Food & Recipes

Trans Fats in Plain View

Changing Face of Foods

Food manufacturers are now looking for suitable replacements for trans fats.

The challenge to the food makers is to preserve the same great flavors while eliminating or minimizing the unhealthy trans fats. A flurry of "trans-fat free" products have popped up in recent years.

Trans-Fat Free Doesn't Equal Healthy

But just because a food package boasts "zero grams of trans fats" does not mean it is necessarily a healthy food says Ward, author of the 2006 Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids.

"Products with 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving can be labeled as '0' and if you eat large portions, the trans fats can add up quickly. Always check the total fat, saturated fat, and calories because it may be lacking in trans fats but it could be loaded with saturated fats or calories" she warns.

Remember trans fats when eating out. Keep in mind when you smell the aroma of the freshly baked doughnuts or french fries that these foods may not be labeled on the menu but they are a huge source of trans fats in our diets.

Mandatory labeling of trans fats should help improve the health of our nation, says Lichtenstein. Consumers will now have more choices and hopefully a better understanding that a food with the least amount of saturated and trans fats is a healthier option.