Diet & Fitness

The Food and Drug Administration requires all packaged food to have this information to give consumers more power to make healthy choices. So what exactly do you need to know?

Why should we avoid trans fat and saturated fat?
Trans fat and saturated fat contribute to high cholesterol, associated with increased risk for heart disease. We know that saturated fat increases the amount of "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, that transports fat around the body and tends to lay plaque down in the arteries.

Experts also agree that trans fat raises the LDL, but it also lowers the "good" blood cholesterol, or HDL, which is responsible for taking cholesterol from the blood back to your liver to be processed out of your body.

Is it difficult to avoid saturated fat and trans fat?
Not at all! It's up to you to choose. There are many healthy fats available in the marketplace. Olive oil and canola oil are both good sources of monounsaturated fat, and many polyunsaturated oils are fine, like peanut, safflower and sunflower oil.

Shortening and margarine are hydrogenated fats, solid at room temperature. To avoid them, read the labels! Promise, Smart Balance and Fleischmann's all sell trans fat-free spreads. Some are higher in saturated fat than others. One thing for sure, the softer at room temperature (liquid margarines and tubs), the lower in trans fat and saturated fat.

Avoid products made with hydrogenated oils (these are clearly labeled and listed in the ingredients). Cakes, cookies, doughnuts, pies, frostings and salad dressings all contain hydrogenated oils. Frozen fried foods like French fries, fried chicken, fried fish and potpies contain significant amounts of trans fat.

Nonetheless, if you like fast food and convenience food, you're going to get trans fat whether you like it or not! You're not necessarily going to be able to read labels in restaurants. However, you can be sure that you'll get a large dose of trans fat and saturated fat in any fried foods, such as fried onions, French fries, fried mozzarella sticks and chicken wings.

You will also get a large dose of trans fats from any baked goods in restaurants and bakeries. Biscuits in fast food chains and restaurants are usually made with trans fat, as are doughnuts, croissants and other "flaky" pastries. In addition, don't forget about "fresh baked" cookie outlets in malls. Some of these outlets use real butter and advertise that they don't use trans fat. The problem is that the saturated fat in butter is not any better for your heart than the trans fat!

When eating out, do your heart a favor and order baked, grilled, poached, sautéed or stir-fried food. Give your taste buds a rest and avoid fried foods. Some restaurants do not change the fry oil often and re-use old, trans-fat laden oil. None too appetizing or healthy!

For best nutrition, think fresh and simple. If you're eating out, order a plain burger without the saturated fat-laden cheese, avoiding the mayo in favor of ketchup and mustard -- and definitely avoiding the fries in favor of a healthy choice. Best choices are grilled chicken with lettuce and tomato, baked potatoes with salsa instead of sour cream or butter and skinless chicken and corn on the cob with salt and pepper. Avoid the butter, biscuits and gravy!

All our meal plans avoid trans fats, including the eDiets Weight Loss plan, the Atkins Nutritional Approach and our meal delivery plans. We feature fresh foods on the recipe and delivery plans, and if you're choosing your own foods, be sure to read the ingredient labels to avoid hydrogenated oils, including hydrogenated soybean or palm oils.

Did You Know?
Total blood cholesterol is an important number to know, but it's equally important to know the two numbers that make up the total. LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, carries cholesterol around the body for use by the body's cells. Too high levels of LDL contribute to buildup of plaque in the arteries, and that's why it's known as the "bad" cholesterol. HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, known as the "good" cholesterol, helps remove excess cholesterol from the blood and takes it back to the liver. Health goals for healthy cholesterol are HDL over 60 and LDL under 100.

Nutritionist Susan L. Burke, M.S., R.D., L.D., CDE is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, and a Certified Diabetes Educator who specializes in both general and diabetes-related weight management.

Labels: health, nutrition