Listen...

SO GIVE US A BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE TRANS FAT BAN

Well, as of New Year’s Day, 2008, Calgary became the first city to ban trans fats in restaurants – so no restaurants are allowed use oils or spreads that have more than 2 per cent trans fat content. In phase two of the ban, expected next year, trans fats in all processed and manufactured foods in Calgary will be limited to 5 per cent.

The federal government is recommending that trans fats be limited to less than five percent of all foods. And while these suggestions are already being voluntarily implemented by some companies across Canada, the government says it will give companies two years to reduce trans fats before regulating them.

Countries like Denmark have already banned trans fats and we are behind many cities in the U.S. on banning trans fats. The first cities to ban trans fats in restaurant meals were in California – back in 2004 – and since then trans fats have been banned in New York City, Boston, Seattle and in municipalities in states from Kentucky and Florida to Connecticut.

Across Canada, reducing trans fats in foods is not yet compulsory, so some restaurants and food companies are doing it, while others are not.

Calgary is the only Canadian city to make this compulsory so far. Right now Calgary health inspectors are issuing warnings to restaurants that don’t comply – but after a first warning they will lose their food permits if they continue to cook with trans fats.

AND WHAT EXACTLY ARE TRANS FATS?

Trans fats are molecularly-altered fats – made by adding a hydrogen molecule to turn liquid oils into semi-solid fats. Another name for trans fats – what you might see on a label – is partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil or vegetable shortening.

These fats are found in all kinds of processed foods – from spreads like margarine to cookies, crackers, snack foods, breakfast cereal, granola bars and frozen French fries. They were created to give the food processing industry a cheaper alterative to butter and lard. In processed packaged food, trans fats give foods crisp texture that you get with butter or lard, but with a much longer shelf life.  And restaurants, especially fast food restaurants, love the texture and taste that trans fats give to fried foods like French fries, chicken nuggets, doughnuts and fried fish.

They have been using these kinds of manufactured fats in food products for more than 75 years – it’s interesting that now the chair of the department of nutrition at Harvard’s School of Public Health says “trans fat from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is a toxic substance that does not belong in food.”

WHY ARE TRANS FATS UNHEALTHY?

Too much of any fat is unhealthy but trans fats are among the baddest of the bad fats. They clog your arteries and boost cholesterol – especially bad cholesterol – while lowering good cholesterol. In terms of heart disease, saturated fats (or fats from animal sources like butter and lard) are bad – but trans fats are worse.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation says consuming trans fats accounts for 3,000 to 5,000 deaths a year – and that by eliminating trans fats, we could see a 22 per cent reduction in heart disease and stroke.

But it’s not just trading one fat for another. To really reduce the risk of high cholesterol and clogged arteries, it’s important to limit animal fats, found in meat, cheese and dairy products, and your total fat consumption.

WE CAN’T JUST GO BACK TO BUTTER?

Sadly, no. Butter is pure saturated fat, which is also known to clog your arteries and lead to heart disease. You can make a sandwich without adding butter – or any kind of fat – but when you need a solid fat – for baking, for example – using butter or even lard is actually better than partially hydrogenated margarine or vegetable shortening.

Cook with olive oil or canola oil – using as little oil as possible. And save the butter for those times when you really need it – like on the occasional cob of corn or baked potato.

Try to limit saturated fat to about 15 g per day – that’s about a tablespoon of butter in total (not to mention the saturated fat found in meat and dairy products). You need fat in your diet, but not much – the Canada Food Guide recommends 20-45 mL of unsaturated fat per day – that’s only 2-3 tablespoons in everything that you eat, from breakfast cereal and salad dressing to cooking oil.

SO IS IT DIFFICULT FOR RESTAURANTS TO MAKE THESE CHANGES?

When it comes to cooking oils and spreads it’s more expensive, but not that difficult to eliminate trans fats. There are lots of non-hydrogenated margarines on the market today, and liquid vegetables oils, like corn, olive and canola oils, are completely trans fat free, as long as they are not partially hydrogenated.

But it gets tricky when it comes to manufactured foods – the kind of products that restaurants use, and the many processed foods in the supermarket that still contain trans fats. You will find partially hydrogenated oils in all kinds of packaged cookies, crackers and even soups and tomato sauces – the only way to avoid these trans fats is to cook from scratch and carefully read the labels of all prepared foods.

Even “health foods” and organic products contain hydrogenated oils. I try to avoid all trans fats but I did find some “gourmet” foods in my pantry that contain hydrogenated oils, including a box of imported gouda cheese straws, Gourmet Thins, bran and rye Scandanavian crisp beads from Norway, and Five Grain Premium soda crackers that proclaim “O Trans Fats” on the from label, but list hydrogenated cottonseed oil as the third ingredient.

This, I assume, means they fall within the labeling rules which state that as long as there is less than 0.5 g of trans fat per serving, the label can say “trans fat free”. So pay attention.

ANY OTHER LABELING TRICKS TO BE AWARE OF?

Don’t be fooled by labels that say “cholesterol free” – that just means that the product contains no animal products. It still may contain trans fats or saturated fat like palm oil – the kind of fat that will raise your cholesterol if you eat it.

And remember – no trans fat does not mean no fat. Unfortunately, the rules limiting the use of trans fats don’t ban the use of saturated fat – so your fries may be cooked in lard instead, which is almost as bad. Or your cookies and crackers may contain palm oil, which is naturally saturated and not a healthy fat.

You need to read the ingredient lists before you buy.

HOW CAN YOU AVOID UNHEALTHY FATS WHEN SHOPPING FOR GROCERIES?

Buy pita breads instead of crackers, baked pretzels instead of fried chips. Eat more vegetables – at least two with every meal – and fresh fruit instead of pastries and cookies for dessert. Choose skim or 1% milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products.

Buy lean meats like pork tenderloin, chicken breast and well-trimmed beef steaks – things that are fast and easy to grill without adding fat.

IF YOU’RE EATING OUT, WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO AVOID FAT, ESPECIALLY TRANS FAT AND SATURATED FAT?

Well, of course there are the obvious ways – don’t order anything that’s deep fried, battered or breaded, choose lean meats and fish that’s grilled, avoid cream sauces and excess cheese. Go for the vegetarian entree. Skip dessert or share and have a bite or two.

Fast food restaurants are the worst culprits as so many things on the menu are deep fried. Eliminating trans fats doesn’t address the total fat issue.

Even sandwich shops use a lot of high fat sandwich meats and cheeses.

There are a lot of hidden fats in prepared salads – always get the dressing on the side and use it sparingly – and remember that many dips and appetizers are loaded with fat. Start with soup or salad, or whole grain bread without butter, then choose items that are baked, grilled, poached, steamed or stir-fried – all likely to be lowest in fat.

But remember, restaurant meals are notoriously oversized and high in calories – and fat. A recent study revealed the average menu entrée at popular restaurants like Kelsey’s, Milestones and The Keg contained more than 1,000 calories, and including an appetizer, drink and dessert boosted calorie counts over 2,000. That’s more than the average adult needs in a day, so try cooking at home.

LOW FAT RECIPES?

I went to the Heart and Stroke Foundation website for a couple of low-fat recipes this week. The first is a main meal Minestrone soup – perfect for a winter evening or to pack in your lunch – only 3 g of fat, and lots of vegetables and fibre.

The second is a hearty rotini pasta and ground beef dish – there’s cheese and tomato sauce, but only 225 calories and 10 g of fat per serving, which is proof that you can lower the fat in your diet by making simple choices in the supermarket, for things like lean ground beef, fat-reduced sauces and skim milk cheeses.

click here for recipes...

copyright Cinda Chavich

tastereport.com