Posted on 11/08/2003 12:04:57 PM PST by carlo3b
Breadmakers feel pain from Atkins diet
By DAVID SHARP
The Associated Press
11/8/2003, 1:18 p.m. ETPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Some bakers around the country are seeing a similar drop in business: With millions of people trying the diet created by the late low-carb guru Dr. Robert Atkins, overall bread sales are flat or down slightly, while bread-bashing seems to be at an all-time high.
A sign in Stephen Lanzalotta's bakery reads, "Senza il pane tutto diventa orfano." In Italian, that means, "Without bread everyone's an orphan."
But fewer customers are buying his European-style breads and pastries these days — thanks to the Atkins diet, many regulars are cutting back on carbohydrates. Lanzalotta says the low-carb diet has contributed to an estimated 40 percent drop in business at his shop, Sophia's.
Some customers have even stopped by to apologize.
"They'll say, 'I'm sorry. I haven't been in for six months because I'm on the Atkins diet,'" said Lanzalotta, whose muscular arms are a testament to long hours spent kneading dough.
The National Bread Leadership Council, which says 40 percent of Americans are eating less bread than a year ago, has scheduled what it calls a summit this month in Rhode Island focusing in part on low-carb diets and how to educate the public that breaking bread is still part of a healthy lifestyle.
"It's too bad that we just can't eat all foods in moderation. But no, we have to do something dramatic all the time," said Judi Adams, president of the Wheat Foods Council and a registered dietician, referring to the Atkins diet. "We have to look for this magic bullet."
Estimates of the number of Americans on low-carb diets vary widely, from 5 million to 50 million. Their boycott of bread has exacerbated a sluggish sales trend that was in place before low-carb diets became popular, said John McMillin, a food industry analyst with Prudential Equity Group Inc. in New York.
When Lanzalotta opened his bakery, bread accounted for 75 percent of sales. Now it accounts for just 15 percent. He boosted his dessert offerings and began offering sandwiches to try to make up the difference. He also adapted by selling artwork, including his own paintings.
At Standard Baking, co-owner Alison Pray said sales are nearly flat after previously growing 10 percent to 15 percent a year.
Pray sees plenty of couples stopping by, but often only one partner is eating. The other is cutting carbs.
She's a bit incredulous when customers ask if she produces anything consistent with the Atkins diet. "This one person asked me, 'Can you make a low-carbohydrate bread?' I said, 'I wouldn't know how to do it,'" she said.
Others are adapting. At Anthony's Italian Kitchen, owner Tony Barassa said his customers are ordering Syrian wraps without the wrap and panini sandwiches without the panini. They're also ordering meatballs without the spaghetti.
On Atkins, people can eat cheese, eggs and meat as long as they strictly limit carbohydrates and avoid refined carbs like white flour. White bread, pasta, potatoes and other carbo-loaded foods are blacklisted. The diet was once scorned by the medical establishment, but recent studies have shown that people lose weight without compromising their health.
The Wheat Food Council's Adams, who is based in Colorado, believes low-carb diets are just another fad. And she wonders if they're really helping.
She noted that the nation's obesity rate has continued to grow as flour consumption has declined. Wheat flour consumption has dropped by about 10 pounds a year per person since 1997, she said, calling Americans' tendency to eat too much of everything the real problem.
"We eat 300 more calories a day than we did in 1985," Adams said. "We supersize everything. We eat constantly."
Big Sky Baking Co. in Portland appears to have avoided the worst of the low-carb fallout because its whole wheat bread is the kind recommended for carb-cutters who can't resist a slice every now and again.
Owner Martha Elkus recognizes that times are changing. "The food pyramid has been turned upside down," she said.
Bread bakers aren't the only ones hurting. The pasta industry, the tortilla industry, bagel makers and even brewers of beer have taken their lumps for having too many carbohydrates.
The Tortilla Industry Association held a seminar last spring titled, "An Industry in Crisis: The High-protein, Low-carb Diet and Its Effects on the Tortilla Industry." The National Pasta Association has a "Diet Matters" section on its Web page that focuses on low-carb diets.
Joshua Sosland, executive editor of Milling and Baking News in St. Louis, said it's difficult for consumers to find good information amidst all of the hype that served to overshadow the science behind the diets. Often overlooked is the fact that bread and grains remain an important part of the federal government's diet guidelines.
"Here we have about the most healthy thing in the diet," Sosland said, "and it's being treated like it's poison."
Bakers are changing their products even as they seek to get out the message that bread remains part of a healthy lifestyle.
Flowers Foods' low-carb bread, "Nature's Own Wheat 'n Fiber," has proven to be the company's most successful new product launch to date, said Mary Krier, spokeswoman in Thomasville, Ga.
George Weston Bakeries Inc. has launched "Carb Counting" bread under its Arnold label that carries the Atkins seal. Maine-based Lepage Bakeries has introduced Country Kitchen "Lower Carb" wheat bread.
Panera Bread, a fast-growing chain that offers soups, salads and sandwiches in addition to bread, is also making changes to meet the evolving tastes of its customers. The company is testing three whole-grain breads with fewer grams of carbohydrates per slice.
"Our view of it is not to resist (the low-carb trend) but to recognize it as a real niche," CEO Ron Shaich said.
Amen. I'm always flabbergasted by people who say things like "I tried Atkins, but the weight came back." Duh.
Like so many others who have been "freed" by Atkins, I find that so long as I avoid the carbs, I can eat what I want, when I want to, as much as I feel I want to. Atkins was the first diet where I found myself looking at a half-eaten plate of food and thinking, "I not only don't want to eat more, I want NOT to eat the rest of this." I was so shocked by that epiphany, my wife thought something was wrong with me.
My physician concurs, not only from his own study, but from observation of his own patients. Before I went on Atkins, I was pre-diabetic and my cholesterol was 180 (with help from high-dose niacin and Lipitor). Three months later, blood sugar levels are normal, and my cholesterol is 130. Oh yes, I'm 30 pounds lighter too. Only 50 pounds to go!
Doc thinks another 50 pounds, while desirable since it would bring me down to my marriage weight, is overly ambitious. I don't think so. I'm still losing; I'm still satisfied with what I'm eating. And, Doc assures me that if I persevere in moderate exercise 5 times a week, I will reverse the insulin resistence it took me 25 or more years to develop.
No doubt, many will try Atkins and fail. But, it's not Atkins that fails, it's the ones who go back to the high-carb diets who will keep on complaining about diets that never work.
At 5 bucks a loaf it tastes like poop, too. Rather not eat bread at all than to have to stand the taste of those soy-based products. Simply horrid.
Brownberry Breads has a new low-carb bread...not as low as the one I buy, but it is like 6 carbs per slice, and tastes pretty good.
Behave...Bwhahahahaahhahahahah
This is directed at, TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, not afraidfortherepublic... *<}:o) Of course this doesn't taste as good as your typical high carb bread, but you didn't get that gut from depriving yourself of too much flavor. Think of this small sacrifice as a down payment on that, "NEW YOU", that you keep talking about (to yourself) .. LOLOL
Simple LowCarb Yeast Bread This is it, two steps only!
1) Place in bread maker in order listed. Basic, med. darkness.
- 3 cups plain protein powder
- 1 1/8 cup water
- 1 tsp "lite" salt, if you don't happen to have , lite salt, use only 3/4 tsp
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbls pure olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp active yeast
2) Press start (visit me on line for any additional info, if needed).. :)
Those breads are out there. The Nature's Own low carb bread runs around $2.50 and is quite good. We recently discovered a low carb bread made by Franz that is called 7-7-90 and it is very good, similar price. The Nature's Own is at 5 net carbs and the Franz bread is at 4 net carbs.
I'm not so much into low-carb as I am into high fiber. Many of these breads are 60 calories/slice, .5 gram of fat and 5 grams of fiber.
The Bread of Life products have been lifesavers for us. I have been able to make chili-cheese dogs, cheeseburgers, sloppy joes, and other things and stay within low-carb allotments.
I am hoping they will come out with a decent low-carb rye bread, which I sorely miss. Atkins rye bread is terrible! I won't buy it again.
There are low-carb bagels as well, Brownberry Breads makes them. They are not as low-carb as some other things, but would do in a pinch.
Eat it all the time. Tastes better than most commercial bread. The Atkins Sourdough is very good, and the Rye and Country White are not bad. Not as good as real San Francisco sourdough, but I'll take it over the spongy white bread they sell in stores.
Trader Joes also carries a couple varieties of low carb bread already made. Not bad either.
I still have a small baked potato , slice of fresh baked bread or a slice of desert now and then. I just limit such stuff to twice a week or so...... certain things about the low carb style of consuming food has given me more energy, less weight on my frame and thus has led to less pain and stress related health problems for my back and knees also.
I hate the word diet as diet has never worked for me . Having run 6 plus miles a day for 26 years I was used to eating what I wanted without worry. An injury that caused me to be a bit more sedate in my activities put the pounds on as I ate like I was still running that 6 miles a day.
Older age and sudden stops have just caused me to adjust and the low carb route is working for me now........no problems at all. Blood tests and recent physical was first in 10 years that all was within the set limits.
It's good to be average again..........:o)
Stay Safe !
One piece of their bread wlll hold you for 4 hours. It is wonderful. Bread can be frozen, and just take out a piece at a time.
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