Atkins Health - The Atkins Shopping Guide

ATKINS HEALTH & MEDICAL INFORMATION SERVICES ROBERT C. ATKINS

The typical supermarket can hold about 50,000 items, and approximately 11,000 new food products are introduced each year, making it possible for you to find just about any food you wantas well as some you didnt even know you wanted! But among all this abundance lurks confusion. The sheer number of choices can be overwhelming and enormously time-consuming. And if you are just becoming acquainted with the Atkins Nutritional Approach (ANA), the typical shopping trip can be doubly frustrating. Alas, much of what beckons from the well-stocked shelves is simply inappropriate for doing Atkins. Just a few short years ago, people often felt challenged by the task of finding food products suitable for doing Atkins.

Today, the tables have turned, and with the explosion of items labeled low carb, controlled carb, reduced carb, and no carb, you may find yourself baffled by the many options. Lets be honest, you shouldnt need a Ph.D. in marketing (or chemistry) to steer your shopping cart through the aisles with skill and exit the store with healthy, delicious foods. But how can you achieve your health and weight-control goals if youre not sure youre buying Atkins-appropriate foods? Clearly, you need to be able to find the foods that help you succeed and avoid those that can sabotage your best intentions. And now that controlling carbs has become so popular, some foods that proclaim themselves low in carbs may not be all that low or may contain ingredients unsuitable for someone doing Atkins.

To get in the heads of folks like you, we sent five real people from various parts of the country out into the marketplace. To get in the heads of folks like you, we sent five real people from various parts of the country out into the marketplace.

All have families. Some are already confirmed Atkins followers; others are beginning to explore the low-carb way of eating. Each visited a number of stores in his or her area: Two members of our research team live in a major city, two in the suburbs and one in a rural area. They went to different types of stores in their hunt for products, carefully scrutinizing the ingredients list and Nutrition Facts panel for each one, then reported their findings.

First and foremost the purpose of The Atkins Shopping Guide is to help you do Atkins right. It is designed to make it easy for you to fill your fridge and pantry with the appropriate foods.

As Atkins followers shared with us their frustrations in finding suitable foods, we grasped the tremendous need for this book by anyone who does Atkinsor is thinking about starting the program. The Atkins Shopping Guide puts you in command by teaching you how to be a smart low-carb shopper. Before you even leave your house, this practical companion will introduce you to many of the foods you will find at the store. Or, you can take it along to help you scan the shelves, obtaining just the information you need, at a glance. We know that many of you like to shop in a variety of stores, from supermarkets, club stores and superstores to natural foods stores. (Some nutrition stores also carry a limited line of food products.) Each type of store has its advantages, from vast selection in supermarkets and superstores, to good value in club stores.

Natural foods stores have a great range of low-carb foods and are often staffed by people who are well informed about controlling carbohydrates. So we have organized the book into two major sections: Part 1 covers supermarkets (and applies to the superstores and club stores); Part 2 covers the natural foods (and nutrition) stores. An important point: This book does not recommend foods. The only foods we can vouch for are those that come from Atkins Nutritionals or carry an Atkins endorsement. We have not tasted other manufacturers products. Nor do we know how the information on their Nutrition Facts panels is computed.

We merely list the products we have found on store shelves and report on the nutritional information on manufacturers labels or websites. However, when a food which initially might appear to be acceptable for doing Atkins has ingredients you might not be aware of or ones that we consider unacceptable, we will point this out so you can make your own decision. But, in essence, its up to you to use the information provided herein to determine which foods to purchase to stay on track, taking into consideration the phase of Atkins youre in, your individual carbohydrate threshold, and your health goals. While we briefly explain the Atkins Nutritional Approach (see page 21), this book is not a substitute for The Atkins Essentials or Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, the cornerstone publications for understanding and accurately following the program. We encourage you to be proactive.

Remember, for a store to succeed, it must respond to shoppers needsand demands. Once you become aware of food products that support the Atkins lifestyle, you can be part of a potent force to change what turns up on the shelves of the stores you patronize. If you do not see some of the foods you read about in this book in your store, ask the manager to order them. By speaking up, you will help not just yourself but the many others who want more low-carb options.

In the last few years, scientific research has consistently validated the principles upon which Atkins is based. As a result, in the last year we have witnessed a huge growth in the food category pioneered by Atkins Nutritionals: products specifically created for people following a controlled-carb lifestyle.

Recently, even major players in the food business have jumped on the low-carb bandwagon. (Yes, the very same companies that have pushed the low-fat dogma for years are now singing a different tune!) In fact, industry analysts predict that we are presently seeing just the tip of the iceberg as more and more people adopt this healthy way of eating. Even if we included every item on store shelves on the day this book goes to press, by the time you buy it, there will be new products in the marketplace that are not found here. It is simply impossible for this book to be 100% comprehensive. (Likewise, not every store will have every item we list.) For that reason, we plan to update it regularly and welcome your contributions. Do let us know when you come across products that you feel should be added by e-mailing us at shoppingguide@atkins.com .

Be sure to provide the full name of the manufacturer and a website or other contact information. Controlled-carb products often include as-yet unfamiliar ingredients. In the appropriate sections, well tell you about ingredients such as sugar alcohols, resistant starches, and organic acids, which make it possible to create delicious, low-carb foods. As the industry leader, and with the ANA as the only low-carb approach that has been validated by science, Atkins Nutritionals is committed to helping ensure your success on our four-phase program. Thats why Atkins products were created to support people in various phases. If an Atkins product is not suitable for Inductionor another phasethe label makes that clear.

Packaging also includes the Atkins Net Carb Seal, which indicates the number of grams of Net Carbs, the only carbs you need to count when you do Atkins. (Net Carbs are the only ones that impact blood sugar.) To ensure that you consume controlled-carb products properly, please follow this critical advice:

• Eat them only to support a total controlled-carb dietary approach that brings carbs into the right balance with fish, meat, eggs, and other forms of protein and healthy fats.