Zero Calorie foods?!

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t_rog
t_rog Posts: 363 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So on another topic of mine, a fellow MFP introduced me to this site: http://www.waldenfarms.com/index.html

Basically, they have an extensive line of products that are all zero calorie. Salad dressings, pasta sauces, syrup, dips, etc. Sounds way too good to be true. Do any of you have any personal experience with these products? How are they able to do this? Does it taste good?

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  • hstallings13
    hstallings13 Posts: 306
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    bump
  • TinaS88
    TinaS88 Posts: 817 Member
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    You have to be careful with those things. For example, the spray butter (forget the brand name) claims to be 0 cals. but one thing to remember is FDA says as long as it is .9 or below they can call it 0 calorie. Someone would use the whole thing thinking there are no cals in it and it really adds up to 1700 in the whole bottle. And in the end, volume based.. regular butter would actually be better then the spray.


    (Saw this on that Dr. show that comes on in the AM :P )
  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
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    This was explained in a thread yesterday, apparently in the good old USofA food companies can say their food is 0 calories if it is under 5 calories per serving. So yeah, one serving might be "0" calories but if you have more than one you may be looking at 10 or 15 or more calories for that food.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
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    I don't understand what it's made of if it has no carbs, fat, or protein of any kind. It seems the only thing they all have is sodium.

    Perhaps the amount is so negligible per serving that they can "legally" call it calorie free.
  • Sonchie
    Sonchie Posts: 259 Member
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    can zero calorie food really be food??
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    My understanding is that they aren't really zero calories, but that US law allows manufacturers to call foods with low calories "zero calories".
    I don't trust food with no or very low calories - if they have almost no calories they must have almost no nutrition. I guess if they add taste to other healthy foods they have their place but I'm not convinced that I'd want to eat them.
  • TDGee
    TDGee Posts: 2,209 Member
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    Personally, I like the Honey Dijon, and love the Bacon Ranch dressings. The regular Ranch was not to my liking. I use them much like spices, to add a little flavor to something rather than to make a meal out of it.
  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
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    can zero calorie food really be food??
    probably quite artificial, but if it tastes good, I'd give it a tumble :laugh:
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
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    I actually like most of the dressings... especially sweet onion, honey dijon, asian.
    I buy a lot of the different dressins and mix them with fage 0% yogurt for yummy dips for meats.

    Some of the stuff like mayo is pretty nasty.
  • cervenec
    cervenec Posts: 64
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    If you're looking at zero calorie foods, I think it might be better to look at negative calorie foods? Things that cost more calories to digest than they actually contain.
  • shantie10
    shantie10 Posts: 62 Member
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    All I have to say is give them a try!
    I think they look and sound good..
  • december8teen
    december8teen Posts: 107
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    I'm not too concerned about the "food" being really low calorie till it's negligent, hence the: term zero calorie..I'm more concerned about whether is it really FOOD and what it is made of. :O
  • JenFerguson1
    JenFerguson1 Posts: 156 Member
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    I love Walden farm products. I have about 100 of them in my fridge!! Its true, they could possible have up to 4 calories per serving but really, whats 4 calories?? The serving size is 2 tablespoons for most of their products. Each different product only contains 12 servings per bottle so even if you chugged the whole bottle, you would only be consuming 48 calories. Their products are amazing. Best thing I have ever come across! Just watch the sodium in them!:)
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
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    It's been years since I tried this stuff, but I remember that the honey mustard dressing was good, and the BBQ sauce was disgusting!
  • godroxmysox
    godroxmysox Posts: 1,491 Member
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    You have to be careful with those things. For example, the spray butter (forget the brand name) claims to be 0 cals. but one thing to remember is FDA says as long as it is .9 or below they can call it 0 calorie. Someone would use the whole thing thinking there are no cals in it and it really adds up to 1700 in the whole bottle. And in the end, volume based.. regular butter would actually be better then the spray.


    (Saw this on that Dr. show that comes on in the AM :P )

    :ohwell: I can't believe it's not butter brand? I use it all the time...guess I'll have to be more careful
  • secup
    secup Posts: 1
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    That just sounds weird. I wish it were true though! :tongue:
  • CharlieBarleyMom
    CharlieBarleyMom Posts: 727 Member
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    My grocery store carries the salad dressing and I've tried a few flavors. The Honey Dijon is excellent. The Thousand Island is eh. I'll use it but not over and over. The raspberry vinaigrette is good as well... there is another that I've tried and I definitely did not like it... I think it was blue cheese or ranch... bleck.

    I also ordered their 0 calorie chocolate syrup through Amazon but it's not so good... not horrible, but I'd rather go without than use it as a chocolate syrup. I may use it to make "lighter" chocolate fudge brownies... but not as an ice cream topping!
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
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    If you're looking at zero calorie foods, I think it might be better to look at negative calorie foods? Things that cost more calories to digest than they actually contain.

    This is actually a myth. http://caloriecount.about.com/negative-calories-myth-explained-b349703

    There is no food which takes more energy to digest than it contains.

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