NutritionDoc

As we ring in 2006, counting carbs may be passe, but counting trans is decidedly in. As of Jan 1, the Food and Drug Administration now requires all packaged foods to list grams of trans fatty acids on the Nutrition Facts panel. As a result, manufacturers have been scrambling to reformulate everything from cookies and crackers to pizza and popcorn to eliminate or lower the amount of trans fats in their products - sometimes just enough so they can be called "trans-free", even if they are not realllllly free of trans fats.

Products that list "0" trans on the Nutrition Facts panel are often not really 100% free of trans fats. That is because the FDA allows products with less than 0.5 gram of trans fat per serving to boast "zero grams trans" or "trans free". While less than 0.5 gram does not sound like a lot, it adds up fast, especially if you eat a lot of "trans-free" products that actually contain 0.4 grams per serving. That is why simply looking for foods labeled "trans-free" is not enough.

1. Check the Nutrition Facts panel for grams of trans fats. If not 0 look for a brand that is.

2. Check the ingredient list for partially hydrogenated oils. If any are listed, the food contains at least some trans fats.

3.  Watch your portion sizes of foods with hydrogenated oils. If you eat more than the serving size listed - think cookies, chips, crackers- keep in mind you are getting more trans than what is listed, even if it claims zero.

4. Don't forget about saturated fat. Substituting foods high in sat fats for those high in trans is not a great trade off. Choose foods lower in both.

5.  Limit commercial baked goods, stick margarines and fast food French fries. This makes the biggest dent in trans intake.

6.  Don't take a no trans claim as a green light to indulge. Being trans free DOES NOT MEAN A FOOD IS NUTRITIOUS.

Choose wisely . . . live well.    HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

"it is okay to go nuts"  has been a re occuring message on the blog throughout this year.  I have received many emails asking "just how much is enough?" and "how many nuts in 1 oz. serving?" So, here is the 411: # of nuts in 1 oz.

Almonds = 20-24

Cashews = 16-18

Macadamian = 10-12

Brazil = 6-8

Pecans = 18-20 halves

Pine = 150-157

Hazel = 18-20

Pistachios = 45-47

Walnuts = 8-11 halves

 

Dinosaurs, Stars, Tiny drumsticks. Breaded, formed chicken nuggets come in all shapes and sizes and are almost universally loved by kids, but most varieties barely resemble meat at all and consumers might be surprised to discover what is in them.

Generally, 2 types of "nugget" sit in your grocer's freezer: whole meat and formed. Whole meat is just what it sounds like - chunks of chicken that are unsually battered, breaded, fried and frozen. Formed products, on the ohter hand, contain chicken "trimmings" - the meat left over or cut from larger whole pieces. This meat is not necessarily inferior, it is just too small, miscut or does not look as pretty as the whole chicken breast you would buy to make Chicken Parmesan.(hint . . . hint . . . mmmmm good Chicken Parmesan from Shelby & Russ). The trimmings are finely chopped and mixed with a solution of water, salt and phosphates that binds them into a sticky paste and adds juiciness. A forming machine molds the paste into whatever shape manufacturers - or kids- want, and the resulting nugget is dusted, battered, breaded, deep fat fried and frozen.

Some processed nuggets can have almost double the calories, 5 times the fat, and 6 times the sodium as an equal amount of regular skinless chicken breast.

Choose wisely . . . live well.