Infinite MonkeysPhoenix and its numerous burbs have a broad mixed population of folks from just about everywhere, making it an oft-used test market for new products. So I'd heard the buzz that we were going to be first to experience low-carb Doritos and Tostitos (yep, you read that right). I looked in the aisles of the grocery stores week after week. Nothin'. But I finally found the Doritos. They're at Subway, in the little bags that get added to the combo meals. They're called Doritos Edge. Of course I just had to try them.
First bite – not bad. Odd that it seems to be a little light on the orange spicy nacho powder coating. I mean, spices don't add calories in themselves. Why skimp on the flavor? I continued with my low-carb turkey wrap (minus the bacon) and had another chip a few minutes later. Tastes pretty much like a Dorito... a little different, but not terribly so.
But then I decided to have a few more chips. What I noticed was that after putting about the third chip in my mouth concurrently (before the first two were swallowed), the distinctly different texture became notable. Not really unpleasant (though it may be to some) but less than... well, pleasing. It's weird. So it seems that these low-carb Doritos fill the niche of adding a crunchy diversion between bites of a meal, but they do not seem to be well suited to satisfying the pure (however controlled) snacking urge.
I've lost the nutrition info that I tore off the package for this post. But the protein is high: 6 net carbohydrates (with 3 grams of fiber), alongside 10 grams of protein per serving. Can't remember of the bag was considered 1 or 2 servings. But, as you know, I'm a Zone Diet devote, so I'm concerned more about the balance than anything else. What surprised me was that I found the fat total to be low. I can't find the number for that online, but I remember thinking that I'd have to add a little dip, or have a few nuts too, if I were to snack on them.
As I write, I'm drinking a Boylan's Diet Birch Beer (powered by Splenda). It's one of the treasures I brought back from the MonkeySummit. I was very pleased to find a handful of fine bottled sodee-pops sweetened with my beloved Splenda. I have been proselytizing it, as it is in my interest that it gain marketshare and thereby remain available to me. But now there comes big, big news. The new "mid-calorie" Coke (C2) is going to be sweetened by a combo of High Fructose Corn Syrup and Splenda. And that's not all – the Frito-Lay folks who brought us Doritos Edge, are also heading onto this new front in the cola wars with their Splenda-mix mid-calorie Pepsi Edge. Woot!
Now, I'm not particularly excited about the products themselves. I don't want HFCS in my beverages, any more than I want aspartame or saccharine. But the scale of the mass production that Coke & Pepsi are likely to employ gives me hope that Splenda has a future spreading much further out toward the horizon. Must. Be able. To get. My Diet Rite.
As much as I'd love Infinite Monkeys to become your regular source for comprehensive Splenda beverage reviews, I'll have to defer to the folks at BevNet. I didn't like the Jones Soda Sugar-Free Cream Soda as much as they did, but they allow for user ratings as well. I should note that I'm awfully excited about the idea of Jones Soda Co. coming out with Splenda-based products. I've liked the Black Cherry so far. I should also note that you can direct-order cases from Jones, which ought to be more affordable than shipping from Galco's Soda Pop Stop. Of course, Galco's is cool beyond description and is certainly worth frequent visits when you're in the region. Just don't expect it to be as slick as the site.
Posted by Brad at April 22, 2004 06:47 PM | TrackBack