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CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK

Lowdown on Low-Carb Craze

Aired February 26, 2003 - 06:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Right now we're talking bread, bread and more, low carb diets like the Atkins diet are all the rage now and so the grocery store shelves are filling up with special foods for low carb dieters like energy bars, cookies and even low carb bread.
Lisa Drayer of Dietwatch.com is live from New York with the low down on this low carb craze.

Low carb bread, huh?

LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Exactly. What a surprise, right? But the truth is, food manufacturers are responding to the popularity of low carbohydrate diets by coming out with low or reduced carbohydrate varieties of their products. But there are some things to know about low carb.

The first is that there's no standard definition for the term low or even reduced carbohydrate. These terms are not regulates by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA does use the terms low and reduced for calories and also fat. But this is not the case for carbohydrates.

That being said, some companies use the term net impact carbs or net carbs to consider carbs that count towards calories and blood sugar levels. For example, fiber is technically a carbohydrate, but it doesn't get digested and therefore doesn't contribute calories. Therefore it's not included as part of the net.

Also, the calories of reduced carbohydrate products may not be different than their regular counterparts. For example, that bread that you're holding has 60 grams of carbs, calories, rather, per slice. It's the same amount in the regular variety. And some even have more calories than their low carb counterparts.

Also, the price may be an issue...

COSTELLO: Oh, of course.

DRAYER: Yes, if you look at those Atkins blueberry muffins, they can cost up to $6. Betty Crocker's is less than three. And the taste may be an issue, also. I once had the low carbohydrate pasta and let's just say it was less than satisfying. I have to...

COSTELLO: Oh, I should taste this bread then, Lisa, huh?

DRAYER: Absolutely. See for yourself. COSTELLO: Well, can you scroll down some of the foods that have low carbs that might actually be helpful to people who are on the Atkins type diet that they're on?

DRAYER: Absolutely. And when we talk about breads, as I mentioned, both the reduced carb and the regular have 60 calories each. However, the reduced has seven grams of carbs, the regular has 12 grams. Also, the beer, Michelob's Ultra beer, only 2.6 grams of carbs.

COSTELLO: Oh, I just had that the other day in Cleveland in a sports bar.

DRAYER: Yes. And 95 calories. The regular has about 155 calories and 13 grams of carbs.

COSTELLO: I'm telling you, the waitress was really pushing it, too, so it must be a good marketing tool for Michelob.

DRAYER: It's true. It's very similar to lite beer.

COSTELLO: Got you.

Lisa Drayer, thanks for making it all clear for us once again.

DRAYER: Thank you.

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