TRANS FAT TRAP AND HOW TO ESCAPE IT

Escape the Trans Fat Trap:
8 Ideas

Easy Ways to Cut Fat and Calories:Easy Ways to Cut Fat and Calories:
Cutting a few calories at every meal will add up to real calorie savings. Here are some culinary "special effects" that you can try to trim some calories and fat.
Trans fats are produced when liquid vegetable oil is heated and transformed into a solid form called partially hydrogenated oil. Trans fats are worse for your heart than saturated fat because they boost levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and decrease "good" HDL cholesterol. Here are some ways you can reduce trans fats in your diet:

1. Choose tub margarine instead of stick margarine, and look for brands with the lowest trans fat content.

2. Use olive oil instead of stick margarine for sauteing.

3. Sprinkle slivered nuts or sunflower seeds on salads instead of bacon bits.

4. Snack on a small handful of nuts or a box of raisins rather than potato chips or processed crackers. Or try peanut butter or other nut-butter spreads (nonhydrogenated) on celery, bananas, or rice or popcorn cakes.

5. Shop the perimeter of the store. Most processed foods, which contain a lot of trans fats, are on the inner aisles of the supermarket.

6. When you do purchase processed foods, choose lower-fat versions of crackers, cereals, and desserts.

7. Skip fast-food fries. Get a side salad, a plain baked potato, or, for the kids, a healthy alternative such as sliced fruit (now becoming available at more fast-food chains).

8. When you have time, make your own pancakes, waffles, and muffins instead of using store-bought versions or a trans fat-packed mix. Make extra and freeze some.