But manufactured low-carb foods aren't necessarily a panacea, and some contain ingredients with a questionable safety record. The heavy reliance on sucralose by low-carb dieters causes me concern, since sucralose has never undergone long-term safety testing in humans. Some low-carb dieters seem to live off this artificial chemical sweetener, and you'll find it in virtually ever sweet tasting low-carb food on the grocery store shelves.
A much better sweetener choice would be stevia, an all-natural sweetener made from an extract of the sweetleaf plant. Stevia has no calories, doesn't come from a laboratory, doesn't impact blood sugar, doesn't cause dental cavities, and has been safely used for decades by populations around the world. So why isn't stevia used in the United States? The FDA is dragging its feet on approving stevia, most likely for political reasons (to protect the profits of makers of artificial sweeteners, namely).
To learn more, read my guide that reveals which low-carb ingredients to avoid while following the Atkins diet: Low-Carb Diet Warning.
Not too long ago, dietary fat was the enemy.
By the mid-1990s, the number of new foods and beverages whose labels
proclaimed "no fat" or "low fat" hit an all-time high.
A new generation of dieters, following weight-loss plans such as the
Atkins and South Beach diets, are gobbling up animal protein and
high-fat dairy products and sullying their plates with only the most
minute portions of starch and sugar.
Last year, 633 foods and drinks introduced in the United States
carried claims of low, lower or reduced carbohydrate content, compared
with 339 in 2002, according to market research company Productscan
Online of Naples, N.Y. In 1999, only 47 low-carbohydrate items were
introduced.
Carbohydrates are the starches, fiber and sugars found in fruits,
vegetables, whole grains and beans and "feel-good" foods such as ice
cream, desserts and snack chips.