Cruise lines introducing low-carb menu choices

Can 96 million Americans be wrong? Apparently cruise lines don’t think so when it comes to low-carb diets. According to Opinion Dynamics Corp., 70 million Americans watch their carbs, and another 26 million are hard-core diet fanatics, says Time magazine.

Loathe to miss the next big wave, lines such as Carnival Cruise Lines, Crystal Cruises and Royal Caribbean International are cautiously testing the water by introducing low-carb choices on their menus based on the popular Atkins, South Beach and Zone diets.

Who can blame the lines for biting into the fad? Americans want to shed weight, and cruise lines don’t want to shed passengers by failing to satisfy passengers’ cravings for more meat and less potatoes.

In fact, it may be healthier to eat on a seagoing vessel than at home, considering that cruise lines, once bastions of gluttony, are now low-carb conscious and adding to the already abundant roster of heart-healthy selections, such as low-sodium plates and sumptuous spa cuisine.

Carnival, for instance, introduced Atkins-compatible choices to its main dining room menu on the Victory. The number of carbohydrate grams per dish is listed beneath each low-carb item. When asked, waiters will substitute reduced-carb breads for those commonly served with meals.

Carnival promises passengers a low-carb-conscious fleet by June. Meanwhile, Crystal Cruises’ three-vessel fleet also shed carbs by offering among its many options low-carb spaghetti in Prego, its popular alternative Italian restaurant. Holland America has added low-carb beer nuts for those who must munch on something while they imbibe at a bar.