50 Part I: Eating Right with Every Bite
Identifying unhealthy fats
You may be asking “How do I know what unhealthy fats are in my diet?” After
all, you may or may not be able to see and identify fats in some foods. The
types you want to avoid are saturated and trans fats.
Saturated fats are often implicated in increasing your LDL (bad cholesterol)
and increase your risk of heart disease. Fats from animal sources are the
main sources of saturated fats.
Note: Small amounts of butter are used in some of the recipes in this book.
This contributes significantly to the flavor, and per serving it is a very small
amount. As with anything, it is important to practice moderation.
Trans fats are predominantly found in processed foods like cookies, crackers,
doughnuts, and fried foods. These unhealthy fats come from hydrogenated
oils, liquid oils that have been turned solid in order to extend the shelf life
of processed foods. It’s the reason why cake-type snacks stay good in your
pantry for a very long time. Many manufacturers are now required to list
trans fats on nutrition labels. The problem is that a food product can have up
to^1 ⁄ 2 a gram of trans fat per serving and still be called trans fat free. In order
to completely avoid trans fats, you have to read ingredient labels and avoid
foods with anything fully hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated.
The following list is some general guideline for trimming unhealthy fats from
your diet:
✓ Don’t use fat as a primary seasoning. Learn to use herbs and spices
instead.
✓ Trim visible fats.
✓ Use 1 percent or fat-free dairy products.
✓ Replace high-fat foods with lower-fat alternatives (but remember they
can still have just as many calories!).
✓ Avoid cream sauces.
✓ Avoid fried foods.
✓ Avoid pastries, cookies, and cakes.
✓ Focus on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, low-fat or fat-free
dairy, and healthy fats in moderation.
