As any other atkins dieter, i am constantly scanning the grocery shelfs for new low carb and sugar free products.

I started noticing a trend recently by the more traditional diet products such as slim fast and weight watchers, who have started offering sugar free and low carb products. These companies have typically marketed "low fat" diet foods that upon closer inspection, were loaded with sugar, rendering them almost useless. (a recent study showed that users of the slim fast diet who consumed a milky way bar twice a day as a meal replacement, instead of the slim fast bars, lost just as much weight!)

I started seeing products from slim fast, such as low carb bars, and weight watchers, such as sugar free ice cream sweetened with sugar. I wonder if it is because these companies are started to come around and understand the role of sugar in a diet, or are simply capitalizing on the growing popularity of low carb diets. IN either case, its good news for us since these larger companies have a bigger reach, and their low carb products are such to more readily available, and at lower prices.

Any comments?

I think it is good news that they are waking up to low carb demand (and yes, I think it is only greed issue).
However, I think it is important that as LCers, we stay diligent and look at the ingredients. I saw some products the other day that said SUGAR FREE but they were made with aspartame so who wants 'em?

Not to mention those that unfortunately contain hydroganated oils, like russel stovers

I recall reading an article a couple of months ago in a financial publication (Wall Street Journal?) about a downturn in profits for several companies offering low-fat convenience dinners. The writer cited an interview where one of the food execs said that his company and others were "caught short" by the popularity of low-carb dishes, and were racing to get new products onto grocers shelves as fast as they could. The development times for introducing these low carb products were estimated as 1-2 years.

Even if that seems like a long time to us now, it is likely that the time is coming when we may have some expanded choices in our grocery stores. This is going to be particularly useful for when we're just too busy to cook scratch meals, but want to keep eating healthy. The home-cooked meal will always taste better, but there's a lot to be said for having the option of low-carb convenience.

Sorry for the duplicate post... happens every time I post something around 4:30 a.m.

There is that one brand of frozen dinners that only contain 10 carbs totoal, but the contents were never looked worth spending that many carbs to me

It amazes me there aren't more sugar free products on the market. Even without LC the rise of type 2 diabetes and the existance of type 1 would give a large market. You would think resteraunts would be a tad more honest about what dishes contain sugar and how much to save themselves a nasty lawsuit from diabetic consumers.

I agree 100% LadyBelle. My best friend has been diabetic since age 14 and I remember years ago trying some of the Estee food and thinking *Holy Cow This is Awful!* No wonder she doesn't stick to her diet that well.

Yossi- thank you for the info on Russell Stover's - had NO idea (looking shocked) and that is another reason to keep the eyes peeled for ingredients.

Bon-I hear ya on the frozen dinners - I used to eat them too and would also find myself snacking on something afterward. It is no wonder that my most successful diet was when I would pack a frozen chicken breast (with lemon pepper on it) and a frozen vegies (broccoli or peas) for lunch and finish it with a piece of fruit.

It sure would be nice to have more choices out there in convenience foods. Yup, 1-2 years does seem far away but on the other hand, that is about the time I will be at my goal weight, so it will make my goal weight easier to maintain

Heck, a 10 carb dinner isn't that low but I guess if I didn't have a choice, it would beat the heck out of ordering pizza (I know when I'm a beggar )