The Times has an article today on the low carb diet trend. While the bulk of the article is about the increasing number of restaurant chains adding low carb dishes to their menu, also mentioned is the uptick in such products on supermarket shelves. “More than 600 such products were introduced in 2003, compared with 339 in 2002 and 47 in 1999…sales of low-carb products would exceed $15 billion for 2003.” I’ve noticed the increasing product count in the stores myself, not only with some established brands (Arnolds bread, Breyers ice cream) but also more of the specialty brands like Atkins Nutritionals, CarbSense and EAS.
However, the conclusion of the article, that low carb is a fad that–especially with the death last Winter of Dr. Atkins–will burn out in the next couple of years, is just wrong. Variants like the South Beach diet are just coming online and, more importantly, major food companies are getting into the space. Those companies, with hefty R&D budgets, are the ones who will develop these foods and overcome taste and texture issues.
On a personal level, I ended the year at my lightest poundage in a decade or more; I even bought new jeans two weeks ago with 36″ waist! My brother-in-law to be and his brother are also using this eating program to get their bodies in shapes not seen in years. Low carb ain’t goin’ nowhere any time soon, trust me.
BillSaysThis 