Avoiding Trans Fat

Avoiding unhealthy trans fats is easier than ever, if you pay attention to what you eat.

Avoiding unhealthy trans fats is easier than ever, if you pay attention to what you eat.

Trans fat, considered by many health experts to be the most harmful fat, is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to liquid oil, turning it into solid fat. The process, called hydrogenation, increases the shelf life of foods. The problem is that trans fat raises the level of “bad” cholesterol in your blood and lowers the “good” cholesterol, significantly increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Prepared foods, such as cakes, cookies, crackers, French fries, potato chips and microwave popcorn, used to be loaded with trans fat. But beginning last year, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began requiring food manufacturers to list the amount of trans fat on nutrition labels, many companies reduced or eliminated the ingredient from their products.

Consumers still need to check food labels. Look for “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” or “shortening”—both synonyms for trans fat—in the ingredients list. Also keep in mind that a food label can state “zero grams of trans fat” as long as the product contains less than one-half gram per serving. Many packages contain more than one serving and people often eat two or more servings.

Some restaurants serve foods that contain trans fat, too. “Be wary of trans fat when eating out, whether it’s a doughnut from the local bakery or a restaurant meal,” says Marisa Moore, a dietitian in Atlanta. “Since there’s no label, you don’t know the ingredients. Some fast-food chains and upscale restaurants are phasing out trans fats, but others still use them, especially to fry foods. Ask your server.”

Julie Sperling, 42, of Pawlet, Vt., who bakes and sells whole grain breads, consulted a dietitian to learn about healthful eating. “I avoid packaged and processed foods as much as possible,” she says. “If an ingredient sounds like it came from the chemistry lab, I wouldn’t want to eat it or serve it to my family.”

Moore says that although no one knows exactly what constitutes the precise amount of “safe” trans fat, intake should not exceed a gram a day. “That adds up fast,” she adds, “so, to play it safe, eat a balanced diet that emphasizes fruits and vegetables."

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