of the meats, cheeses and spices.”
“Quiznos, understands that the key to sticking with any diet is finding balance, variety and taste,” said Tom Ryan, executive VP for Quiznos. “Taste is especially a big factor. Our new Low Carb Toasty Flatbreads are, by far, the best tasting low-carb product in the quick service industry.”
Quiznos is offering a $1.00 off coupon for the new flatbread sandwiches. You must visit their website and print out the coupon yourself. It is valid until Thursday, April 15.
You can read our review of the Toasty Flatbread sandwiches here.
Filed under: In The News — Tags: offtrack — @
In a USA Today op/ed, Stephen Perrine states that the, “Low-carb craze threatens to head off track.” Here is the basis of his arguement:
bq. The original low-carb movement worked because it inspired us to cut out junk food. Since high-carb foods also happen to be plentiful – and high in calories – excising them from one’s diet meant almost guaranteed weight loss. Robert Atkins’ plan may not have been the perfect solution – it’s high in fat and low in fiber and other nutrients – but when it came to dropping pounds, it worked.
No matter what you believe, the article is a good read. Stephen brings some valid points.
Filed under: Atkins Diet — Tags: atkins — @ April 12, 2004
In a letter soon to be posted on the Atkins Web site, Veronica Atkins, widow of Dr. Robert Atkins, pays tribute to her husband on the first anniversary of his death and says his low-carb lifestyle has changed the world forever.
bq. “My husband actually has helped change the way the world eats for the better,” Atkins wrote. “He actually has driven millions of people to a more balanced and healthful diet. You know, Bob never doubted that as the years passed, others would see the wisdom of what he was doing for his patients,” she wrote. “He never felt anger towards his critics because he knew he was right and he knew he was helping people.”
Filed under: New Product — Tags: schwans — @
According to reliable sources, Schwan’s frozen food delivery service is planning to introduce a new line of low-carb ice cream this summer. We’ll post further information when we get it.
Filed under: Celebrity — Tags: britney — @
See, we told you she was watching her carbs. After performing at a sold-out concert in New Hampshire last week, pop diva Britney Spears had herself a nice low-carb dinner at an Italian restaurant, according to the staff. “She had the low-carb calamari and a low-carb chicken and vegetable sautee,” reported Shonna Jean, a 23-year-old server at Fratello’s Ristorante Italiano.
Filed under: New Product,Restaurants — Tags: subwaycookie — @ April 11, 2004
Subway is now running ads promoting a new low-carb cookie. On April 15th, stop by any Subway franchise and get a free cookie. At this time, there is no nutritional information available.
Filed under: Site News — Tags: host — @ April 10, 2004
If you are reading this, you have successfully made it to CarbWire’s new webhost. If you see any problems (images not loading, error messages, etc), please let us know.
Filed under: In The News — Tags: atkins — @
Atkins Nutritionals said it will spend $35 million this year on advertising aimed at the beer drinking crowd (a contrast to the wine drinkers who were the early disciples of the low-carb diet), Hispanics and teens.
Filed under: In The News — Tags: beer — @ April 8, 2004
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau today set the first requirements in how to use the term “low-carb” in marketing for beer and other alcoholic beverages. Under this “interim policy,” beverages must have less than 7 grams of carbohydrates per serving to qualify to be called “low-carb.”
Brands that don’t qualify as “low carb” can be advertised as “reduced carb” or as having “lower carbs” if labeling and advertising provides a comparison to the normal brand’s level.
