Editor’s Note: This post is part 2 of a 2 part series. To read part 1, please begin here.Last week we discussed unsaturated, or “healthy” fats. This week, we’ll move on to it’s counterpart, saturated fats.Saturated fats mostly come from animal sources. The fats in eggs, butter, dairy, and meat are all unsaturated fats. Saturated fats can also be found in some oils, oils which are solid at room temperature. These oils include palm, coconut, and palm kernel oils.
Saturated fats are often referred to as bad fats, because of their negative effect on the body. Saturated fats raise LDL, which is often referred to as bad cholesterol. Now, before we go giving all saturated fats a bad rap, it is important to note that many dietitians believe that saturated fats are important as part of your diet. They argue that including saturated fats adds vitamins, minerals and nutrients which the body needs, and also aid in helping the body to feel full.
While there may be some debate as to saturated fats as a group, there is one type of fat no one is advocating for: trans fats.
In the past few years we have seen legislation regarding the amount of trans fats in foods. This legislation, which focuses of the use of trans fat oils in frying, have been created to help diners make healthy choices, by eliminating trans fats from menu items. Trans fat bans are now in place in the state of California state and in Philadelphia and New York City. So what’s the big deal about trans fats?
Trans fats are hydrogenated fats. These fats can occur naturally, though the vast majority of trans fats are factory made. 80% of trans fats found in American foods come from partially hydrogenated food oil.
Trans fats are considered to be the most unhealthy form of fat. Trans fats have a double whammy affect on cholesterol. Not only do trans fats increase LDL like all saturated fats do, they also decrease HDL. For this reason, trans fats thicken and stiffen in arteries, eventually clogging them and possibly leading to heart disease.
You may be wondering, if trans fats are so detrimental to our health, why are they being used?
Well, first, they are cheap! Factory made partially hydrogenated oil is far less expensive than naturally occurring oils. Second, trans fats extend the shelf life of process foods. Because trans fats remain solid at room temperatures, they do not break down and cause food to go rancid as quickly as their unsaturated counterparts.
While the choice to serve foods with trans fats will remain up to you (unless you are in the state of California, New York City or Philadelphia), it is important to convey to your diners full disclosure of the inclusion of trans fats in your menu items.
If you are looking to institute menu nutrition information labeling at your establishment, we’d love to help you! MenuTrinfo is designed to be the easiest and most affordable menu labeling system available. We would love to help you get started, whether it’s with one recipe or a full menu. Call us today!
Image used under Creative Commons from Dougs Tech.
Saturated fats are often referred to as bad fats, because of their negative effect on the body. Saturated fats raise LDL, which is often referred to as bad cholesterol. Now, before we go giving all saturated fats a bad rap, it is important to note that many dietitians believe that saturated fats are important as part of your diet. They argue that including saturated fats adds vitamins, minerals and nutrients which the body needs, and also aid in helping the body to feel full.
While there may be some debate as to saturated fats as a group, there is one type of fat no one is advocating for: trans fats.
In the past few years we have seen legislation regarding the amount of trans fats in foods. This legislation, which focuses of the use of trans fat oils in frying, have been created to help diners make healthy choices, by eliminating trans fats from menu items. Trans fat bans are now in place in the state of California state and in Philadelphia and New York City. So what’s the big deal about trans fats?
Trans fats are hydrogenated fats. These fats can occur naturally, though the vast majority of trans fats are factory made. 80% of trans fats found in American foods come from partially hydrogenated food oil.
Trans fats are considered to be the most unhealthy form of fat. Trans fats have a double whammy affect on cholesterol. Not only do trans fats increase LDL like all saturated fats do, they also decrease HDL. For this reason, trans fats thicken and stiffen in arteries, eventually clogging them and possibly leading to heart disease.
You may be wondering, if trans fats are so detrimental to our health, why are they being used?
Well, first, they are cheap! Factory made partially hydrogenated oil is far less expensive than naturally occurring oils. Second, trans fats extend the shelf life of process foods. Because trans fats remain solid at room temperatures, they do not break down and cause food to go rancid as quickly as their unsaturated counterparts.
While the choice to serve foods with trans fats will remain up to you (unless you are in the state of California, New York City or Philadelphia), it is important to convey to your diners full disclosure of the inclusion of trans fats in your menu items.
If you are looking to institute menu nutrition information labeling at your establishment, we’d love to help you! MenuTrinfo is designed to be the easiest and most affordable menu labeling system available. We would love to help you get started, whether it’s with one recipe or a full menu. Call us today!
Image used under Creative Commons from Dougs Tech.
