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.
Mmmm bread!
We've been doing Atkins for about 8 weeks now, I'm down about 25 pounds.
Went to the store today and saw for the first time, "low carb" bread.
Nature's Own is the brand. Their "Wheat 'n Fiber" bread has 7 grams/slice, mostly fiber, no sugar.
We lathered some up with mayo, dropped on a bunch of bacon, smothered in cheddar. Mmmmmmm
(I did toast mine, figured it wouldn't hurt to carbonize a gram or two.)
OMG.. What did I do now...yikes!
I recieved a Don Pablo's ad the other day introducing Low-Carb Fajitas. Smoked chicken, mahi-mahi or black angus sirloin served on a bed of low carb veggies (yellow squash, zucchini, button mushrooms and asparagus). It says "ready and waitin' to be wrapped in a cool, fresh, crisp iceberg lettuce tortilla". I wouldn't bother with the lettuce but the rest sounds awfully good!
It seems to me that the dairy and meat industries were hit hard for the last 20 or so years due to the low fat craze. Now ADM will feel the pinch. Too bad!!! Yes, some small business will have to adjust, but that's life.
Don't.. you don't have to go there .. well.. OK.. if you feel you must.. Really, that is outstanding news, the modified Atkins works better for some, mostly women, than a straight Atkins.. But Thanks, and I am really proud to have played a very, very, large part of it!!!!.. :o) LOLOLOLOL
It's not "overlooked." It's considered, and rejected.
Now, I'm not an advocate of long-term Atkins use. I favor more of a moderate diet. However, the government's pyramid-scheme diet was an outrageous lie perpetrated on the public. Why they did so is a topic for discussion on its own.
This is maybe more than you wanted to know. Someone, was really troubled by this stuff, and starts to hyperventilate.. but you know the drill, the more the merrier..Gluten, lets start with;
WHAT: Gluten is a mixture of individual proteins classified in two groups, the Prolamines and the Glutelins. The prolamine, Gliadin, seems to be a major problem in celiac disease; gliadin antibodies are commonly found in the immune complexes associated with this disease
WHERE: Wheat proteins are collectively called "Gluten". Wheat is closely related to other cereal grains, especially rye, barley, and oats. Enthusiasm for "whole grains" to increase intake of dietary fiber, especially in the past decade, led to increased consumption of whole cereal grains. Relatively unrefined grains, often in combination, as with granola cereals and whole wheat breads fortified with bran, coarse flours, and other additives are now eaten in large quantities. .
WHY: We eat the seeds of the grain plants. The seed has a bran casing, a starchy endosperm which contains 90% of the protein, and a small germ nucleus which is the plant embryo waiting to grow. Any flour made from the starchy endosperm contains prolamines and is potentially problematic to the grain intolerant person.
WHEN: Gluten in wheat is the principal problem food- barley, oats, and rye must be excluded as well. Millet is usually an acceptable grain alternative. Corn and rice are usually tolerated when gluten prolamines are the chief and only food intolerance, although corn triggers food allergy for its own reasons. Triticale is a new hybrid grain with the properties of wheat and rye, and is excluded on a gluten-free diet. The identity and the amount of the prolamine decides the kind of reaction that is likely to occur. It should be noted that there is considerable variability in the prolamine content of various foods made from cereal grains, and this variability is one of the many reasons why food reactions are not consistent.
Rice is used as the staple grain in Alpha Nutrition and gluten-containing foods are excluded.
Janatuinen et al presented evidence that 52 adult celiacs tolerated oats for one year with no evidence of harm. The study period is too short to be definitive since relapses after longer periods have been observed repeatedly in celiac patients who resumed eating grains. Their study at least raises the question of what foods can be considered safe in the long term. Celiac dogma treats the four cereal grains as equally risky. The older assumptions need to be reviewed by further studies.
Recently marketed grains, Spelt and Kamut, are gluten-containing wheat variants (despite claims to the contrary) and are likely to cause problems similar to other wheat varieties.
Let me take a stab at that.. The reason the establishment was looking for a change was, BLEEDING a person to bring about weightloss was really messy.. so shazammm .. If any of you have a better explaination, for their stupidity, please share it with the rest of us.. :o)
It is really important to get the book because it explains how the diet works and why you need to take your vitamins and eat the right foods but for starters there are tons of good websites to help you get familiar with the low carb way of eating.
There are several different plans with varying amounts of carbs allowed, they all have good information in them and most people will learn through trial and error which plan works best for you. Some people can go extremely low carb like Atkins level induction for months without any problems, but others need a little more carbs daily like me.
If you are currently eating sweets, white flour etc, day four or so will be a major bitch. That is because you will be going through withdrawal, but if you just take some aspirin, drink lots of water, in a day or two the brain fog lifts and you will discover you can have tons of energy.
Here are some links to some websites with good recipes, diet information, message boards, etc...
This should get you started with a general idea on how this works. Hope that helps.
That really sums it up.. FAT .. :)
The holidays are right around the corner, and the sales are going on NOW.. hint hint.. BTW, remember "The Clinton Legacy Cookbook" fit's easily in your former large stocking... Hahahahhaha
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