Oh my god, that was awful! (low-cal products you tried and hated)

EKoehler1

Okay, there's a fair amount of conversation about what low-cal products are good or great, which is awesome, but let's hear which low-cal products you tried that were awful and you hope to never experience again.

For me, it's low-cal ranch dressing. There's something about the consistency and taste that's just...blech. So cringey.

stealthq

Any yogurt with artificial sweetener. Don't mind it in other items, but to me it seems like it's always added in 3-4x the amount necessary in yogurt for some reason. *gag*

David_2015

Tesco healthy living banoffee desserts... should have known they would be awful at 135 cals each... guess the lesson is if the cals are too low/it looks too good to be true, it usually is!!

Kullerva

Cauliflower pizza crust. I've had this be good, and I've had it be bad--usually it's awful. Cauliflower is not bread. Period.

Derf_Smeggle

Skim milk, the low-fat, low-calorie wonder drink of the 80's. It's like drinking adulterated water. I don't drink a lot, but when I do it's whole milk all the way.

Even made a convert out of my girlfriend to whole milk.

cwolfman13

for dressings i've found a few lower calorie options that i like...i like the Newman's Own light italian and light balsamic. i think the creamy bolthouse farms stuff is pretty good as well.

really though...i just don't do the "diet food" thing for the most part and don't do the faux/replacement type of stuff like cauliflower pizza crust or cauliflower mashed potatoes, etc. in general i just prefer to eat the real deal in appropriate quantities.

nvmomketo

Yes! Skim milk... shudder.

Sugar free jello. Not so good.

AlisonH729

I plead insanity for even trying these. I had gotten the Light & Fit Greeks in the past and didn't remember them being so bad. But I have been eating plain Greek yogurt with fresh fruit for too long I guess. So take the sad artificially sweetened yogurt @Stealthq mentioned and then add an even sadder artificially sweetened, runny, chocolate-ish liquid to the top. I thought it was going to be a chocolate shell at least!! I bought two, didn't finish the first & threw the second one away. So gross.

LKArgh

Skim milk. I have no idea how anyone can drink it..

spat095

I second the chocolate on top yogurts, they were truly awful.

CooCooPuff

I cant remember if these are the exact kind, but these have almost completely turned me off hot dogs.

adriennemarieb

Sea-kelp noodles. DON'T DO IT!!!

Derf_Smeggle

spacequiztime wrote: »

I cant remember if these are the exact kind, but these have almost completely turned me off hot dogs.

When pig lips, an_s, hoof, and whatever got shoveled off the floor just isn't enough...

I couldn't resist.

AlisonH729

OH I bought turkey hot dogs once. I don't know if they were only 50 calories each but nope, never again. They didn't hit the 'spot'. Which lets be honest, is the only reason you eat a hot dog.

RoseTheWarrior

I'm with another poster on any yogurt with fake sweeteners. Disgusting. Artificial sweeteners in general are a no go for me. I'm making one exception to get a lower calorie protein powder, but that's as far as it goes.

Also, I use a salad dressing called Renee's for Caesar salad. The brand has a great one, full fat, for garlic lovers, and it is incredibly good. So, I tried the 1/2 fat one thinking it would be great too. Yikes, not the same AT ALL! No flavour. Runny. Blech. So, to compensate, I use 1/2 low fat, half full fat in my salads.

vivmom2014

My MIL used to buy "Smart Beat" mayonnaise... I don't think I got within 10 feet of it. Give me Hellman's (or homemade) or put me out to pasture.

Raynne413

Pretty much anything by Walden Farms, excluding the pancake syrup.

becky10rp

Fat free cheese - tastes like &^$%, doesn't melt - YUCK!

EKoehler1

Raynne413 wrote: »

Pretty much anything by Walden Farms, excluding the pancake syrup.

Ugh, just seeing the name 'Walden Farms' gives me crippling flashbacks of the time I tried their calorie-free alfredo sauce. I'd have been better off hitting up Sherwin Williams for some white interior paint instead.

Raynne413

EKoehler1 wrote: »

Raynne413 wrote: »

Pretty much anything by Walden Farms, excluding the pancake syrup.

Ugh, just seeing the name 'Walden Farms' gives me crippling flashbacks of the time I tried their calorie-free alfredo sauce. I'd have been better off hitting up Sherwin Williams for some white interior paint instead.

I just hope you didn't try the "peanut" spread. *shudders*

hgycta

My father brought over crunchy seaweed snacks once for me to try. It was bad. Really, really bad. Not sure about the calorie content on the stuff, but people often seem to classify it as a health food. I didn't even bother logging it since I was so quick to spit the stuff out!
Also, ThinSlim's Brownie which was either 40 or 45 calories. HORRIBLE. It tasted like a wet slob of chemicals. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore ThinSlim's breads, but they really shouldn't do brownies.
And now, I saved the worst for last *drum roll*
Any sort of protein powder made with Spirulina! I've tried Nature's Plus Spiru-tein, and I've tried Garden of Life's Raw Fit Spirulina powder. Both = YUCK. I eat a lot of gross/weird things, but I couldn't finish these. I can finish a bowl of Natto (fermented soybeans), but I couldn't finish this shake. Chalky, earthy, bland, and it turned my milk green. That's not okay.

earlnabby

Low fat and non fat cheese. The only exception is Neufchatel.

Francl27

stealthq wrote: »

Any yogurt with artificial sweetener. Don't mind it in other items, but to me it seems like it's always added in 3-4x the amount necessary in yogurt for some reason. *gag*

Ugh this. Actually pretty much anything with sucralose because there is SO much of it it's horribly sweet. Danon Light and Fit yogurt or Trutein protein pudding... UGH.

And these. I shudder just thinking about it. In the trash they went. Sucks because the macros were great, but no.. just no.

TuffChixRule

Flavored seltzer or tonic water. Blech!
Also caramel or chocolate flavored "light" yogurts. Just...no. I like whole milk yogurt such as Noosa.

bellaa_x0

hgycta wrote: »

My father brought over crunchy seaweed snacks once for me to try. It was bad. Really, really bad. Not sure about the calorie content on the stuff, but people often seem to classify it as a health food. I didn't even bother logging it since I was so quick to spit the stuff out!
Also, ThinSlim's Brownie which was either 40 or 45 calories. HORRIBLE. It tasted like a wet slob of chemicals. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore ThinSlim's breads, but they really shouldn't do brownies.
And now, I saved the worst for last *drum roll*
Any sort of protein powder made with Spirulina! I've tried Nature's Plus Spiru-tein, and I've tried Garden of Life's Raw Fit Spirulina powder. Both = YUCK. I eat a lot of gross/weird things, but I couldn't finish these. I can finish a bowl of Natto (fermented soybeans), but I couldn't finish this shake. Chalky, earthy, bland, and it turned my milk green. That's not okay.

of course spirulina would turn your milk green - its a blue-green algae.. no surprise there.

bellaa_x0

Francl27 wrote: »

stealthq wrote: »

Any yogurt with artificial sweetener. Don't mind it in other items, but to me it seems like it's always added in 3-4x the amount necessary in yogurt for some reason. *gag*

Ugh this. Actually pretty much anything with sucralose because there is SO much of it it's horribly sweet. Danon Light and Fit yogurt or Trutein protein pudding... UGH.

And these. I shudder just thinking about it. In the trash they went. Sucks because the macros were great, but no.. just no.

oh man i love those pastas :X macros are terrific and personally taste great to me!

plantedinpots

not sure if this counts but: POM Wonderful- the 100% pomegranate juice. It was sooo nasty

annette_15

Lol I must have really bad tastebuds... I genuinely enjoy most of the low fat 'diet' foods. I liked the black bean spaghetti by the same company, I love the light and fit yogurts, a lot of waldenfarms stuff, all the bolthouse farms dressings, reduced sugar ketchup, low cal breads, egg whites, sugar free syrups, sparkling ice drinks, diet sodas, cashew milk, laughing cow cheeses etc. Clearly I'm a sucker for artificial sweeteners lmao. Oh well, saves me calories to spend on other things like peanut butter

annette_15

I will say tho that the waldenfarms peanut spread is probably the worst thing I've tried. Arctic zero sucks on its own, but can be saved with toppings

bri170lb

I won't eat low calories salad dressings at all...yuck!

But I have tried several brands of yogurt salad dressing and they've all been good. The one I used today was 40 calories for 2 tablespoons, which is even better than some of the low cal stuff. Bolthouse Peppercorn Ranch Greek Yogurt Dressing.

I also hate sugar substitute yogurt. It's just TOO sweet.

JShailen

Alpen light bars...I'll stick to nakd bars or good ol dark chocolate from now on.