No More Transfats

What is it with “NO TRANS-FATS” as the latest trend in the food industry these days!!!!  Not that I think trans-fats are bad for us, but why is this what all the health professionals and food companies are talking about to make their products “healthier”?  

I might actually buy into this hype that eating trans-fats is actually good for me  had I not started reading food labels many years ago, just to make sure there was no palm oil or coconut oil in anything I ate.  I had always known that these were some of themore  difficult fats to break down, staying in the body longer than other vegetable oils which would make these foods a no no on a diet.

Why do I mention those oils?  Because those are two of the non-trans-fat oils being used now in most processed  food products and restaurants in an effort to go trans-fat free.  While these oils are better for us than some other oils made of animal fats such as butter or lard, or even other vegetable oils, it’s not like eating these oils are going to make us healthier individuals in complete control of our weight.  We need to remember that they are still fats, which we need to have in our diets but in limited quantities. 

I spent the earlier part of the week at the International Restaurant and Food-service Show of New York at the Jacob Javits Center.   This show featured mostly restaurant service products but there was a fair amount of specialty foods and snack items, including baked goods featured.  Every booth had a sign  or a sales pitch telling me that their food products contained no trans-fats. 

I get it.  You have replaced the “fat” in your products with a “fat” that has “no trans fat”.  Trans fats are the ones that are bad for your cholesterol and cause heart disease.  But the product still has “fat” in it and lots of it.  None of these foods are fat-free. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I love snacks. Having afternoon tea and a cookie is usually the best part of my day.  I just don’t want people to get the wrong idea that eating foods made with no trans-fats does not mean the product is low-fat.

You still have to read labels and select snacks based on what you are eating in terms of sugar, carbohydrates, vitamins and of course percentage of  fat.

No one talks about fruit or vegetables being trans-fat free.  Because they generally have no fat at all. 

So, next time you reach for a box or bag of anything that claims it’s trans-fat free, make sure you know what you are really getting.