Australian Eaters

So i see mention of all these yummy foods i.e sugar free/fat free pudding, cool whip, suagr free jello, creamer? etc and i think to myself, am i just blind in the supermarket or do a lot of these america/canadian foods just not exist over here, or do we have them but they are called something else? Is there anything that we have over here like that? All i can really find is sugar free jelly, skinny cow ice-cream and sugar free maple syrup.

Also, are granola bars like Uncle Toby's bars?

Sometimes i wish i lived in America for all these lower cal/sugar/fat foods :)

Australia is full of excellent, natural foods.  You don't need any of those artificial diet products to lose weight... in fact, there are increasing worries that they're part of the problem rather than part of the solution.    

I'm from NZ (but now in the UK) and I know exactly what you mean.  If it makes you feel any better I havent found any similar products in the UK either.  I havent even seen sugar free maple syrup over here, so you're doing better on that front!

Granola is pretty similar to clusters of toasted muesli (sort of), and as far as i know granola bars are similar to what we'd call muesli bars. 

I agree with GI Jane though, it is better to eat real food. The problem is that you just cant each as much of it :(

None of them are 'real' food... they're a chemical cocktail and you're not missing anything. American food in general is much less tasty than Australian food, much higher in salt, fat, and the ubiquitous high-fructose corn syrup, so be glad you're there and not here... I've had both so I know!

heyy im from australia too...

so far this is what ive gathered. The sugar free cool whip we do have.. its just the cream that comes in a spray can.. im not sure what we call it here but i have definately seen it in the supermarket.

Granola bars would be just like muesli bars

And as for the sugar free jello.. u can buy diet jelly from the supermarkets.. there is either weight watchers brand or aeroplane jelly.

Pudding.. i think is similar to a chocolate custard thing like yogo.. there is a brand that we have called 'Diet' and they have really low calorie chocolate mousses and similar dairy products... i highly recommend them!

And lastly.. creamers! we have dairy free creamers.. we have one by Nestle called Coffee Mate which u can buy from the supermarkets and is basically something u can put in coffee to make it creamy without using milk.

Sorry im writing this so quickly coz i have to go so it might not make sense... hope it helps :)

let me know if u want to know anything else

It's amazing what is actually ON the food database - or not as I've found.

The food browser can tell you what's in battered king prawns (battered anything shouldn't be on the menu for dieters in the first place, but, heigh-ho) but BBQ'd food, or grilled food, isn't on there! The cooking options for meats aren't terribly healthy although they do have a roasted option for alot of things, but grilling things healthily or BBQing isn't there.

As for the food options, if I have the nutritional info I just enter it myself but when I'm entering a recipe I have found that certain herbs and spices just aren't listed but dry ones are - I know they don't have many calories to speak of but the fact that processed foods are there and fresh ones aren't boggles me!!! We are meant to be changing our eating habits for the better here.

As australians we do have a truly fantastic array of fresh everything to eat, and the availability is good too. Every supermarket stocks fresh food, we don't have to go to specialty shops for alot of things whereas you would in most other countries.

There are some websites for nutritional info on foods, like the daily plate, and I just use that if I can't find it here.

I don't think you're missing much by not partaking in triple processed, semi artificial food in a spray can.

But as another eater, I do get your curiosity as to the foods we've never heard of over here.

By the way, regarding aneets88 comments, I LOVE the aeroplane jelly diet ones. Go the lime or the cranberry. And pura tone milk is fat free and tastes alot better than creamers (my opinion only) - think the UHF single serves!Uurrgh. We also have philly 5% which tastes just like the original and isn't available over there.

If there's something you can't find that you really want, post it or send me a message - I've spent ALOT (probably too much) of time scouring supermarket shelves for dietary options and I have some awesome, easy, tasty and quick recipies. I modify my favourite things and have cut the cals in half - like pizza (yes you can) pies, desserts (think berry cakey-tart things) and alot of Jamie Olivers stuff.

Drop me a line!!

Grilling = broiling.