As we approach the one year anniversary of the initial shipment of Dreamfields pasta, I thought the readers of Low Carb Luxury might be interested in our take on the first year and where we see Dreamfields heading as we continue to help people eat healthier and manage their carbs without giving up taste.

In The Beginning

It is amazing how quickly this first year has gone and how well consumers have accepted Dreamfields. We have received thousands of testimonials through our website and among the many Internet bulletin boards that indicate how much consumers appreciate the health benefits and great taste of Dreamfields Pasta. We are delighted to help people eat healthier as that remains our goal. When we developed Dreamfields, we were very mindful of the ever-increasing levels of chronic "lifestyle" diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. What's more, these health concerns were not limited to adults. Childhood obesity and diabetes are growing concerns, and can obviously have a significant impact on our children's long-term health. That's why we developed a healthy pasta brand that the whole family can enjoy without having to sacrifice authentic pasta taste.

Unlike other "low carb" pastas, made mostly of soy or chemically modified starches that can negatively affect taste, Dreamfields is made almost entirely of premium durum wheat semolina. The key to Dreamfields is our patent pending recipe that combines a unique blend of fibers and proteins coupled with a highly controlled manufacturing process, so you get only 5 grams of digestible carbs per serving with all the delicious taste of top quality, traditional pasta.

Where Dreamfields Stands Today

We are pleased that Dreamfields is the fastest growing pasta brand in the US, with distribution in over 15,000 stores, and very strong repeat purchases and loyalty among consumers. Our challenge is to make even more people aware of Dreamfields and its benefits. We are confident that once people try Dreamfields and see for themselves how delicious our healthy pasta tastes, they'll want to make it a regular part of meal planning for themselves and their families.

We realize that it may still be somewhat of a challenge to find Dreamfields at your favorite store. Part of the reason is that we only have 4 items in a dry pasta section that can have well over 100 different pasta products. It's a challenge to stand out, but hopefully our distinctive black boxes will catch your eye.

In addition, we're still in the process of gaining new distribution in many stores. What's been really exciting is that we've had a number of new accounts take on Dreamfields directly as a result of consumer requests. For a small company like us to have such enthused consumers is an immense compliment, not to mention a tremendous marketing asset. Word of mouth is powerful advertising!

The response from retailers that carry Dreamfields has been very positive, as they are seeing strong and growing sales, even in the face of the so-called demise of the low carb industry. The only exception is Wal-Mart Super Centers, which is apparently discontinuing all their low carb offerings, including Dreamfields, despite the fact that it had monthly double-digit sales increases. If you were buying Dreamfields at Wal-Mart, we encourage you to request that the store manager start carrying it again. If enough people ask for it, perhaps Wal-Mart will reconsider their decision. In the meantime, please check our website for a list of other retailers in your area. If you do not have a retailer near you, you can buy Dreamfields directly from our website at www.dreamfieldsfoods.com.

The Outlook for Dreamfields

We are very enthusiastic about the prospects for Dreamfields' continued success. Similar to much of the commentary in last month's issue of Low Carb Luxury, we believe there will be a continued demand for "low carb" foods, which do not significantly increase glycemic response. We may see less people strictly managing their carb intake, but "carb consciousness" will continue to be a prevalent theme going forward as consumers look for healthy food options. For perspective, numerous surveys indicate that over 40% of consumers reported following some type of diet/eating program in 2004. Of that 40%, virtually all were restricting their intake of certain food ingredients, with almost half restricting carbohydrates (fat, sugars and calories led the list of restricted ingredients). Moreover, 60% of these consumers reported that they were limiting how much pasta they ate for diet/health reasons.

Besides being low in digestible carbs, Dreamfields offers other important health benefits. Dreamfields has twice as much fiber as regular pasta (4 grams versus 2 per serving), is very low in sodium, contains no trans fat and no cholesterol, and has a low Glycemic Index of 13 compared to regular pasta which has a GI range from 30 to 45. We have also had many of our diabetic consumers tell us that Dreamfields has been helpful in managing their blood sugar levels compared to regular pasta. However, just as with any other food or drug product, we encourage those with diabetes to gauge for themselves whether Dreamfields is appropriate for their unique situation. In 2005, our new advertising theme, "Pasta Perfected," will explain these added health benefits so that consumers can make smart, informed choices about the foods they serve their families.

Additionally, we are working on a range of new products using our protected carb approach, including new shapes such as lasagna, a variety of new pasta dinners, as well as rice and potato products. We will keep you posted as those efforts take shape (no pun intended!).

Those of us here at Dreamfields would like to say a big thank you to those who have supported us over the past year. We look forward to continue providing you with great tasting, healthier foods. We love hearing from you, so if you have questions you'd like addressed in this forum, please send them to Low Carb Luxury and we will answer them in upcoming issues.