Diet forces eatery owners to exercise art of flexibility

Wednesday, December 31, 2003

By BETH BRAVERMAN, The Express-Times

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Effects of the breadless, low-carbohydrate Atkins diet have emerged in places other than the scales and waistlines of local dieters.

"Our sales volumes have dropped," said Manny Martin, manager of the Lusitania Bakery in Bethlehem. "I can't say it's just because of the Atkins diet, but I think that has something to do with it."

Created by the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins in the 1970s, the diet instructs its practitioners to eat foods high in protein and fat but low in carbohydrates. Though it flies in the face of traditional views about nutrition, a few recent studies have touted its benefits, and its popularity has surged.

That's good news for the cattle and egg industries but not for carbohydrate-heavy businesses that produce pasta, potatoes and bread.

Martin said media exposure of the Atkins diet has contributed to the movement of many consumers away from many grocery store staples like bread.

"People hear so much about the Atkins diet and all of a sudden they're scared of bread," he said. "They can't eat anything with carbs in it."

Local bakeries are not alone in witnessing a change in their customers.

"I can tell by people's orders if they are on the Atkins diet," said Lorraine Sarno, manager of the Denisi Restaurant in Nazareth. Sarno said it's become common for customers to order a cheesesteak without a roll or dinner entrees without pasta.

Alpha Pizza and Sub Shop workers have noted an increase in customers ordering subs without bread, said owner John Digrazia.

"And we do a lot of salads with chicken," he said. "It (the Atkins diet) is definitely more popular than it's ever been."

At the Family and Friends Country Restaurant in Wind Gap, breakfast diners frequently order omelets with extra cheese but no toast, or eggs with extra bacon but no hash browns, said owner Chris Mitman.

Mitman said he lost 24 pounds in 13 weeks on the Atkins diet and has several customers who have reported significant weight loss, including one who shed 45 pounds.

"A lot of people are really going toward the Atkins diet," she said.

National chains including Subway and T.G.I. Fridays have begun offering Atkins-friendly meals. And Panera breads, which occupies a space outside the Phillipsburg Mall, plans to introduce new low-carbohydrate options this year.

Customers at Stefano's in Plainfield Township have begun ordering more salads topped with chicken and seafood in lieu of large entrees, said owner Stefano Lombardo.

"We have seen a change," he said. "There are some items that are moving more now than they were before. But we have a large variety of items which appeal to customers on that diet."

Lombardo said his son has begun the diet and he has seen several of his employees reading Atkins' book.

The diet has grown partly because in the short-term it leads to visible weight loss, said Dagne Danga-Storm, a dietician with St. Luke's Hospital.

Americans spend billions of dollars a year on diets, and fast-acting plans are particularly popular in January as people strive to quickly achieve their New Year's resolutions, Danga-Storm said.

"With any diet plan, including Atkins, it simplifies decision making," she said.

But the Atkins diet is "nutritionally inadequate," she said. It provides insufficient amounts of fiber and vitamins E, A and B and minerals like potassium and iron, Danga-Storm said.

The diet is also high in cholesterol and saturated fat.

"Long-term for people, especially with heart disease, kidney problems or diabetes, it is not recommended," she said.

Martin said he thinks this diet fad will pass, as consumers discover that the Atkins diet provides imperfect nutrition.

"People should be careful about listening to everything they hear," he said. "How bad is bread for you really?

"Should you stop working because you might fall down and break a leg?"