Read Food Labels, Avoid TransFats

It's usually not a matter of life and death, so few of us obey the label when it comes to serving size. Take the treats we love the most; for example: Girl Scout Cookies. Raise your hand if you haven't eaten a whole box in a day.

Thanks to the Girl Scouts, though, many of us have started paying more attention to trans fats. Health-focused consumer groups have attacked the Scouts, demonizing them for feeding us too much artery-clogging sludge. The Girl Scouts attempted to redeem themselves by celebrating their 90th year in the cookie business by changing their recipe. While getting most of the artificial fat out, they believe they have maintained their signature flavor.

But you have to stop at a serving size. In order to list trans fat content as zero on their label, the Scouts did have to fib a little. The cookies do contain some trans fat, which we know to be true by reading the fine print. Thin Mints and Trefoils, for example list trans fat content as zero in a serving size of 4 and 5 cookies, respectively. But below the white box that lists Nutrition Facts, the ingredients lists tells us that the cookies contain "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil," a.k.a. trans fat.

Trans fats are commonly found in processed foods like commercial baked cookies, cakes, crackers, and even bread. They are also used as cooking oils, called "liquid shortening" in restaurants. Trans fats are also known as "partially hydrogenated fats." This type of fat is manufactured to be a solid at room temperature. Partially hydrogenated fats are found in many brands of margarine and in vegetable shortening.

In addition to trans fats, there are three other types of fats, which are differentiated by their chemical composition. Along with trans fat, saturated fat is another artery-clogging so-called "bad" fat that can lead to heart problems. The carbon atoms of this fat are saturated with hydrogen and occur in fat meat, poultry skin, dairy products and tropical oils.

The so-called "good" fats have fewer hydrogen atoms in their chemical make-up. Monounsaturated fats include olive oil, and polyunsaturated fats, the best fats of all, occur in the fat of fish and in certain oils such as corn and sunflower oil.

BanTransFats.com, Inc., a California non-profit organization with the goal of reducing and eliminating partially hydrogenated oils, lists trans fat-watching rules. They caution, "Don't eat any foods that include the words partially hydrogenated or shortening in the ingredients list. If the label says zero trans fats, don't believe it. If the words partially hydrogenated or shortening are in the ingredients list, it DOES contain trans fat ... Be careful when consuming products labeled outside the United States. Sometimes they contain partially hydrogenated oil but it is not on the label. In restaurants, bakeries, and other eateries, ask whether they use partially hydrogenated oil for frying or baking or in salad dressings. When you ask, you are sending a message to the seller of the food that you don't want trans fats. Keep saturated fat intake low too. Remember that polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fats are good fats."

Although fats get a lot of bad press, we should not forget that fats are certainly required for good health. In addition to carrying flavors and giving texture to foods, fats trigger a sense of fullness and relief from hunger. Fat is a major source of energy for the body and aids in the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K and carotenoids. Both animal- and plant-derived food products contain fat, and when eaten in moderation, fat is important for proper growth, development, and maintenance of good health. Fats are an especially important source of calories and nutrients for infants and toddlers up to 2 years of age who have high energy needs.

Because the calories in fat can add up fast, and since saturated and trans fats can cause health problems, it is important to read the label for calories as well as fat types and serving size. Go ahead and eat your Girl Scout cookies, but savor them one serving size per day. Keep your intake of saturated and trans fats and calories as low as possible while consuming a nutritionally adequate diet ... one recommended serving size at a time.