Walden Farms, truly zero calories?

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neversummer7
neversummer7 Posts: 66
in Food and Nutrition
I have to confess, I used up a whole bottle today of Walden Farms Ranch dressing, for salad and for dipping for my carrots tehe :) BUT i saw that FDA can claim foods to be "zero calories" if they are under 5 calories. Does that mean that I just consumed 60 calories (there are 12 servings per bottle)?

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  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
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    It's zero calories for me because I can't stand it. I'd much rather have the Bolthouse Farms greek yogurt dressings, which have about 45 or so cals per serving and are mega tasty. Walden Farms, to me, is disgusting.

    Therefore, I propose:


    BATTLE OF THE FARMS!!!
  • grantwashere
    grantwashere Posts: 171 Member
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    I eat it all the time. It coupled with a head of lettuce is a filler food for me. I've always counted it as zero and still losing. So.... I dunno. LOL! Works for me.
  • amberj32
    amberj32 Posts: 663 Member
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    SnuggleSmacks wrote: »
    It's zero calories for me because I can't stand it. I'd much rather have the Bolthouse Farms greek yogurt dressings, which have about 45 or so cals per serving and are mega tasty. Walden Farms, to me, is disgusting.

    Therefore, I propose:


    BATTLE OF THE FARMS!!!

    I would have to agree!!! I haven't tried the salad dressing because the other three things I tried were disgusting and I had to throw them away. NOT even for zero calories. Yuck!
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    It is zero, as long as you follow the serving size. In addition to shaving out what they can, the serving size in many of the products is determined by what they can round down to zero. So, yes, you may have consumed up to 60 calories.
  • neversummer7
    neversummer7 Posts: 66
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    darn it :( i was hoping i didn't consume any calories haha should i count them? or just blow it off :P
  • dunnodunno
    dunnodunno Posts: 2,290 Member
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    Another great brand of dressing is Kraft. I've been using the Honey Mustard (90 calories) on salads & spaghetti squash. The nice thing with the Kraft dressing is the fact they also put the number of grams for two tablespoons on the package.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Yeah, Walden Farms is known for capitalising on the fact that the FDA says you can round down to 0 if there are less than 5 calories per 'serving', and they can make the serving size what they want. So you may have eaten up to 58.8 calories.
  • bonniejo
    bonniejo Posts: 787 Member
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    I think 60 calories in one day isn't a big deal if it's only once... Do you do this every day?
  • socalkay
    socalkay Posts: 746 Member
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    I guess if that's what it takes to get yourself to eat salad and other fresh veggies then balance the good with the bad. Sixty calories is no big thang. Eating a whole bottle of dressing each day... that might call for a little self-examination.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    __drmerc__ wrote: »
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    Yeah, Walden Farms is known for capitalising on the fact that the FDA says you can round down to 0 if there are less than 5 calories per 'serving', and they can make the serving size what they want. So you may have eaten up to 58.8 calories.

    which is still almost nothing in relation to a overall diet

    True, it wouldn't bother me a jot. Hell, the general inaccuracy of calorie counting as a whole means we may be eating 10-20% more or less than we record, it's a pretty inexact science even before you leave it in the hands of the general public with their home scales and measuring cups.

    But it's good to be aware of, I think it's a bit of a crock that the FDA allows rounding to 0, at least in Aust they have to mark it "less than X kj", so there isn't the impression it's magically calorie/kj free.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Ew. How can a creamy ranch dressing have 0-5 calories?
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,136 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    Ew. How can a creamy ranch dressing have 0-5 calories?
    The real question.
  • heyyoudontgiveup
    heyyoudontgiveup Posts: 64 Member
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    If 60 calories will make or break your day, you need to rethink your attitude toward food.
  • lucasriggs4
    lucasriggs4 Posts: 4
    edited November 2014
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    arditarose wrote: »
    Ew. How can a creamy ranch dressing have 0-5 calories?

    Xanthum gum, made primarily from vegetables, apparently from corn in a lot of cases. Its actually from natural sources a great way to form a creamy taste without calories.
  • Kevvboy
    Kevvboy Posts: 81 Member
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    As long as you don't mind eating whatever combination of "food" "ingredients" that they have combined to make that stuff, I don't think it will make you fat. But seriously doesn't the chemical crap in the dressing kind of cancel out the health effects of eating salad?
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    Ew. How can a creamy ranch dressing have 0-5 calories?

    That's the million $$ question. I can't even stand the 99% fat free, 30 cals a tablespoon stuff.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Ew. How can a creamy ranch dressing have 0-5 calories?

    That's the million $$ question. I can't even stand the 99% fat free, 30 cals a tablespoon stuff.

    Sounds like I'd rather just put a little salt and pepper on my salad.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
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    lucasriggs4 wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Ew. How can a creamy ranch dressing have 0-5 calories?

    Xanthum gum, made primarily from vegetables, apparently from corn in a lot of cases. Its actually from natural sources a great way to form a creamy taste without calories.

    Only, it fails, and is gross. At least, to me.

    The Greek yogurt dressings do a much better job of being creamy and tasty.
  • lucasriggs4
    lucasriggs4 Posts: 4
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    SnuggleSmacks wrote: »
    lucasriggs4 wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Ew. How can a creamy ranch dressing have 0-5 calories?

    Xanthum gum, made primarily from vegetables, apparently from corn in a lot of cases. Its actually from natural sources a great way to form a creamy taste without calories.

    Only, it fails, and is gross. At least, to me.

    The Greek yogurt dressings do a much better job of being creamy and tasty.

    Xanthum gum has no taste. Its not the ingredient that makes the taste of a dressing. I've never tasted this dressing(or chipotle) so I can't give an opinion.

    Although greek yogurt on its own my dressing of choice for salads, plus it gives a bit of protein!

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