Ever wondered what the confusion about trans fat is? Which foods are they in? What substitues can I replace them with? In this article we plan to go over that.
Jelly, peanut butter, and margarine – it’s loaded with trans fats and saturated fats, both of which can lead to heart disease.
Tip: Look for soft-tub margarine, because it is less likely to have trans fat. Some margarine already say that on the packaging.
2. Fast Food.
Bad news here: McDonald’s fries, KFC chicken, and every other fast food related item is deep-fried in partially hydrogenated oil. Some foods are sometime pre-processed with the use of partially hydrogenate oil before they get shipped to the fast food resturants. Breakfast items also have some trans fat, from margarine slathered on the grill.
Tip: Get broiled or baked options.
3. Toppings and Dips.
Nondairy creamers and flavored coffees, whipped toppings, bean dips, gravy mixes, and salad dressings contain lots of trans fat.
Tip: Skim milk or powdered nonfat dry milk can replace traditional creamers in coffee. Focus on consuming fat-free products of all types. As for salad dressings, choose fat-free there, too — or opt for old-fashioned oil-and-vinegar dressing. Natural oils such as olive oil and canola oil don’t contain trans fat, and can be very healthy for you in moderation.
4. Packaged Foods.
Pancake mix, cake mix, and other mixes all have several grams of trans fat per serving.
Tip: Add whole flour and baking powder to your grocery list; do-it-yourself baking is about your only option right now.
Ramen noodles, canned stews and soup cups contain a very high level of trans fat.
Tip: Get out the crock-pot and recipe book or try the fat-free and reduced-fat canned soups.
6. Frozen Food.
Those yummy burritos, pot pies, hot pockets, waffles, pizzas, and fish sticks contain trans fat. Even if the label says it’s low-fat, it still has trans fat.
Tip: If you are going to consume frozen food remember, baked is better than breaded. Even the pizzas that contain vegetables can be unhealthy, because the dough could contain trans fats. Pot pies are often loaded with too much saturated-fat, even if they have no trans fat, so forget about it.
7. Chips and Crackers.
Shortening provides crispy texture. Even “reduced fat” brands can still have trans fat. Anything fried (like potato chips and corn chips) or buttery crackers have trans fat.
Tip: Think pretzels, toast, pita bread, or even the new baked chips.
8. Cookies and Candy.
Look at the labels; some have higher fat content than others. A chocolate bar with nuts — or a cookie — is likely to have more trans fat than gummy bears.
Tip: Gummy bears or jelly beans win, hands down. If you must have chocolate, get dark chocolate — since it’s been shown to have redeeming heart-healthy virtues.
9. Breakfast Food.
Breakfast cereal and energy bars are quick-fix, highly processed products that contain trans fats, even those that claim to be “healthy.”
Tip: Whole-wheat toast, bagels, and many cereals don’t have much fat. Cereals with nuts do contain fat, but it’s healthy fat.
10. Baked Goods.
Even worse news — more trans fats are used in commercially baked products than any other foods. Doughnuts contain shortening in the dough and are cooked in trans fat. Cookies and cakes (with shortening-based frostings) from supermarket bakeries have plenty of trans fat.
Tip: Get back to old-fashioned home cooking again.