Low-Carb Could Spell Next Fast-Food Fight

Low-Carb Could Spell Next Fast-Food Fight
Sun Oct 12, 5:55 PM ET

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By Deborah Cohen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Jeff Endervelt's interest in low-carbohydrate foods
began as a personal quest when he experimented with the Atkins diet and
spin-offs that helped him shed 20 pounds.


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As chief executive of Atlanta-based Blimpie International Inc.,
Endervelt saw a market worth pursuing when his customers started asking
for submarine sandwiches on something other than white bread.

A sandwich shop called Blimpie's might seem an unlikely destination for
dieters. It is now also the only national restaurant operator testing a
separate menu targeted at the low-carb, high-protein eating craze.

The Blimpie Carb Counter Menu, launched this month in parts of New
York's Long Island, offers 6-inch subs with fillings like roast beef and
cheddar with wasabi dressing on seven-grain bread. The sandwiches, each
with only 7 to 8.5 net carb grams and lacking the white flour eschewed
by low-carb adherents, can be paired with a SoBe drink and Crunchers
chips from Atkins Nutritionals Inc.

While only a small minority of Americans are following low-carb,
high-protein style diets, experts say interest is growing exponentially.
Dedicated fare is cropping up in corner delis and unlikely spots like
mass retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. . Last week H.J. Heinz Co. even
introduced a low-carb ketchup made with less sugar.

"I didn't do a formal study, but I think I've known enough about the
Atkins diet and the South Beach diet to know this is a wave that's
coming," Endervelt told Reuters. "This is a diet that's been around for
a long time. But it has caught on."

Endervelt expects to take his low-carb menu items into some 1,650
Blimpie stores nationally.

Similar experiments are turning up in California, a leader in eating
trends. The private Irvine-based In-N-Out Burger caters to low-carb
dieters with a bunless burger wrapped in lettuce.

Italian eatery Pasta Pomodoro Inc., another closely held West Coast
chain, is selling a variety of dishes made with whole wheat or
low-gluten, high-protein pastas. Wendy's International Inc., the No. 3
U.S. hamburger chain, owns 25 percent of the company.

"Every significant restaurant chain is deeply aware of the low-carb
demand of its customers," said Dean Rotbart, executive editor of
LowCarbiz, an Internet newsletter. But the trend is still in its
infancy, he said, and bigger chains have been reluctant to join in.

Instead, in the face of rising U.S. obesity rates and threats of
litigation blaming the food industry, big restaurant companies have
focused on returning to more traditional health-oriented offerings such
as the meal-size salads that have helped reverse McDonald's Corp.'s
sagging U.S. sales in recent months.

And Blimpie's larger privately held rival Subway Restaurants has seen
great success with the ad campaign featuring Jared Fogle, who said he
lost 225 pounds on a steady diet of low-fat sandwiches.

UNTESTED WATERS

McDonald's, the largest restaurant company, this week tested the
low-carb waters. It said it will help customers customize burgers and
other foods on its fast-food menu within three dieting styles -- low
fat, low calorie, and yes, low carb. The plan, dubbed "Real Life
Choices," is being introduced in parts of the greater New York area in
January.

The hesitation to roll out dedicated low-carb menu offerings may stem
from concern about the safety of those diets. Many nutritionists still
conform to the standard dietary guidelines outlined in the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (news - web sites)'s food pyramid, whose base
is carbohydrates. They question the stricter phases of diets like
Atkins, which recommend ample quantities of protein in the form of red
meat, butter and other fatty foods, in lieu of breads and starches.

"There are bits and pieces of truth in these high-protein, low-carb
diets," said Samantha Heller, a nutritionist with New York University
Medical Center. "It's very difficult for people to distill the
difference between the truth and twist."

To date, only about 1 percent of the total U.S. population is following
a low-carb diet, according to The NPD Group, a market research firm that
tracks food trends.



Little research exists on the size of the market for low-carb foods.
Matthew Wiant, chief marketing officer of Atkins Nutritionals Inc.,
estimates the amount of such products sold at retail, excluding
restaurants, is roughly $2 billion, a tiny slice of America's food budget.

Wendy's, while a stakeholder in Pasta Pomodoro, said it has no immediate
plans to introduce low-carb items into the menu at its mainstay stores.

"It's certainly a trend that we're well aware of," said company
spokesman Bob Bertini.

Andi writes:
diets like Atkins, which recommend ample quantities of protein in the
form of red meat, butter and other fatty foods, in lieu of breads and
starches.

Gee, I didn't know butter was high in protein.

LMAO and nowhere did it say I had to eat red meat.
On another note, my local Burger King has posted on their lighted sign out
front... "Low Carb? Ask for no bread!" I thought that was terrific!
~*~Pie~*~
254/197/150

"DJ Delorie" wrote in message
...

Andi writes:
diets like Atkins, which recommend ample quantities of protein in the
form of red meat, butter and other fatty foods, in lieu of breads and
starches.

Gee, I didn't know butter was high in protein.

In article ,
"PieNtheSky32" wrote:

LMAO and nowhere did it say I had to eat red meat.
On another note, my local Burger King has posted on their lighted sign out
front... "Low Carb? Ask for no bread!" I thought that was terrific!

I tried that, and the staff was unable to make a fish filet sandwich
without the bun. I was saying, "no bun! no bun!" and they were plopping
it on a bun. Three times in the space of five minutes! I ordered it
with no bun, just fish and cheese; they brought it with the bun; I
rejected it and explained "no bun"; they made another with a bun; I
rejected it and explained "no bun!"; they made another with a bun. They
were just unable to get their hands to not put that bun around the fish!
I finally took it in disgust, tried to scrape as much glued-on bread off
as I could, and ate it. *sigh*

Priscilla

The hesitation to roll out dedicated low-carb menu offerings may stem
from concern about the safety of those diets. Many nutritionists still
conform to the standard dietary guidelines outlined in the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (news - web sites)'s food pyramid, whose base
is carbohydrates. They question the stricter phases of diets like
Atkins, which recommend ample quantities of protein in the form of red
meat, butter and other fatty foods, in lieu of breads and starches.


Dieticians et. al are taught to disregard or discourge "Atkin's-like" diets
until they meet one, then another, and another. etc. people like me who have
lost a large amount of weight in a short period of time at a steady rate and
eat healthy and LOOK healthy. then they back off a bit. IME


--
Lori
220/147/135
LC since 1/17/03
Oct Challenge 150/145
http://community.webshots.com/user/lorismiller

Andi wrote in message . ..

To date, only about 1 percent of the total U.S. population is following
a low-carb diet, according to The NPD Group, a market research firm that
tracks food trends.


That's what? About 2.5 million? Wow! Not bad!

"Sad_Person" wrote in message
om...
Andi wrote in message
. ..

To date, only about 1 percent of the total U.S. population is
following
a low-carb diet, according to The NPD Group, a market research
firm that
tracks food trends.


That's what? About 2.5 million? Wow! Not bad!

More like 29 million.
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...us.html#People

revek

"revek" wrote in news:bmdmgu$js8sh$1@ID-
190183.news.uni-berlin.de:


"Sad_Person" wrote in message
om...
Andi wrote in message
. ..

To date, only about 1 percent of the total U.S. population is
following
a low-carb diet, according to The NPD Group, a market research
firm that
tracks food trends.


That's what? About 2.5 million? Wow! Not bad!

More like 29 million.
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...us.html#People

revek




Try 2.9 million :-)

"vince candline" vjcandline@shawxxxzzz. wrote in message
. ..
"revek" wrote in news:bmdmgu$js8sh$1@ID-
190183.news.uni-berlin.de:


"Sad_Person" wrote in message
om...
Andi wrote in message
. ..

To date, only about 1 percent of the total U.S. population is
following
a low-carb diet, according to The NPD Group, a market research
firm that
tracks food trends.


That's what? About 2.5 million? Wow! Not bad!

More like 29 million.
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...us.html#People

revek




Try 2.9 million :-)

geh. I should not try to do math when I'm tired.

revek

In article ,
says...
In article ,
"PieNtheSky32" wrote:

LMAO and nowhere did it say I had to eat red meat.
On another note, my local Burger King has posted on their lighted sign out
front... "Low Carb? Ask for no bread!" I thought that was terrific!

I tried that, and the staff was unable to make a fish filet sandwich
without the bun. I was saying, "no bun! no bun!" and they were plopping
it on a bun. Three times in the space of five minutes! I ordered it
with no bun, just fish and cheese; they brought it with the bun; I
rejected it and explained "no bun"; they made another with a bun; I
rejected it and explained "no bun!"; they made another with a bun. They
were just unable to get their hands to not put that bun around the fish!
I finally took it in disgust, tried to scrape as much glued-on bread off
as I could, and ate it. *sigh*

Priscilla


LOL. (But it's not really that funny.)

Even before I started eating LC I stopped going to the fast food chains,
precisely because of experiences like the one you described. It seemed
like every trip to McD's or Wendy's or KFC became a stress-inducing
trial -- just to get the person behind the counter to put the correct
food in the bag. Then I began to realize, if they can't fill a simple
order correctly, what are they doing with the food behind the scenes?

P.S. Doesn't the fish filet consist mostly of a thick coating of
breading anyway?

--
***********************
Linda Harms
219/207*/130
LoCarb since May 2003
*August 2003. I don't own a scale.