Testers dish on low-carb alternatives

We tested a variety of snack products that people tend to give up when dieting: candy, cookies, granola bars, chips and ice cream. Our taste test tried to match the low-carb product to a similar product with a higher carb content. What we found is that some of the low-carb products are more expensive and don't have a great deal less carbs than the originals.

In some cases, you'd probably be better off just buying the original snack you wanted and eating less than the recommended serving size.

Peanut butter cups:One taster said these "taste artificial" in the low-carb version.

Fudge stripe cookies: The low-carb variety "weren't as sweet, and I think that it's mostly because of the chocolate," one panelist said.

Granola bars: "If evil had a taste, it would be something similar to Quaker's Q-Smart Snack Bars," a panelist said. The photo on the box made them look appealing, but everyone agreed they weren't at all.

Ice cream: At first bite, few people could tell a difference between the two ice creams. The low-carb version "wasn't bad, but not what I'm used to. It tastes similar in the initial bite, but it leaves you disappointed."

Barbecue chips: These weren't a hit with any of the taste-test panel. One panelist called them "salty paper."

Coke's C2:This new soft drink "has a little less flavor than regular Coke," one panelist said. However, for someone who doesn't like sweet foods or heavy soft drinks, this might be just right.

--Southeast Missourian