Hi All,
The good news is that many manufacturers are eliminating trans fats from their food products. The bad news? Many are turning to palm kernel oil as the answer.
Most of us now know that trans fats should be avoided whenever possible (if a food product label has partially hydrogenated oil, do your best to avoid it even if the label says 0 grams of trans fat. The government says anything with .5 grams or less of trans fat can be labeled "zero grams of trans fat". .5 is not zero and there is no safe level of trans fat).
However, if you see a product with palm kernel oil instead, its a saturated fat that has many of the characteristics of trans fat, so it's just a hair better. Palm oil is not as bad as palm kernel oil, but it's still high is saturated fat.
To avoid trans fat or palm kernel oil in a particular product, read labels religiously, or buy organic when you can and your budget permits it.
--Melanie R. Jordan
"Healthy eating with favorite comfort foods...it's deliciously possible!"
Hi All,
The good news is that many manufacturers are eliminating trans fats from their food products. The bad news? Many are turning to palm kernel oil as the answer.
Most of us now know that trans fats should be avoided whenever possible (if a food product label has partially hydrogenated oil, do your best to avoid it even if the label says 0 grams of trans fat. The government says anything with .5 grams or less of trans fat can be labeled "zero grams of trans fat". .5 is not zero and there is no safe level of trans fat).
However, if you see a product with palm kernel oil instead, its a saturated fat that has many of the characteristics of trans fat, so it's just a hair better. Palm oil is not as bad as palm kernel oil, but it's still high is saturated fat.
To avoid trans fat or palm kernel oil in a particular product, read labels religiously, or buy organic when you can and your budget permits it.
--Melanie R. Jordan
"Healthy eating with favorite comfort foods...it's deliciously possible!"