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Dreaming of A Low Points Pasta?

July 23, 2013   47 Comments

Dreamfields and Snack Girl have had a rocky relationship. We did not start on the right foot.

Dreamfields Pasta Review

The truth is, after walking around a convention floor for hours, I crossed in front of their booth and my feet were sore. A Dreamfields representative offered me a sample, and I was too tired to try it.

And I hated the idea of a “low carb pasta”. What on earth was that? I kept limping along and promptly forgot about the product. Nine months later, I wrote a post on Pasta Zero and Angie commented:

I buy Dreamfields pasta and am surprised I don't see it talked about more. It tastes fantastic and WILL remind you of italian pasta - because it is!! :)

Really? What did I miss because I was too grumpy?

I promptly paid my $2.99 for 13 ounces and made myself some pasta. I was still very skeptical because on the box it says:

Dreamfields’ patent pending formula and unique manufacturing process creates a matrix within the pasta, protecting 31 grams of carbohydrates from being digested.

That sounds like something from outer space. I held my nose and bit into it. What? It tastes exactly like the pasta that I usually eat (italian dried pasta). My husband and children also tried it and didn’t detect anything was different.

Huh.

A friend of mine, who was stopping by at the time of my experiment said, “Tell me how you feel tomorrow and maybe then I will give it a try.” After eating a bowl of it, I can tell you there were no adverse effects. I called the company because these are the nutritional facts for one cup:

190 calories, 1 g fat, 41 g carbohydrates, 1 g sugar, 7 g protein, 5 g fiber, 10 mg sodium

My problem is that if there are only 5 digestible carbs per serving, the calorie amount per serving should be much lower. The representative on the other end of the phone informed me that they hadn’t done a study which showed that the caloric uptake was affected by their process, but one cooked cup is 1 Points+. Huh?

The product has been out since 2004!!

Which leads me to believe that their claims are hooey (for want of a better word). All I’ve got is one fellow blogger called “Diet Doctor” who tested his own blood sugar after eating the pasta - see: The Dreamfields Pasta Fraud and found that it was the same as when he eats regular pasta.

Jimmy Moore of “Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Blog’’ also tested himself and had the same results (no difference between his blood sugar amounts between Dreamfields and regular pasta).

Two subjects (without a control) seems not enough to make a judgement about this pasta.

This is one of those situations where I do not know what to recommend. Could it be true that this 31 grams of carbohydrates pass through your gut without creating gas or any other side effects? It seems unlikely to me.

I will say that it has a very nice consistency and flavor, and I like the 7 grams of protein per serving.

What do you think of Dreamfields? Is it dreamy or a fraud?

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47 Comments:

Hmmm, that's a tough one? I'm just not sure. I can't wait to read what you other readers think.

I too, am intrigued, but skeptical. Waiting to hear others chime in.

A few years back i was seeing a dietician that my doc recommended. She told me about Dreamfield's pasta and it was love at first bite. her being a dietcian was also skeptical called the company and inquired about the products processing process. All good she now recommends to her clients! Please be advised i also have done WW and it not 1pt. WW goes by dietary fiber only! Because curious me asked them as well. Now i happily eat Dreamfields pasta at 2.00 a box. :)

The WW app says 1/2 cup of the pasta is 5 points plus.

I was always told if it sounds to good to be true, probably is. Anything out of the ordinary in their ingredient list?

As an RD and a diabetic, I had Dreamfield awhile ago and loved it (my whole family loved it) as they dislike the Whole Grain Pasta taste (and so do I). I have found that Dreamfield definitely does not raise my blood sugars as quickly as other pasta and I like the fact that it contains protein. Would I overindulge - absolutely not, but if I have a craving for pasta, it is the one I go to!

This pasta is a slow carb not a low carb. Takes to long to clear you system.

This stuff and it's claims sound a little fishy to me. Whenever I want pasta I go with Ronzoni Smart Taste. It does not have the gluey and overly chewy texture of whole wheat pasta, but one serving has 170 calories 5 grams of dietary fiber and 6 grams of protein. It tastes just like regularany dried pasta. Amazing!

Yeah, seems a little strange to me that they claim their product contains 5g of digestible fiber but their package caloric count is representative of your body absorbing all 41g! The 5g of fiber and 7g of protein is great. I agree w/NIOSHA that this is a slow carb, and like a low glycemic index food will increase your blood sugar more slowing when compared to a high glycemic index food (i.e. white pasta). This is a good benefit, especially if you're diabetic. However, I you're concerned about overall caloric intake then this product seems a little fishy. And for the representative to say "they hadn’t done a study which showed that the caloric uptake was affected by their process" hmmm... I'll just still to the regular whole wheat pasta and avoid the science experiment. Thanks for this excellent review.

This brand caused a blood sugar spike, much worse than whole wheat pasta. I won't touch it with a 10 foot pole. If it sounds too good to be true...

When my husband was following a low carb diet I snagged a box of these babies and was immediately suspicious. They claim to be low carb and yet only evidence is their claim. We buy it and eat it though. I had a half cup of rotini last night.

We were talking about Extra Vergin Olive Oil the other day and this ad came up. I thought you might like to see it.

https://www.freshpressedoliveoil.com/a/APMG004_Q313/dl

I should have added to my previous post that I'm a Registered Nurse and diabetic. Due to other diagnoses I've learned more than I want about food, but I'm no expert! LOL I've also had patients make the same glucose spike comments over the years. The nutritional breakdown is not that impressive, and it doesn't line up with their claims.

A friend of mine told me that if you cook pasta al dante it will not spike your sugar, is this true?

I agree with everyone else; if they can't prove what they claim, then we don't want it. Last week I tried, for the second time, spaghetti squash and it came out mushy. If anyone can tell me what I did wrong, that would be great. I sliced it in half, placed on a paper towel in the microwave, and cooked for 12 min. Also, the other day in Walmart I saw several gluten-free pastas in a special section; I didn't check the caloric content, so can anyone recommend a brand? I seem to have a gluten intolerance.

I am a little bit frustrated here that I am going to call Dreamfields this a.m. and get the straight scoop. I love the taste and recommend it to many of my patients and they love it. As for it being a low carb product and how it works with blood sugars, I think it all depends on what else you eat with it and how much. Portion control is still important and many people do not realize this. Will keep you posted.

definitely a fraud according to testing!

http://www.dietdoctor.com/the-dreamfields-pasta-fraud

Here is a link to Jimmy Moore's interview with the president of Dreamfield's. There are 5 videos that are less than 10 min. each. You will hear very detailed info about the pasta. Personally, I really like the pasta and find it tastes just as good as any other pasta on the market. Weight watchers is 5 point plus for 2 oz dry.

The cooking directions warn you not to overcook the pasta. I believe it says on the box, (or at least it used to) that IF you overcook the pasta it loses it's "Matrix" which keeps the Carbs from being digested. It does have the Good Housekeeping seal of approval, so maybe a call to them would clear up some of these questions.

Oops! Forgot the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvSPvlR4_uM&list=PLF4AF2591F…

Haven't tried dream field but I wanted to make a "Greek pasta salad" the other day and had no pasta. I decided to try and substitute barley instead and it worked out nicely! It is high in fiber whole grain and protein naturally. I haven't tried yet but I'm going to try it warm with maranera and see how it fairs.

I have to at least question their claim that it's only 1 WW point. As we know, WW goes by the nutritional info on the package....so it comes out to 5 points. I don't know...sounds a bit suspicious to me.

Sandy, in regard to cooking spaghetti squash, I have never microwaved it but I have baked it in the oven and have had good results. Its really easy. Preheat the oven to 375. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds and stuff (this is the hardest part!). Arrange in a baking dish with water and cook for about 35 minutes. This has worked well for me although not as fast as microwaving. Good Luck.

I would much rather eat Dreamfield's Pasta over those fishy smelling Miracle Noodles any day of the week. Whether their claims are true or not, Dreamfield's is the pasta for me and my family. We have been eating their product for over 7 years. My sister is a diabetic and she has never had a spike in her blood sugars after eating it. Her family eats the pasta too.

I wouldn't mind giving this product a try .. I so dislike rice pasta (although love asian rice noodles)

Monica

WW quick calculation for pts is 190 remove the last number and divide by 4. So this is 5 pts. not 1.

Be careful fellow WW

@Janet, Janet, how did you come up with that calculation for ww points?

Mary Ann, I used the WW calculator and came up with 5 points. So Janet is accurate.

I've been using dreamfields for years, my husband

is type II diabetic, and didn't know until

recently that I've been using dreamfields! Love

the taste! No digestive problems!

Carol

Melissa, I was wondering how she found that system for calculating points. I have the ww calculator, also. I just wonder if that way of calculating points always works. I tried on a food item and it was accurate for finding points plus. It's a great way to work pp is you don't have the calculator handy.

Oh I understand, Mary Ann! Yes, I wonder if that was a leader trick or something she figured out on her own! Pretty handy!

I love the Dreamfields brand, but I've also been skeptical in regards to the amt of carbs being digested. I typically save the Dreamfields pasta for specific crockpot recipes, as it holds up much better in those. Otherwise I tend to use brown rice pasta. It truly tastes like regular pasta as long as you rinse it and don't over cook it.

We love the taste of Dreamfield and make sure it is not overcooked. If you do the same with regular pasta you get a low carb also. Just happen to prefer Dreamfield.

What happened to the other 36 grams of carbs? Dr. Oz has said on his show that given the choice between rice and pasta for diabetics that we should choose pasta. Al dente pasta is better because it is slower to digest which is actually better for diabetics. We don't have Dreamfield's where I live so I can only surmise that the pasta is slowly digested which is a good thing for most people except possibly athletes. I would need more proof of the 5g carb claim. As Sue said, food combining and portion control are key in keeping blood sugars lower. Even so, I have had foods that should have spiked my blood sugar and didn't. Everyone is different so each person needs to see if they can tolerate certain foods better than others.

I use Fiber Gourmet pasta and love it. It's not sold in many stores around here, but I order it on Amazon.com or through their website. It tastes just like regular pasta and it's only 130 calories per serving with EIGHTEEN grams of fiber. I really don't know why people aren't all over it, I think it's wonderful! I stock up so I don't have to use any other kind of pasta.

I too like the Fiber Gourmet pasta but it is not cheap.

Great post and interesting comments! I am not diabetic, but the first time I tried this pasta I actually bought it from the American Diabetes Wholesale website, so it is clearly marketing towards diabetics (they had it on sale for $1/box with free shipping, as opposed to the $1.78/box my local HEB sells it for).

I don't eat very much at one time and I don't eat pasta often, but I have found that when I do, this pasta doesn't throw me off track as much as regular white pasta. It doesn't spike my cravings and the scale stays balanced.

So as for actual claims and blood sugar spikes? No clue! But, I love the taste and the fact that it doesn't derail my healthy eating the way regular white pasta seems to! :)

After a long stint with adkins diet, I used Dreamfields pasta often. I find that it is MUCH more filling than regular pasta, therefore more satisfying. It is delicious and surely a slow carb burn, it doesn't make me need a nap afterward.

Products like this are so frustrating because I believe they take advantage of the fact that most regular people don't really know how to decipher if they claims are true or not. Short of calling the company directly and asking questions how would you know if they claim is true? This is how I know:

(1) The most obvious being the response the representative gave when asked if they had any studies showing decreased absorption of their product due to this 'matrix'. Really? So you're just assuming that your 'matrix' works without actually testing it. Sketchy.

(2) Regardless of whether a food is cooked or not, your body is still able to process it and break it down. That's the function of your gastrointestinal system. Cooking helps to speed up the ability of your body to break food down. So, whether or not the pasta is cooked 'al-dente' or 'well-done' is not going to affected how much of these carbs are absorbed. When looking at the total carb content of a food, the only thing that lowers this number is the amount of fiber in that food. So the only way for this food to have 41g of total carbs, with only 5g of that absorbed would be to have 36g of fiber. And that would essentially make it cardboard. Insoluble fiber is the only part of the total carbohydrate number listed on the nutrient label that is in fact, not absorbed by your body. Therefore it can technically be subtracted from the total carbohydrate number. I believe the ADA recommends (for those carb counters) to subtract 1/2 fiber in grams from the total carbs to get a more accurate number.

(3) If those carbs were not being absorbed, and therefore remaining in your GI system, they would be metabolized by your GI bacteria resulting in bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea. This is the reason why people who are lactose or gluten-intolerant develop these symptoms.

Sorry for the long post but these companies make me so angry with their bogus claims.

I am very confused. 1 cup cooked is 1 points plus? The package states 1/2 cup uncooked is 5 points plus? How is this?

I buy Dreamfields all the time, well ever since I was diagnosed with diabetes. It truly works. I don't know how, but it does. After eating it, I would test my blood sugar and it would be 120 or below, which is awesome for eating pasta. I am now diet controlled diabetic, off all meds, and I still buy this. My kids and hubby eat it, can't tell the difference, and I've made it for parties as well and no one has ever known the difference!

What is your opinion of Fiber Gourmet pasta? I love it and it has WAY less calories than regular pasta and lots of fiber. They make other products that don't taste all that great, but the pasta I have tried so far - not too bad. Can you check it out snack girl? Has anyone else tried it too?

For spaghetti squah in microwave, try 8 or 9 minutes - works great.

Is anyone aware of a study or neutral review of Fiber Gourmet products? The light spaghetti tastes pretty good, but I don't want to use it if it slows down of negates weight loss. Since I use the product only occasionally it would be difficult to determine whether these products deliver as promised without some neutral study.

Thanks!

I make this pasta once in a while, when I can find it and I have non-low-carbers over. My brother, who is diabetic does NOT get a blood sugar spike from it, even an hour after eating. It fact, last time he ate some his blood sugar went too low! I also get sleepy after reg pasta, but not Dreamfields.

I LOVE Dreamfields pasta ... I absolutely feel and taste a difference, tastes great and has helps regulate my bowel movements if you know what I mean. The only thing I don't like is that it gives the whole family terrible gas... oh well take the bad with the good! I will buy this pasta as long as it stays on the shelves.

I LOVE THIS PASTA.. If you don't have a healthy diet stay away(as with all pasta). I have lost over 35 pounds while still eating this pasta no more than 2 times per week, DUH!!).

I continue to maintain my weight lose.. 3 years in,,,, the pasta is amazing as with any other life style choice.. It's all up to you!! It works peeps!!! It works!!

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