It seems like everywhere you turn these days you see the term "fat free". Fat free milk,ice cream, chocolate, cheese and just about anything else you can think of is now occupying a good deal of space at your local grocers. Now it goes without saying that fat free foods are better for you than their fatty counterparts but it doesn't always hold true that they will not make you fat. The reason I say this is because people are misled by labeling. You need to educate yourself on what the labels really mean, if a label says it doesn't have fat on the back of the package it may still contain some kinds of fat because many times these labels are a little misleading. I am not saying that all of the foods that claim they are lean do this; you just have to learn to watch very closely on each food label to see exactly what fat is not present in the food so that you know what you are really eating. You also need to be aware of the types of fat that are contained in food as well. There are a few different types of fats and you need to have a little knowledge of them to be prepared for the trip to the grocery store. Saturated and trans fats are the ones that are found in fried foods and things like chips. These are also the culprits that cause high cholesterol and coronary artery disease. You will find saturated fats in almost all meats, dairy products, and eggs and in addition you will see it present in oils like palm and coconut. Trans fats have been made solid are partially solid and are listed as unsaturated because they have a similar function as the saturated fats in many cases. When you see something that contains hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated cooking oil these foods contain trans fat and should be avoided or at most eaten in small amounts. Some of the biggest offenders here are fried chicken, chips, crackers, and cookies. Until recently trans fat was one of those fats that was conveniently left off the label on so called fat free foods. This is exactly why my statement is so relevant that a food may not be devoid of the substance even when it is stated as such on the package. Be sure that the label shows 0 grams of trans fat and o grams of saturated fat if you are going to count it as fat free. The next lesson you need to learn will not be found on the packaging. This something you need to know. Excessive carbohydrates will be turned into fat by the body so watch out for this while you are watching the fats. Don't think that you can eat to your heart's content just because you think it's safe. |
