Is Low Carb the New Low Fat?

Oct. 9 -- Keeping in shape and drinking beer might not be two ideas that people associate with each other. But that's exactly the image Michelob was touting as it put a new low-carbohydrate beer on sale across the nation last week.

Introduced in print ads showing fit men and women out for a run, Michelob Ultra boasts 2.6 grams of carbohydrates — the lowest of any competing light beer.

While a low-carb beer might seem like an oxymoron, the firm is not the only food and beverage company to jump on the low-carb bandwagon. Since 2000, 816 new products making a low- or no-carb claim were introduced into the marketplace, according to market research firm Productscan Online.

That's because many Americans are shunning high-carbohydrate foods in favor of high-protein, low-carb alternatives. Eaters are driven partly by the popularity of high-protein diets like the Zone and Atkins, and partly by recent questions over whether the government-recommended high-carb, low-fat "food pyramid" really helps people lose weight.

Companies are certainly taking notice. Love those muffins, but can't have the carbs? Try Carbsense Foods' honey bran muffin mix with 16 grams of carbohydrates per two-muffin serving. Got a hankering for bagels? You can have some from Atkins Nutritionals that have 12 grams of carbs per bagel. Pasta craving? Try Due Amici Pasta Lite, which has 10 grams of carbs — and 28 grams of protein — per serving.

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"Manufacturers are marketing these products not only to those interested in weight loss and physical fitness; they're also tying them into the ever-growing segment of the population of diabetics," says Suzanna Eygabroat, Productscan's manager of information services.

Low-Fat’s Heyday Done

For years, "low-fat" was the hot buzzword for food companies, with products like Snackwell's cookies and fat-free salad dressings lining supermarket aisles. Just a few years back, in 1996-97, some 38 percent of new product launches had low-fat claims,according to Chicago-based market research company Information Resources Inc.