Does it seem like everyone you know is trying the low-carb diet? That impression may not be so wrong.
An online survey of adults in the US in June found that nearly half of the households polled included someone who is cutting carbs. The survey was conducted by the polling company Civic Science and reported in The Wall Street Journal in a recent lifestyle feature about the growing popularity of low-carb eating.
The article said some families are juggling the dietary needs of different family members, profiling among others a California home in which the mom is low-carb, the teen daughter is gluten-free, the young adult son is vegetarian and the dad omnivore. The mom plans weekly meals with a color-coded spread sheet.
The Wall Street Journal: Family dinner is now a battler over carbohydratesThe article notes that the number of new food products labelled "low carb" that were brought to market increased 88% in 2018. "Product launches touting cauliflower - a chameleon that is being turned into everything from rice to pizza crust - grew 53% in 2018."
Large food manufacturers like B&G foods, which includes Green Giant products, has launched noodles made of zucchini or squash, and Tater Tots and hash browns made of low-carb veggies instead of potatoes. The company harvests 35 acres of cauliflower a week, up from just 5 acres only four years ago.
The Wall Street Journal feature is behind a low-cost subscription paywall, but the article is reporting on a trend that is no surprise to Diet Doctor readers. Low-carb, keto diets are hot! That's because they work.