Low-Carb Coke???

[nets33]

What do you think???


McDonald's gets low-carb Coke


No. 1 fast-food chain to offer new C2 cola in a limited number of its restaurants.

June 11, 2004: 10:41 AM EDT

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - McDonald's Corp., the No .1 fast-food chain that's been on a mission to its revamp its image, said it will offer Coca-Cola's new low-carb "C2" cola in a limited number of its restaurants.

Oak Brook- Ill.-based McDonald's (MCD: Research, Estimates), announced late Thursday that the company is sampling C2 in about 27 restaurants in five markets, including Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Orlando.

"We're responding again to what our consumers are telling us they want," Don Knauss, McDonald's chief operating officer of its North America division, said in a statement.

Added Knauss, "Today's consumers are looking for choices that fit their lifestyles. They want to keep enjoying the special cola taste that Coca-Cola delivers, but with the option of a lower-carb, lower-calorie soft drink. Coca-Cola C2 gives that freedom of choice."

McDonald's and other fast food chains have come under increasing attack from health and nutrition experts -- and have been the target of class-action lawsuits -- alleging their hamburgers and french fries are a major cause of obesity.

Coca-Cola's new low-carb "C2" cola debuted nationwide this week.

The company said it's sampling the new drink from Friday through Sunday at participating locations where customers will be offered either a free C2 with any purchase or a 12 ounce can of C2 with the purchase of a McDonald's extra value meal.


A limited number of restaurants will offer C2 as a fountain beverage beginning June 11.

McDonald's will decide whether or not to make C2 a permanent addition to its fountain beverage choices once it completes the test phase.

Coca-Cola (KO: Research, Estimates), the world's largest beverage company, launched C2 nationwide this week. According to Coke, the new cola has about half the carbohydrates, calories and sugar of regular cola.



http://money.cnn.com/2004/06/11/news/fortune500/mcdonalds_coke/index.htm?cnn=yes

[rishamoon]

It's my understanding that it is just half the carbs of regular coke... which is still ALOT. What is the persuasion to drink this as opposed to a diet soda which has next to no carbs? if it is just taste, I'll pass.

[nowonder]

This stuff just showed up at my local food store. I'm not sure how to feel about it.

My first reaction was purely negative... Too many carbs, especially when a zero carb diet version is available.

My second reaction was this this will be an easy way to spot the people who claim they are doing Atkins, but haven't read the book and don't have a clue.

My third reaction was that this is something I'll have to deal with... At some point some well meaning person is going to buy this for me, because they know I'm doing low-carb, and I'm gonna have to explain to them what a joke this product is. But I will remember that they mean well.

And finally I realized this is something I could have when I make it to Maintenance, though I'm not sure why I would choose this over diet. Still better than the full carb version.

--nw

[simplydawn]

I saw this at the publix supermarket yesterday, and I laughed..literally out loud and the person next to me gave me a dirty look.. I didn't ask why.. who knows..but I was thinking the same thing..


WHY?

They already have a low carb-ZERO- in the diet version.


: shrugs :

:idea:Thinking about offering my clients a low carb massage..whadya think? :lol: :idea:

[mle_ii]

Not sure what the big deal is. If I like it I might drink it during my maintainece phase as a treat only.

Mainly because I like Rum and Coke, but diet Coke doesn't taste good in it and regular Coke is way too sweet for me I'm hoping that this might taste good in a drink. I do drink diet Coke on occasion and it tastes fine alone.

Though I see a valid point for not liking it being availiable. I hope those who are trying to lose weight don't think that this would be ok to drink on a regular basis.

[mio1996]

The introduction of this product is laughable at best. Most people who care about sugar WILL DRINK A DIET SODA! The one's who don't WILL DRINK A REGULAR SODA! Even on the maintenance phase of atkins, a fat free product with that much sugar could be destructive. Major craving potential there!

[Tigs_aunt]

Last Saturday I was in W-M with my mom and I had put one 20oz bottle in the cart without reading the ingredients. When we were in line to check out I decided to look. I went and put it back because of the aspartame...said I wasn't paying a $1 to get a headache.

Then when we were leaving a woman was handing out free cold ones....so of course we each got one... :D.

I drank about one serving (12 g for 8oz -2.5 servings a bottle). (Just finished the bottle yesterday --just a little flat...lol.)

It wasn't that bad...not as sweet as regular Coke and didn't have the nasty taste of Diet Coke. All in all not bad but I won't be buying it any time soon. If it didn't have the aspartame in it I might have bought it every so often.

My mom gave me hers and it is still in the fridge --think I will try some with rum and some with LC ice cream.

[blue4lemon]

jeez, i saw this too. i LIKE how Diet Coke tastes. i can see it now, i have a classmate who eats low carb food half the time and junk food the rest of the time. he won't eat anything that is naturally low carb except for eggs and bacon. he is a sucker for "low carb" labels. when he shows me this stuff i will crack up!

[woodpecker]

Coke brought out a less sweet version 10 - 15 years ago called "Classic Coke." Actually, they replaced regular coke, but lost so much marketshare, brought it back again. They missed the target with that one and they are doing it again. That's what those executives get paid the big bucks for. If the American Diabetic Association attacked regular soft drinks as much as they do the low-carb diet, we'd all be better off. And that's what they get paid the big bucks for. An idiot could run these organizations and make better decisions.

[nikkil]

Before it was just Coke, then New Coke was a bust, now it's Classic Coke and then there's Pepsi Max.....Pepsi One?? Sugar free, caffeine free...

Yeah, it's just another gimmick to get on the lc product bandwagon -- why bother with 1/2 the carbs when I can just have a Diet Coke and have only 1g?? Gimme a break....

The ONLY validity this would have is from a taste POV - a lot of people don't care for the taste of Diet Coke but don't want to have the full sugar of Classic Coke. Compromise?? I'd just keep checking out different diet colas until I found one I liked, or add some hwc and make a 'float' (Mmmmm :yum: :yum: ).

N.

[Paris]

Originally, I had really negative thoughts about this product, however, after talking to a few moms in my building I think it may be a good thing. Many of the parents I know have children who love soda and drink lots of it, even when the parents don't buy it. However, this new drink tastes just *like* regular Coke but with 1/2 the sugar --- a good thing for kids who are buying the regular stuff anyway.

Personally, I detest the taste of regular diet Coke and know lots of people who agree with me. While C2 is not a good choice for low-carbers, it may be a great choice for someone else.

[Nancy LC]

IMO it's like low-tar ciggarettes. Makes you think you're smoking healthily...

[Hellistile]

If a regular coke contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar and now contains 5, is this what children should be consuming anyway because it contains half the sugar (not to mention the colorings, chemicals and other additives)? Not a very good argument. Wake up to the fact that sodas are just bottled chemicals and are not good for anyone no matter what they are sweetened with.

[PacNW]

This is like the rest of the "Snackwellization" of the low carb. It is not low carb. If is a carb label slapped on and designed to mislead.

[nikkil]

Hellistile: I don't think anybody would ever argue that soda/pop is good for you - just that people are going to drink it, so if it's got 1/2 the sugar it's better than full sugar, but of course NO soda at all is wwwaaaayyy better :) Get to the water cooler, STAT!!!! :lol:

[CindySue48]

If a regular coke contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar and now contains 5, is this what children should be consuming anyway because it contains half the sugar (not to mention the colorings, chemicals and other additives)? Not a very good argument. Wake up to the fact that sodas are just bottled chemicals and are not good for anyone no matter what they are sweetened with.

I read an article recently that said kid's teeth were being destroyed with soda. Regular or diet, didn't matter. It's something else in the soda that's causing the decay. So my vote is no, kids soulnd't be drinking it.....but they do. My only problem with this is that it's got the AS in it. I never let my kids have AS when they were little. I don't trust the stuff. I would buy soda on occasion, but always limited how much they drank and how often. But I never bought diet, and wouldn't but this either.

[Paleoanth]

No one has mentioned the actual carb count yet. It has 18 carbs, all from sugar per serving. Remember that one 20 bottle has 2.5 servings. One bottle has 45 carbs. Maybe better than the original, but still not good.

BTW, has anyone been having problems finding Diet Vanilla Coke? It is becoming impossible to find here.

[Carina8]

Hi all :wave:

I've had no trouble finding diet vanilla coke here in MI, but I try to limit my diet soda so I haven't been buying it.

I'm shocked w/ so many people saying that kids would do better w/ the C2 coke instead of regular... in my family it's an adult beverage... NOT for kids!

...and like many others here I think its nothing more than marketing ploy to see how many of us don't read labels and will buy more of their product.

but that's all just IMHO.

:rheart:
Carina

[Quinadal]

Remember on ething. A 12 oz can of C2 is 2.5 servings! It says 18g carb a serving on the can, not for the whole can.

[Paleoanth]

Remember on ething. A 12 oz can of C2 is 2.5 servings! It says 18g carb a serving on the can, not for the whole can.
Just looked it up. 8 oz has 12 carbs, so a 12 oz can would have 18.

[Quinadal]

I meant to say a 20 oz bottle, sorry!

[simplydawn]

Advert on my yahoo this morning featuring : COMING SOON: Pepsi EDGE, 50% less sugar...

Sound familiar??? :help: :rolleyes: :help:

http://www.pepsiedge.com/home.php

[Finestof07]

I was in Food Lion with my older brother on Father's Day when I first saw C2. He told me we should buy it , but I absolutely refused!! 18 grams of carbs?? What were they thinking? I'll stick to my regulars : Diet Coke, Diet Dr.Pepper, Diet Sprite, Pepsi One, Diet Mountain Dew Code Red, Caff. Free Diet Coke, Caff. Free Pepsi, and Diet Pepsi. And today when I was in the store I saw Pepsi Edge. It has only 13 grams of carbs, but that is still a lot for me because I'm only consuming 20-30 grams of carbs a day. But I think Pepsi Edge and C2 are for people who have reached their goal weight and are consuming more carbs in their diet, but not for people still losing their weight. O well.

[whyspers]

One thing to note about the Pepsi Edge at least is that it they are using splenda and not aspartame. I am very allergic to aspartame, so once I hit goal, I could see drinking the Pepsi Edge in moderation. I don't think this is evil. The good thing about a variety of choices is that it allows everyone to choose what is right for them.

L

[potatofree]

Put me down as one of those horrible mothers who allows her child soda...with some regularity! <gasp> I'd rather they drink something with less sugar when I give them the option of soda. Next time you buy fruit juice, even the "100% Pure Juice" kinds and see what they're really getting. Apple juice has no real nutrition of its own, nor does the white grape juice they use to carry other flavors in brands like Juicy Juice. If they didn't fortify it with vitamin C, the only thing going for it is the lack of artifical colors and flavors (most brands..)

Granted, it's the lesser of two evils, but for me, reducing the sugar in something my child is GOING to consume a few times a week adds up enough to make it something I would buy, since he doesn't like most diet sodas, and I don't want to deny him the occasional treat of pop.

[MyJourney]

But I think Pepsi Edge and C2 are for people who have reached their goal weight and are consuming more carbs in their diet, but not for people still losing their weight. O well.

Even when I reach my goal having 18g of sugar in a drinkable form is not anything I am planning on.

Sugary drinks were one of those bad habits that I changed when switching over to this WOE not to go back to once I reach goal.

My personal choice at least.