Wednesday, August 29, 2007
White or Yellow?
Hunter-gatherers of Central America began farming maize (corn) about 10,000 years ago. The Mayan civilization developed a deep reverence for the grain; in Mayan mythology, the gods created man out of maize after attempts with wood and clay failed.
Field corn, the predominant corn crop grown in the US is fed to livestock and used to make high fructose corn syrup (boo), corn oil, cornstarch and ethanol for fuel. Sweet corn, in contrast, is grown for human consumption. It is typically available as yellow, white or bicolor. Despite a passionate taste preference for either yellow or white among farmers market clientele, there is no relationship between color and sweetness; that depends more on growing conditions and how soon you eat it after it has been picked.
But there is a reason to reach for yellow corn instead of white; only yellow kernels are a gold mine of lutein and zeaxanthin - plant derived yellow pigments. The absence of color in white corn is evidence that it contains little of either pigment.
All corn is a good source of fiber, furnishing two grams in just one half cup. That same serving also provides 10 % of two nutrients corn is not as well known for - vit. C and folate.
Choose corn on the cob with green husks that do not look dry. Avoid ears with husks that have been peeled back, as this causes the kernels to dry out. Make sure the tassels are blond. The fresher the corn the blonder the tassels. Refrigerate fresh corn, warm temperatures convert the sugar in corn to starch. To cook corn on the cob, husk ears just before adding them to already boiling unsalted water. Cook for just 3 to 4 minutes. Cooking with salt toughens kernels, as does overcooking.
Whole ears may be grilled with the silk and husks attached for 15 to 20 min. After grilling remove husks; the silk will slip off. For a flavorful treat, tuck pieces of your favorite fresh herb - cilantro, dill, parsley, sage or basil - under the husks before grilling and eschew the typical slathering of butter.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Slim Sandwich
What have they done to ice cream sandwiches?
While an old fashioned Good Humor Vanilla Sandwich has 160 calories and 3 grams of bad fat, down at the convenience store, Good Humor sells a Giant Ice Cream Sandwich with 250 calories and 6 grams of bad fat, Mrs. Fields offers up a Cookie Sandwich at 460 calories and 11 grams of bad fat, and Nestle has the nerve to sell a Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich with 500 calories and 13 grams of bad fat. Larger sandwiches, larger Americans.
Back at the supermarket, an Eskimo Pie Chipwich or Klondike Cookie Sandwich is also a major calorie investment. Luckily, The Skinny Cow, Breyers, Weight Watchers, Healthy Choice, and other companies now offer lighter versions that keep the calories between 100 and 150 and cut the bad fat to no more than 1 grams.
My favorite: Klondike Slim a Bear 100 Calorie ice cream sandwiches. The wafers are so chocolatey and the filling is so creamy, it is hard to believe you are spending so few calories and just 1 gram of bad fat. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Bar None
Yearning for some rich vanilla ice cream encased in a thin, crisp coating of chocolate? Forget it.
A Dove or HaagenDazs Bar might satisfy the urge, but with some 250 to 300 calories and 10 to 14 grams of heart damaging fat, each ought to come with a Make One Cardiologist Appointment, Get One Appointment Free coupon.
You can do some damage control with a Klondike Slim a Bear No Sugar Added (40% less fat and 25% less calories than regular Klondike Ice Cream Bars. But each bar still delivers around 170 calories and 8 grams of bad fat.
Breyers Double Churn Light Bars may have 1/2 the fat and 30% less calories than regular ice cream bars but they still pack 5 grams of bad fat and 170 calories onto your not so light frame.
The bottom line: "Light" or "Reduced Fat" chocolate coated ice cream bars will save you some calories and damaging fat. And "No Sugar Added" bars will also save you sugar. But watch out. Some brands - like Blue Bunny and Dreyer's - replace their sugar not only with the safe artificial sweetener Spllenda but also with the possibly unsafe acesulfame potassium.
Another solution: individually wrapped Dove Miniatures. Each bite sized bit of chocolate coated ice cream has 60 calories and 2 grams of bad fat. The numbers are that low only because the Miniatures are thumb size. If you can't stick to just one, do NOT touch them.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Greater than the Sum
Add chocolate coating to ice cream and you boost the bad fat. Add fruit and you crowd the bad fat out. Take the prototype Creamsicle - a core of low fat vanilla ice cream surrounded by orange or raspberry sherbet. It has got just 1 gram of bad fat and only 70 to 100 calories depending on the size.
No Sugar Added or Sugar Free Creamsicles cut the calories to around 20, but they use poorly tested acesulfame potassium to get there. Instead, look for Tropicana Lights or No Sugar Added Swirls, which throw in some orange juice or strawberries and use Splenda and sugar alcohols to cut the calories to 50 or 60. Mmmmmmm.
Concoctions that swirl fruit throughout the cream may be too sweet for many palates. If that is you, try Fruitfull Strawberry Cream, which strikes the perfect balance between fruity and creamy.
Fabulous Fudge
It may be impossible to find good tasting chocolate coated ice cream bars that are low in bad fat, but fudge bar fans have a freezer full of options.
The Original Fudgsicle has 2 grams of bad fat. But nearly every other fudge bar - including the Fat Free Fudgsicle and fudge bars made by Healthy Choice, Slim a Bear, The Skinny Cow, So Delicious and Weight Watchers - has 0 - 1 grams of bad fat and 90 to 120 calories.
Coffee lovers should head straight for Starbucks Frappuccino Bars. You can taste the brewed coffee that Starbucks uses in the delicious and not too sweet Mocha Frappuccino. Ditto for the Java Fudge Frappuccino, which has an inner core of gooey fudge. They will cost you just 120 or 130 calories and 1 gram of bad fat.
Capped at One Cup
The good thing about Ben & Jerry's cute single serve containers of ice cream is that you are unlikely to eat more than one. The bad thing is that the half cup of ice cream in every container of the Vanilla, Cherry Garcia, or Chocolate Fudge Brownie delivers around 200 calories and 8 grams of bad fat. Artery alert: Incoming!
If you want your ice cream portion controlled, try Breyers Double Churned Cookies & Cream or Vanilla Fudge Swirl, which comes in 100 calorie cups (with just 1 gram of bad fat).
When it comes to ice cream, smaller is better . . . unless it's too small. Take bite size, chocolate coated Breyers Ice Cream Poppers or Dreyer's Dibs. They are not individually wrapped, so there is nothing to make you stop at one, or two . . . or even the 26 piece serving listed on the label, with its 400 or so calories and full day's worth of bad fat.
Foraging for Fruit
What is the difference between Breyers Pure Fruit Bars, Tropicana Real Fruit Bars, and Dreyer's Fruit Bars?
You would never know from the names.
It turns out that most Breyers have more sugar than fruit, while most Tropicanas have more fruit or juice than sugar. As for Dreyer's it depends on the flavor: Cherry, Grape, and Strawberry have more fruit than sugar, while Wildberry, Lime, Tangerine and Lemonade have more sugar than fruit or juice.
You can save 30 to 50 calories with a non sugar added bar. Tropicana Real Fruit No Sugar Added is the only line that has no acesulfame potassium, the poorly tested artificial swetener. Each bar has 20 calories.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Quick Rice
There used to be only 2 choices when cooking rice - white rice in 20 minutes or brown rice in 40. However, today's climate of "get it on the table in a hurry" has led to an explosion in the number of quick cooking rice options and flavors available.
The supermarket shelves have several whole grain brown rice products and mixes containing brown rice and other healthful whole grains like barley or wild rice. But, rice mixes contain mostly white rice.
The biggest selling point for heat and serve mixes is speedy preparation, which ranges from a mere 60 seconds to microwave rice in a pouch that is already fully cooked to 10 minutes on the stove or parboiled dry mixes that require you to simply add water and simmer.
Most rice mixes - even otherwise healthful brown rice mixeds - contain far too much sodium - as much as half the daily limit in just a single one cup serving.
When time is not tight I suggest cooking brown rice from scratch ( or cook converted brown rice that takes 30 minutes) perhaps adding herbs, chopped sauteed veggies and seasonings. You will reap the fiber and phytonutrients of a whole grain. You might also consider the no fuss convenience of a rice cooker.
Rice at the Ready:
Minimize sodium damage by using only half the seasoning packet provided, if it comes separately, as with Rice A Roni and Near East products.
Omit any oil or butter called for; use an equal amount of water instead.
Read ingredient lists if you have an intolerance to wheat or gluten; most rice mixes and pilafs contain wheat.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Keep mushrooms fresh
Choose mushrooms that are smooth, dry and free from major blemishes and they will last longer. The freshest one have "closed veils" - the membrane that extends from the bottom of the cap to the stem. If you can see brown gills under the cap, it means the veil has opened, a sign of older mushrooms with stronger flavor.
Refrigerate mushrooms -in a paper bag is best, not in the plastic wrapped container they come in - it collects toooo much moisture. Do not clean mushrooms till you are ready to use them. Then rinse with cold water and pat dry with a towel or simply wipe with a damp cloth. The dirt that clings to them is actually sterile compost, which won't harm you.
It takes a bit of time to choose, store and clean mushrooms carefully, but for your trouble you will be rewarded with good nutrition; mushrooms are rich in niacin, riboflavin, copper and selenium, and also provide some vit. D and potassium.
Summer Bounty
Basil's name is said to derive from the basilisk, a dragon like creature. In ancient Eypgt basil was used in embalming; later it became a symbol of mouring in Greece. For Romans, it signified love. In its native India, basil is used in sacred Hindu ceremonies.
Basil is an aromatic herb related to mint and used widely in Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. Mixed with olive oil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese, basil plays a starring role in pesto. Best fresh, less traditional basils inclue lemon basil, Aprican blue basil and several purple basils. Dried basil is a spice shelf staple.
Basil is especially rich in vit. K, important for proper blood coagulation and bone health. It also provides vit A and beta carotene, thought to help protect the body from free radical damage. Also present are flavonaids and small amounts of other nutrients like magnesium, calcium, folate, potassium and iron. Because herbs are not typically consumed in large quantities, do not expect major health effects from that pretty basil garnish.
Fresh basil will keep up to 4 days in the frig if you wrap it in slightly damp paper towesl and seal it in a plastic bag. Tear basil leaves by hand or use a plastic knife to cut them; it prevents discolored edges. It is easy enough to grow your own basil. Put your pot on a deck or in a suny window.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Summer Ice Cream
Most people do not stop by a Baskin Robbins for health food. But they might not know which choices are a minor indulgence and which may leave a lasting impression on their poolside appearance.
Large shakes range from 1120 calories for a Strawberry to 2160 for a Heath Bar Crunch or Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. The Health Bar comes with 62 grams of sat fat plus 2 grams of trans fat for good luck.
You could eat 6 scoops of Baskin Robbins Rocky Road, Choco Chip Cookie Dough, or most other full fat ice creams and stilll stay under 2000 calories. Naturally, a 16 oz smalll shake cuts the numbers in half. But when the calories start out with 4 digits, half is still way tooooo much.
And beware of coffee drinks. The Cappuccino Blast is essentially a coffee flavored shake made with ice cream. A large Caramel or Oreo N Cookies Cappuccino Blast with whipped cream goes for 1000 calories and a day's bad fat.
Suggestions:
Get a single scoop of low fat ice cream. All but one flavor have no sugar added and are made with the safe artificial sweetener Splenda, which cuts the calories in half. My favorite = Pinapple Coconut. Yummmmmmmm.
If you want soft serve, get a regular nonfat. The no sugar added soft serve is made with poorly tested artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium.
Instead of a shake, try a small Low Fat or Nonfat Cappuccino Blast, which is made with non fat soft serve vanilla yogurt instead of ice cream.
More thinking
Panera is a chain of "fast casual" restaurants, like Au Bon Pain and Cosi. Many patrons choose the popular You Pick Two, which offers two out of three options - soup, half a sandwich and half a salad.
But nowhere does the menu board say that most soups have 600 to 1000 mg of sodium, or that a 230 calorie cup of Broccoli Cheddar soup has half a day's bad fat - 9 grams.
And how many customers would know that a cup of Baked Potato Soup has more calories (230) and far more bad fat (7 grams) than a 1 oz bag of potato chips.
Want one of Panera's grilled paninis? You might lose interest if you knew that they have more calories (680 - 890) than a Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizza (640) And some paninis make the pizza's bad fat (12 grams) and sodium (1530 mg) look good.
Likewise, Panera's Signature Sandwiches make much of McDonald's menu look good. A Chicken Caesar on Asiago Focaccia, has 920 calories and 15 grams of bad fat - about as much as 2 Quarter Pounders.
If a sandwich comes with poultry and cheese, ask the server to leave out the cheese.
Opt for eighter an apple or a whole grain baguette (140 calories) to go with your soup or salad.
If you ordcer a You Pick Two, make one of them half a cheeseless salad like the Classic Cafe, Grilled Salmon, or Fresh Fruit Cup.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Think about this
"Fresh Mex" chains like Chipotle, Baja Fresh, and Rubio's are inexpensive and filling. But few people realize just how well some of their items can fill your fat cells and artery walls.
At Chipotle, customers might be wary of the meat burritos. A Barbacoa or Carnitas packs roughly 1200 calories and about 20 grams of bad fat - as much as 2 Big Macs ( with 3 Big Macs' worth of sodium) But few people would expect nearly the same from a chicken or veggi burrito. The trouble starts with that 330 calorie tortilla which adds 710 mg of sodium and 3 grams of bad fat to refined white flour. Then come 240 calories and 610 mg of sodium from the white rice. And cheese and sour cream bump up the bad fat.
To cut bad fat, hold the cheese and sour cream.
To cut sodium, choose green tomatillo over tomato salsa.
To save calories and sodium, try a tortilla free burrito bol or leave the rice out of your burrito.
If you just have to have a burrito, stick with chicken, black beans, and green tomatillo salsa ( 700 calories, 5 grams of bad fat, and 1690 mg of sodium).
Snack or a Splurge?
How much harm could a slice of pizza do? It depends on which one you choose. At Sbarro's, your best bet is a 460 calorie slice of thin crust cheese pizza. That is about a Quarter Pounder's worth. Sbarro's does not disclose bad fat, but I can estimate that the cheese pizza has some 7 grams - a third of a day's worth.
The numbers go up from there. Get a slice of thin crust pepperoni or sausage, deep dish pan or stuffed pizza and expect about 650 to 800 calories and 10 to 15 grams of bad fat. The ever popular Baked Ziti and lasagna are in the same range of bad fat. Think of each 890 calorie Pepperoni Stromboli as 2 Quarter Pounders, one with cheese and one without.
If it has gotta be pizza, stick with thin crust Cheese or Mushroom.
If you want a side dish, try a salad or the sauteed mixed veggies.
Where do you live?
The top 10 cities in frequency of fast food consumption are all in the South, led by McAllen Texas, where customers eat fast food 25 times a month.
Tea and Sunshine
Heading to the Beach? Along with the sunscreen and swimsuit, you might want to pack a thermos of iced tea.
A new study from Dartmouth Med School finds that folks who consumed at least one cup of tea daily were significantly less likely than their non tea drinking counterparts to develop basal celll and squamous cell carcinomas, the two most common form of skin cancer.
It has been suggested in other studies that the antioxidants in tea, called polyphenols,may limit the damage that moderate UV radiation inflicts on the skin.
But do not forgo the sunscreen thinking a cup of tea will protect you. Sunscreen and using common sense in limiting sun exposure are still your best first lines of defense in preventing skin cancers. Still, in addition to slathering on the sunscreen, slugging down an iced tea may be more than refreshing - the boost of healthy antioxidants may provide protective benefits that go, well, skin-deep.
411
A British study - commissioned by UK candy maker Cadbury - found that 52% of the women surveyed said they would choose chocolate over sex
Starbucks Slims Down
Your morning latte just got a bit lighter - if you get your java fix at Starbucks, the nation's largest coffeehouse chain. The company announced that by the end of the year it will replace whole milk with 2% milk in espresso concoctions at all its North American outlets. Customers can still request whole milk, but the reduced fat option will now be the default for all Starbucks drinks. Think twice, though, before bucking the low fat trend: a 16oz grande latte beverage made with whole milk packs 260 calories, compared to 190 calories in the new 2% milk version.
Of course, if you really want to cut calories and fat, you could opt for an "Americano" coffee instead - no milk and no sugar means ZERO calories and ZERO fat.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Packaged Potatoes
Potatoes fresh from the farm once accounted for roughly 80% of the potatoes prepared in American kitchens. Now, processed potatoes - from flakes and frozen fries to extruded puffs and Tater Tots- hold the top spots. You can now find fully cooked, refrigerated, heat and eat potato dishes sold in microwavable tubs next to the meat case so you can plan your evening meal on the spot.
Frozen, dehydrated, extruded and refrigerated potatoes are quick and easy, but all that processing either destroys or removes much needed nutrients like vit C, potassium and fiber, while at the same time adding unwanted fat and sodium.
Most processed potato products contain only one to two grams of fiber per serving, a far cry from the almost four grams of fiber found in a medium baked potato with the skin or seven grams in a large potato. And some processed potatoes are off the chart for fat, quite in contrast to fresh potatoes, which are virtually fat free.
Potato Pointers:
1. Comparison shop. Products vary widely in calories, fat and sodium.
2. Avoid products labeled "extra crispy" as it usually means extra fat and calories.
3. Make healthful modificatikons to package directions. For prodducts you mix, such as scalloped or au gratin potatoes, use only half the oil or margarine and substitute skim milk for whole to reduce fat and calories.
4. Go retro and make your own. Scrub and pierce whole potatoes and bake at 350 degrees for about 60 min. Or microwave 2 potatoes on a paper towel for 10 min. Bake enough for 2 meals and refrigerat the leftovers for later in the week. For tasty home fries simply slice and saute in a little olive oil with garlic and onions.
Chickpeas/Garbanzos
The ancient Mesopotamians may have cultivated chickpeas 11,000 years ago because they believed these legumes boosted performance under stress and enhanced ovulation. Spanish and Portuguese explorers eventually introduced chickpeas to other lands.
Chickpeas, also known by their Spanish name garbazos.Chickpeas are grown in India, Pakistan, Turkey, Ethiopia and Mexico, as well as the northwestern US. They are widely used as a source of protein in Mediterranean, Indian and some African cuisines, and are the main ingredient in hummus, a Middle Eastern dish popular in the US now.
Chickpeas are high in soluble and insoluble fibers. They are also rich in manganese. Chickpeas have a firm texture and a distinct nut like flavor. Dried and canned chickpeas sold in the US are typically beige in color, although black, green, brown and red chickpeas are also cultivated.
Canned legumes are convenient and just as nutritious as fresh. But be careful of the high sodium content. When buying them dried, shop at a store with a high turnover to ensure they are fresh.
Chai
Chai (rhymes with pie), a traditional drink from Asia and the Middle East, has many variations, but always contains tea, milk and spices such as cardamon, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Whether it is a good for you depends on how it is prepared.
Though made with tea, which is noncaloric, the calories in chai run the gamut from 120 for 8 oz of Lipton Instant Chai to a whopping 640 for 24 oz of Tazo Chai Frappucino Blended Creme at Starbucks, loaded with fat (15 grams) and sugar (22 teaspoons).
New research suggests that if you add milk to your tea, proteins in the milk may block the action of tea's catechins. So it is unclear whether you are really getting any of tea's health benefits when you drink chai.
To avoid a calorie calamity, steer clear of fancy chai at coffedehouse chains. At the least, order it "skinny". AND CHECK THE NUTRITION FACTS PANEL ON PACKAGED DRINKS.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Veg-Ease
If you have not bought frozen vegetables since people used pay phones check out the freezer case. It practically screams convenience.
They mix and match veggies into Asian stir fries, Italian medleys, or Southwest blends. They often supply the sauce or seasoning.
Quick and easy veggies are a good thing. But if you do not watch out,. you could end up on a quick and easy road to high blood pressure. Read the Nutrition Facts label before you put these products in your shopping cart.
Salt By Any Other Name
"Specially Seasoned", says the label on Birds Eye Steamfresh Garlic Cauliflower. All that talk of "fresh" and "seasoned" may lead shoppers to expect a bag of cauliflower with garlic and a few spices. In fact, the "special" seasoning has enough salt to supply 330 mg of sodium per cup.
Green Giant Simply Steam No Sauce Baby Sweet Peas also sounds like it is got nothing added. Try 190 mg of sodium. and Simply Steam Broccoli and Carrfots has 260 mg of sodium in every 3/4 cup serving.
Birds Eye Herb Garden Collection Petite Peas & Mushrooms with Chives are seasoned with "lemon & a touch of real butter". Since when does 430 mg of sodium per 2/3 cup serving come from an herb garden?
Take home message: Herbed, shmerbed. Seasoned, shmeasoned. Check the Nutrition Facts panel on the back of the package to keep sodium low.
Getting Sauced
What a way to ruin a vegetable. Birds Eye Broccoli & Cheese Sauce manages to cram 3 grams of sat fat and 490 mg of sodium into a 1/2 cup serving. Green Giant Broccoli & Three Cheese Sauce cuts the bad fat to 1 gram but not the sodium - 510mg.
Does not matter if you are looking at cheese, crfeam, sesame giner, , or teriyaki. If it comes with sauce, it comes with roughly 400 to 600 mg of sodium in roughly every half cup.
Solution: make your own.
Just for One what?
It is hard not to laugh the first time you see the individual trays in Green Giant Just for One Broccoli & Cheese Sauce. Each tray is so puny that you have to wonder if the giant was thinking of one toddler, not one adult.
The half cup of broccoli in each tray - about half a tennis ball's worth - is what nearly all food labels call a serving of veggies or fruit. How on earth could 75% of Americans eat fewer than five of those petite servings of fruits and veggies each day?
How does "Just for None" sound?
High Fiber Cereals: Smart Choice
Fiber has an image problem. It is not trendy like omega 3 fats or phytonutrients. Chances are, unless you are irregular, you don't even think about it. You should. Most Americans get only about 15 grams of dietary fiber a day - not even close to 25 to 30.
To get that much fiber, a daily bowl of high fiber cereal is almost a must.
High Fiber Highlights:
1. Be aware of serving sizes, when selecting a cereal. some, like granola, are concentrated, so it takes less to get the amount of fiber (and calories) listed on the label.
2. If you are watching your sugar consumption, stick to the basics. The more clusters, yogurt bites and dried fruit added to a cereal, the higher the sugar content - and calories.
3. Boost your nutrition with skim milk and a handful of berries, or sliced fruit to perk up the flavor. Berries also add lots more fiber.For snacks, top a low fat yogurt with a handful of high fiber cereal.
4. If you are new to the high fiber life, take it slow. Your taste buds may take some time to adjust, as will your gastrointestinal tract. Try mixing a high fiber cereal with your favorit lower fiber brand, gradually upping the high fiber proporftions. And do not foreget to drink plent of fluids, so all that fiber will move through you and not just plug you up.
A Poor Quiche
"Mrs. smith'sPour A Quiche and Mrs. Smith's Deep Dish Pie Crust is all you need to serve up an appetizing, all in one entree", says the Web site.
Yup. That is all you need to serve up 8 grams of sat fat in the filling plus 5 grams in the pie shell - close to three quarters of a day's bad fat in a sixth of a pie.
Who needs milk, eggs, cream, and cheese poured into a shell of white flour and palm plus soybean oil?
Instead, saute 1 sliced large onion and 3 chopped garlic cloves in 1 tbs. olive oil until soft. Stir in 3 cups thawed frozen broccoli and cook 2 - 3 minutes or until the liquid evaporates. Pour into a 9 inch pie plate or casserole coated with butter flavored cooking spray.
Then beat 6 egg whites and 2 whole eggs with 1 tbs. Dijon mustard in a bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup fat free milk, 1 tbs. chopped fresh basil, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper and pour over the veggies.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup shredded parmesan. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes in a pre heated 375 oven and serve with 6 slices of whole wheat toast.
With just 2 grams of bad fat and a respectable 5 grams of fiber and 17 grams of protein in every serving (a sixth of a quiche plus 1 slice of toast), that is a real "all in one " entree.
It beats Mrs. Smith's "all bad fat in one" entree any day.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Not Your Mom's Apple Pie
"Our story begins over 50 years ago, in 1948, when Marie Callender first baked pies for local restaurants" says the box.
"Baking from scratch, Marie used only the finest ingredients and put such love and care into each and every pie that people took notice".
Finest ingredients? Partially hydrogenated oils give each 350 calolrie slice of her Apple Pie 5 grams of trans fat plus 4 grams of sat fat.
In contrast, a similar size slice of Sara Lee Apple Pie has no trans and 7 grams of sat fat from a mixture of palm, soy, and c ottonseed oils. Mrs. Smith's apple Pie - with 7 grams of sat fatg and less than 1/2 gram of trans - is a close second.
That does not turn either one into health food. But pie crusts need some semi solid fat to stay flaky, and Sara's and the Missus's oils beat Marie's "love and care" hands down.
Toss Some Cookies
It is not just Famous Amos. You can still find trans fat in Archway, Keebler, and many store brands of cookies. In contrast, Nabisco and Pepperidge Farm have little or no trans.
An ounce of Famous Amos Oatmeal Raisins ( 4 cookies) has 2 grams of trans fat plus 2 grams of sat fat.
You are better off with Nabisco Honeyumaid Oatmeal Raisins. An ounce (3 cookies) has less than 1/2 gram of trans and just 1 gram of sat fat.
Nabisco uses mostly soybean oil, but adds some partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, which may give the cookies a touch of trans.
Your best bet = Kashi's new line of TLC cookies, which are made with no hydrogenated oils, little sat fat and whole grains. Yeah.
Keep No Secrets
Think popcorn is a healthy food? If it is popped in partially hydrogenated oil, it is the worst salty snack you can buy.
A third of a bag of Pop Secret Homestyle Popcorn delivers 5 grams of trans fat plus 3 grams of sat fat. If you polish off the entire bag, you have downed more than a day's heart gunk by the time the credits roll.
Jiffy Pop and Jolly Time are no better. And companies like Orville Redenbacher and Newman's Own use (trans free) palm oil in their regular popcorn, but that gives each serving 5 grams of sat fat.
Instead, reach for Newman's Own 94% Fat Free (no sat fat) or Orville's 94% Fat Free SmartPop (1/2 gram of sat fat). Both are trans free.
Pop Secret also makes a 94% fat Free with "0 grams trans" but it has partially hydrogenated oil, so it could supply more than 1 gram of trans fat if you eat more than a third of a bag.
