CheapEats.ie - a blog about food and value

Product review: The Weight Watchers range

weight-watchers-foodI’ve never gone down the Weight Watchers route. Some of my friends, male and female, say it’s the only thing that works for them; I don’t really have an opinion one way or the other.

However, over the weekend a good friend of mine called over, laden down with Weight Watchers snacks. I was cajoled into trying four different products, although I really should have given up after that lemon slice: it tasted like icing sugar mixed with dust. The cream cheese with chives tasted like acid reflux going down the wrong way, while the salt and vinegar crisps were blandly forgettable.

I know that people buy these products because they’re on a diet but still, very understandably, crave cakes and crisps. But surely this just heaps up the pain. There must be some reasonably healthy snacks that don’t taste like they were made by a miserable and hateful old nun, the type who loves to bring misery to happy situations (such as eating cream cheese).

Yesterday, the Guardian reported that Weight Watchers is putting its logo on some McDonalds products in New Zealand, a move which has been met with “outrage” by nutritionists and obesity experts:

McDonald’s New Zealand managing director, Mark Hawthorne, said: “We were able to include some of our most popular items because of the many changes we have made over the years.

“For instance, the switch to a healthier canola blend cooking oil means items such as the Filet-O-Fish and Chicken McNuggets contain 60% less saturated fat than six years ago.

Chris Stirk, Weight Watchers’ director of business in Australia and New Zealand, said the partnership between the companies reflected “part of our philosophy that you can enjoy life … while still achieving your weight loss goals”.

But nutritionists and obesity experts said the menu items were a marketing ploy to lure customers into the restaurant. “It’s all about sales,” said Jane Martin, senior adviser of Australia’s Obesity Policy Coalition. “It implies this food is healthy … when often it is high in fat and salt. Chicken McNuggets are Chicken McNuggets whether it’s got Weight Watchers on it or not.”

What do you think of Weight Watchers and other dieting products? And how do you pig out when trying to lose weight?

8 Comments

  1. I’ve done WW twice, both times successfully.
    I have never purchased any of the WW products as for me they defeat the purpose of learning a new way to eat/plan meals etc they are also ridiculously expensive and additive filled.

  2. I too have done WW twice. Successful 2nd time. I had no time for the bland WW products, would rather save my points for a proper slice of cake/packet crisps etc.

    I did by chance though discover the WW eclairs available in the freezer dept and supplied by heinz. Now they are certainly yum:-)

  3. I did WW very successfully. For me, it was of course to lose weight but also to re-educate myself on portion size etc. I was never ever overweight until I hit 30, moved city, lost my job and got married. I put on 2 stone over about 18 months. Anyway, yes, there are reasonably healthy alternatives to my own personal cocaine, crisps. Kettle Crisps and air popped popcorn has been my savior. Peanut butter however is banned from the house. I never touch the weight watchers food though. No one except Himself knows I’m on the program and I want it to become a way of life, so I’m using regular brands, but the low fat version as much as possible. M&S do the best low fat sausages on the market, Dunnes own brand rashers are low in fat, cook eggs with just one yolk regardless of how many eggs you’re cooking, there are loads of simple tricks and changes that anyone can make to lower saturated fat and calorie intake. Sweet things have never been a problem for me but I think if you’re buying lemon slices even if they’re WW, you have a bigger problem than the “program not working”. Week after week I sit in the meetings (Im treating it like AA but the image of Marjorie Dawes always creeps into my head) there is always someone there eating a packet of WW crisps or slugging a bottle of WW fruit drink who is wondering why they can’t shift the weight.

  4. don’t know much about weight watchers, but the idea that people would actually eat *at the meetings* really is like something out of Little Britain.

  5. I know! Its strange though, I always go to the same meeting and Ive been going there since early July last year (two stone gone thankyouverymuch!) and I have never seen the same people at the meeting each week. Where do they go?

  6. PS McDonalds and Weight Watchers in money making shocker! Come on, you want to lose weight, you stay out of McDonalds. Its very simple.

  7. am a ww veteran here, have done it and I dont really buy their products, except one of the choc bars that I get at the meetings, As for crisps I find you are better off having a pack of regular crisps from a multi pack, they are usually smaller than the single packs in shops.

    I eat Chicken Nuggets and Chips from McDonalds, that is my treat to myself after my weigh in each week. I find that even though I have lost my 49 lbs or 3st 6lb I need to keep going each week for weigh in so i dont fall off the rails (doesnt cost me once I stay with in range) I too have noticed that a lot of people dont stay with it and people I would have know to say to are no longer there

  8. joined ww a few weeks ago. first week r 2 was doing grand, was eating my normal foods. then discovered ww foods in my local super valu, and became obsessed esp the bars, crisps etc. have found that i now focus on what treats i can have instead of just eating normally and reducing portions etc. so i have decided that when all the ww stuff is gone im not buying anymore. just going to eat regular foods etc. and i totally agree it sooo expensive. but i really think it works have lost almost half a stone already!!