Ask the Expert Archive Week 6
We know low fat is the key to a healthy diet .. but there's a new buzzword on the supermarket shelves. It's trans-fats.
Dietician Liz Pearson gives us the lowdown on high fat. Hydrogenation, or the adding of hydrogen, is a process used to make liquid oils more solid. For example, when making margarine they take a liquid oil, add hydrogen and they then have a product that is spreadable. Hydrogenated fats, also called trans-fats, are also found in many baked goods, snack foods, and crackers and cookies. The problem with these trans-fats, or hydrogenated fats, is they're very unhealthy for the heart. You really want to limit your intake. There are several ways you can do this.
Margarine is still a healthier choice than butter however it's important that you choose the right margarine. Try to avoid the hard stick margarines, they're very highly hydrogenated and high in the trans-fats. Your best bet is to stick with the soft tub margarines. Better yet choose a margarine that is non-hydrogenated and also low in saturated fat. This is the best bet in terms of heart health.
It's almost impossible to avoid hydrogenated fat, or trans-fats, when it comes to crackers, cookies, snacks and baked goods. However what you can do is choose the lower fat versions more often. Also, become a label reader and eat less those foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oil or it may also say on the label "vegetable oil shortening." Lastly, for those of you who love your fast food keep in mind that all fast food outlets use hydrogenated vegetable oil for their deep frying. If you like those deep fried sandwiches or french fries you really want to eat them in moderati
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