Sneaky Sneaky!!!

tracymat
tracymat Posts: 296 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I just bought the Great Value ENERGY drink mix... kinda like Crystal Lite, with caffeine. It says there is only 5 calories...... in a HALF OF A PACKET!!

Directions are for a full packet... who drinks a half a packet???

Replies

  • 30Purple
    30Purple Posts: 252 Member
    Maybe you're supposed to split it with a friend. haha
  • sarahg148
    sarahg148 Posts: 701 Member
    Lol...probably the same people who only eat one potato chip or only 1/2 cup of ice cream. :wink:
  • deb3129
    deb3129 Posts: 1,294 Member
    The food industry is very sneaky! There are a lot of things that we have noticed like that now that we are carefully keeping up with what we eat. I think they are counting on most people to just look at the calorie count on a box or bag, assume that is what is in the whole thing, and thinks it's a good deal!
  • fedupwithit
    fedupwithit Posts: 27 Member
    Yeah really. I always thought those were supposed to be the "handy" when on the go. How handy is it to stop and measure out half a packet.

    Really wish the companies would stop making things LOOK healthier than they are. Like super small packages that advertise only 10 cals per serving....then when you look it has like 5 servings per pack...and each serving is enough to basically get an idea of what it would taste like.

    so like the drink mix - Only 5 calories....not true....its 10 calories that you have tried to mislead me into thinking was only 5
  • tracymat
    tracymat Posts: 296 Member
    Yeah really. I always thought those were supposed to be the "handy" when on the go. How handy is it to stop and measure out half a packet.

    Really wish the companies would stop making things LOOK healthier than they are. Like super small packages that advertise only 10 cals per serving....then when you look it has like 5 servings per pack...and each serving is enough to basically get an idea of what it would taste like.

    so like the drink mix - Only 5 calories....not true....its 10 calories that you have tried to mislead me into thinking was only 5

    Are all of those packets like that???? I think this is the first time I really looked!!!
  • kngarber
    kngarber Posts: 227
    I think Crystal Light is actually the same way too.
  • RandomMiranda
    RandomMiranda Posts: 298
    I noticed that a while back. So sneaky. How do they expect someone to save the other half of the packet for later? They should just call it 10 calories.
  • babeinthemoon
    babeinthemoon Posts: 471 Member
    Since you mix it into a 16 oz water bottle, it makes sense. 8 oz is a serving of water, so why wouldn't 1/2 a packet be a serving of that? :tongue:
  • fedupwithit
    fedupwithit Posts: 27 Member
    Most of the ones I have seen are like that or similar.

    And also babeinthemoon has a point about them being added to 16oz of water and that being technically 2 servings.

    But again...how often is it that you purchase a bottle of water to drink half of it?
    Well I guess I do...the bottom half...just usually have to drink the top half to get to the half I want :P
  • tinad120
    tinad120 Posts: 267 Member
    I think Crystal Light is actually the same way too.

    They are!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I would ask, who bothers to check the nutrition label and only looks at the calorie content?? Is it fair to blame a company because you failed to read the other information they provided?
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,148 Member
    Lol...probably the same people who only eat one potato chip or only 1/2 cup of ice cream. :wink:

    Or 1 Pop-tart.
  • JaceyMarieS
    JaceyMarieS Posts: 692 Member
    Yep, check out the splenda baking blends some time. They have 1/2 the calories and carbs of sugar and that sounds great until you realize that the serving size is also 1/2 that of regular sugar. Once you compare apples to apples, you're paying 4X as much for the same nutritional value.
  • tracymat
    tracymat Posts: 296 Member
    The whole thing is just silly... SILLY I tell ya! ;)
  • Hurricane_C
    Hurricane_C Posts: 806 Member
    Yep, check out the splenda baking blends some time. They have 1/2 the calories and carbs of sugar and that sounds great until you realize that the serving size is also 1/2 that of regular sugar. Once you compare apples to apples, you're paying 4X as much for the same nutritional value.

    Splenda is also sweeter than sugar, so that could be why the serving size is only half.
  • SMiller074
    SMiller074 Posts: 51 Member
    My personal favorite is Ramen Noodles. The serving size is 1/2 a block. How the heck do you do that??
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,728 Member
    I think Crystal Light is actually the same way too.

    It is. Crystal Light (and the generic brands) are all 5 calories for 8 ounces. The "on the go" stuff is made to use in 16 oz. bottles, because no one sells 8 oz. bottles of water. The serving size is still only 8 oz.
  • JaceyMarieS
    JaceyMarieS Posts: 692 Member
    Yep, check out the splenda baking blends some time. They have 1/2 the calories and carbs of sugar and that sounds great until you realize that the serving size is also 1/2 that of regular sugar. Once you compare apples to apples, you're paying 4X as much for the same nutritional value.

    Splenda is also sweeter than sugar, so that could be why the serving size is only half.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    Yep, check out the splenda baking blends some time. They have 1/2 the calories and carbs of sugar and that sounds great until you realize that the serving size is also 1/2 that of regular sugar. Once you compare apples to apples, you're paying 4X as much for the same nutritional value.

    With the Splenda sugar blends, you're supposed to use half the amount that a recipe calls for. So if a recipe calls for one cup of sugar you'd use only half a cup of the Splenda sugar blends. It's only if you're using straight Splenda that it's a one to one.

    So you can use:
    1 cup sugar = 720 calories
    1 cup Splenda = 192 calories
    1/2 cup Splenda Sugar Blend = 387 calories
  • endlesoul
    endlesoul Posts: 98 Member
    Also people watching trans fats the and use coffee creamers, serving says 0 trans fats. Many people have multiple servings a day the serving is 1 tbls. So if you stick to that its 0 trans fat.But under stand that any liquid/powdered coffee creamer that says " PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED " will have trans fats if used over the 1 serving.

    I switched to fat free half and half and use almond and coconut milk for my coffee.

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