Low Carb Taste-Test
Top 10 Products in Terms of Taste and Nutrition
A note: "Low-carb" doesn't always mean "low-calorie." Many of these products have the same calories as their traditional counterparts.
Natural Health's Top 10 low-carb foods
1. Atkins Quick Cuisine Deluxe Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle Mix (www.atkins.com)
This mix whips up very fluffy pancakes that taste like the real thing. The calorie count is comparable to regular pancakes, but has only 8 net carbs vs. regular pancakes' 48. A nutritional bonus: these have no sugar and provide some fiber.
NUTRITION INFO: Contains wheat gluten, cornstarch, Splenda. Per serving of four pancakes: 200 cal, 13g carbs, 5g fiber, 14g protein.
2. Low Carb Success FlaxOMeal Cinnamon Nutrageous Granola (www.lowcarbsuccess.com)
This granola has a nutty, not-too-sweet flavor, with no sucralose aftertaste. It's got a nice, thick, satisfying texture. The calorie count is comparable to regular granola-with 1 effective carb vs. the 31 you will find in the "real" thing. You'll get some fiber and the possible plus of omega -3s from flaxmeal.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Contains pecans, maltinol, canola oil, almonds, wheat bran, flaxseed meal, sucralose. Per serving of 1/2 cup: 210 cal, 16 g fat (1g saturated), 4 g fiber, 15 g carbs.
3. Carb Tract Wheat Bread (www.synergydiet.com)
This bread tested a little bland (try it toasted, which improves the flavor), but it was pleasantly chewy. One slice has 42 calories and 4.5 net carbs; regular bread has 60-80 calories and 12-15 carbs. It contains a little more fiber than regular white bread.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Contains almond meal, whole wheat, sucralose. Per slice: 42 cal, 6 g carbs, 1.5 g fiber.
4. Oroweat Multi Grain Bread (www.oroweat.com)
Again, try toasting to improve the flavor-but this brand tastes like normal, brand-name supermarket bread, with the plus of high fiber.
NUTRTIONAL INFO: Contains wheat flour, wehat protein isolate, wheat gluten. Per slice: 60 cals, 9 g carbs, 6 g net carbs, 3 g fiber.
5. Cheeters White Bread (www.cheetersdiettreats.com)
. This bread is dense, moist and chewy; and it is very low in sodium (50 g compared to about 160 in regular bread and 140-340 in the other low-carb breads listed here). The flavor tested bland due to the fact that it is so unsalty. Yet again, try toasting to improve the taste. This brand is very high in fiber.
NUTRTIONAL INFO: Contains gluten, soy flour. Per slice: 60 cal, 8 g carbs, 3 g net carbs, 5 g fiber.
6. Adios Carbs Tortillas ( www.synergydiet.com )
Adios Carbs brand stands up to regular tortilla level. They're moist, easily rolled, with a good consistency and nice whole-grain taste-plus offer healthy soy protein (which helps lower cholesterol), 2g fiber and "good fats." A regular tortilla has 120-160 calories and 25-27 carbs; this low-carb version has 87 calories and 8 carbs.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Contains wheat gluten, soy and almond flour, whole wheat, olive oil. Per tortilla: 87 cal, 3 g fat, 8 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 8 g protein.
7. Mamma Says Apple Cinnamon Soy Crisps ( www.soycrisps.com )
These have the appearance of little rice cakes, and are light, crispy and crunchy with an authentic but light grainy flavor. They're very mildly sweet and comparable in calories to regular rice cakes, but with roughly half the net carbs. A bonus: cholesterol-lowering soy protein.
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Contains soy flour, rice and sunflower oil, evaporated cane juice. Per 1/2 ounce serving: 60 cal, 1 g fat, 8 g carbs, 1 g fiber.
8. The No Carb Kitchen Gourmet Cheese Crackers (recommended flavors: Aged Parmesan, Sesame) (www.nocarbkitchen.com)
This is the most flavorful cracker tested, with a nice crunch and real cheese flavor. They are, however, very salty. These normally wouldn't make the cut nutritionally due to their high fat and sodium content, but they're saved by a remarkably high calcium content: 200 mg (20% daily value). Compared to regular cheese crackers, the calorie count is comparable, but the low-carb version has less than 1 gram of carbs (as opposed to the regular brand's 8 grams).
NUTRTIONAL INFO: Made entirely of cheese (the sesame flavor also contains sesame seeds). Per 1/2 ounce serving: 80 cal, 9 g fat (3 g saturated), 150-200 mg sodium, <1 g carb or fiber, 9 g protein.
9. Aramana Soy Pretzels (www.carbsense.com)
A good choice for snacking! This brand of pretzels has a "regular"-looking three-ring pretzel shape and a crunchy, slightly buttery taste; but is lighter and airier overall than regular brands. It contains cholesterol-lowering soy, but is not as grainy as many soy-based foods. The brand is comparable in calories to regular brands, but has three times the protein (10 g per serving) and four times the fiber (4 g) with less than half the net carbs. A caveat: these pretzels are higher in fat and saturated fat than regular pretzels, because they contain butter.
NUTRTIONAL INFO: Contains soy protein and whole wheat flour. Per serving of 1 oz (15 pretzels): 100 cal, 3 g fat (1.5 saturated), 330 mg sodium, 10 g protein, 12 g carbs (8 g net carbs), 4 g fiber.
10. Dannon Light 'N' Fit Carb Control (flavor tested: Strawberries 'n' cream) ( www.dannon.com )
Dannon's low-carb option has a good consistency, like regular yogurt-but several testers complained of an artificial sweetener aftertaste. It has the same calorie count as Dannon's regular Light 'N' Fit, but only 3 g carbs as opposed to regular's Bonus: Milk sugar (lactose) is removed from the milk by a process called "ultrafiltration."
NUTRITIONAL INFO: Contains water, ultra-filtered milk, cream, strawberry puree, Sucralose. Per 4-oz serving: 60 cal, 3 g fat (2 g saturated), 30 mg sodium, 3 g carbs, 150 mg calcium.
