I disagree that the Atkins products are nothing more than junk food, and I believe the good doctor totally approved of all the products sold under his name.

If you just compare ingredients in these products to those in other, more familiar "high carb" products you will see they contain less sugar, more fiber and reduced carbs, a god-send alone for those who suffer from diabetes yet want more variety in their diet, or for those like me, who aren't as strict with carbs as Atkins followers, yet who want reduced carb products just the same.

Just compare low carb bagels to regular store-bought variety: a lot less carbs and a lot more fiber.

Compare Kraft Macaroni and cheese to Atkins elbows and cheese (which by the way has outstanding ingredients - just read the label)...less carbs and a ton more fiber. Because I am not that low carb, I use evaporated milk in the Atkins mac and cheese instead of the half and half they recommend, and get a ton of calcium to boot. I eat this with broccoli. I doubt if anyone could call that a junk food meal.

I believe there is a place for all the new low carb foods coming out, and if we support a low carb diet we should also support these choices, which give variety to those who can't live on just protein and veggies.

There is good and bad in everything. Thank God we all have the intelligence to read labels. I mean if I pick up a protein bar and read that it's made with hydrogenated fat and too much sugar alcohol, I just put it back on the shelf - low carb or not!!!!