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So what are trans fats, anyway, and why are they so bad? Trans fats are artificial saturated fats, such as shortening, that stay solid at room temperature. Saturated fats are used in many cooked, fried and baked products, because they help retain crispy, flaky textures, and increase shelf life. But saturated fats are expensive to use in products, so artificial ones were created using less-costly vegetable oil. Heating these oils to ultra-high temperatures makes them turn solid—but it also affects their nutritional content. They're now trans fats. Trans fats raise the bad cholesterol and lower the good cholesterol in your body, increase your risk for heart disease and obesity and may contribute to diabetes, cancer and stroke. Many health experts recommend eliminating trans fats from your diet.
When you're reading product labels, a good tip-off for trans fats is the phrase "partially hydrogenated." If you see that on the label, there are trans fats inside the package. The good news about organics is that the process of hydrogenating oils is specifically forbidden under government regulations for organic foods. So that means if you see the "certified organic" label, you can be confident that there are no trans fats inside!
Quick and Easy Chicken Tenders
Ingredients: 1 lb Smart Chicken Organic Chicken Breasts, cut into strips 1/2 organic onion, chopped 8 organic mushrooms, chopped 2 stalks organic celery, chopped 2 Tbs organic olive oil 1 Tbs organic tamari sauce 1 tsp dried thyme
Directions: Heat skillet to medium. Sauté onions and mushrooms in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken strips, tamari and thyme. Raise heat and sauté, stirring frequently, until chicken is lightly brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer occasionally until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Serves 4
Nutritional Information Calories per serving: 149. Fat: 2 grams (0 gr. saturated fat), cholesterol: 71 mg., sodium: 81 mg., carbohydrates: 0 gr., fiber: 0 gr.
Portabella Pizza
Ingredients: 8 portabella mushrooms, stems removed olive oil 1 cup grated organic mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup chopped organic tomatoes 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper fresh basil leaves 3/4 cup organic spaghetti sauce
Brush both sides of mushroom caps with olive oil. Grill the mushrooms 4 minutes on each side. Cover mushrooms with a lid or a piece of aluminum foil while grilling. Fill the mushroom caps with any combination of remaining ingredients, re-cover, and grill a few minutes to heat the toppings.
Serves 8
Nutritional information is not available for this recipe, since every topping combination creates a different total.
All recipes © 2007, Brookshire Grocery Co. Nutrient counts are rounded to the nearest whole number. All dietary and lifestyle changes should be supervised by a physician.
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Trans fats: they're the scourge of the food industry right now. Everywhere you turn, you hear about the evils of trans fats, and how we should avoid them at all costs. What's a person to do? Reading every food label is exhausting. Is there one simple way to avoid trans fats? There sure is: buy organic products! If a product carries the "certified organic" label, it does not contain trans fats. Period. That's one of the rules for being certified organic.
