Trans Fats Foods

Trans Fats Foods

By Liz Neporent
Found in cookies, candy and cake, trans fats also lurk in less obvious places. Felicia Stoler, dietician and host of TLC's 'Honey, We're Killing the Kids,' helps ferret out foods with undeserving healthy reputations.

Sinister Snacks

Nutrition bars seem like healthy on-the-go munchies but the ones that have a candy-like coating are likely to harbor trans fats. To trim one or two grams of the heart hardeners from your diet, read the label and look for ones without partially hydrogenated oils -- even if they're labeled trans fat free.

Microwave Menace

Think popcorn is a more virtuous snack than chips? Not necessarily. One serving of microwave popcorn can deliver six grams or more of trans fats. The good news is that major brands like Orville Redenbacher's will be introducing trans-free varieties later this year.

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Mean Oils

A wholesome salad becomes a nutritional nightmare when you douse it with dressing that lists hydrogenated oil as an ingredient. Even if there's up to .49 grams of the stuff per serving a product can still be labeled trans-free but this amount can quickly add up.

Cereal Killers

Don't sabotage the most important meal of the day. Steer clear of highly processed, super sugary cereals which can spoon out plenty of saturated fats and up to six grams of trans fats per bowl. They're a bad deal all around.

Deli Devils

Freshly baked muffins, fatty deli meats and ready-made offerings are likely offenders. Foods prepped on the premises are exempt from food labeling laws, so unless you live in a large city that implements a trans fats ban, you may be unwittingly consuming a ton of them.

Cooking Culprits

Next time you grease a pan to scramble an egg, consider this: The average American gets 4 percent of his trans fat from prepared foods at home. One tablespoon of margarine contains 2.5 grams of trans fat while a tablespoon of shortening packs a whopping 4 grams.

Frozen Fiends

Many brands of frozen fish sticks are swimming in up to 3 grams of trans fats per serving. And thanks to their flaky crusts, some chicken pot pies are for the birds too (up to 6 trans fat grams per half pie.) Other seemingly guilt-free yet trans-loaded frozen food choices include waffles, pizzas and even some vegetarian entrees.