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Dreaming of A Low Points Pasta?

July 23, 2013   48 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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First 20 Comments: ( See all 48 )

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…

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