Where to get trans fats

How Much you can eat. Your body does not need trans fat. So you should eat as little as possible. For someone with a 2, calorie a day diet, this is about 20 calories or 2 grams per day. Reading Nutrition Labels. Check the total fat in 1 serving. Look closely at the amount of trans fat in a serving.

Look for the words "partially hydrogenated" in the ingredient list. It means oils have been turned to solids and trans fats. Manufacturers can show 0 grams of trans fat if there are less than 5 grams per serving; often a small serving size shows 0 grams of trans fat, but it still might be in there. If there are multiple servings in a package, then the whole package may contain several grams of trans fat. When tracking trans fat, make sure you count the number of servings you eat in 1 sitting.

Many fast food restaurants use solid oils with trans fat for frying. Often they provide nutrition information on their menus. If you do not see it posted, ask your server. You also may be able to find it on the restaurant's website. Making Healthy Food Choices. Note that these foods are often low in nutrients and have extra calories from sugar: Cookies, pies, cakes, biscuits, sweet rolls, and donuts Breads and crackers Frozen foods, such as frozen dinners, pizza, ice cream, frozen yogurt, milk shakes, and pudding Snack foods Fast food Solid fats, such as shortening and margarine Nondairy creamer Not all packaged foods have trans fats.

Here is how to get started: Use safflower or olive oil instead of butter, shortening, and other solid fats. Switch from solid margarine to soft margarine. Ask what type of fats foods are cooked in when you eat out at restaurants.

Avoid fried, packaged, and processed foods. Replace meats with skinless chicken or fish a few days a week. Choose products with the lowest amount. The lower the number the better.

Check the ingredient list: avoid eating foods made with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil and shortening. Reducing the amount of trans fat you eat It is difficult to completely stop eating trans fat.

Eat more vegetables, fruit, and unprocessed whole grains: these foods contain no trans fat. Avoid deep fried foods. Choose grilled, steamed, broiled or baked instead. Cook at home whenever you can.

Bake your own cakes, muffins and pancakes instead of relying on pre-packaged mixes. Bake and cook with a soft, non-hydrogenated margarine instead of hard stick margarine, butter or shortening.

Go online before you go to the restaurant to check the fat and trans fat content of foods. Read nutrition labels on packaged foods to make lower saturated and trans fat choices. Choose leaner meat and lower fat milk.

Lean meats include pork cutlets, extra lean ground beef and skinless chicken and turkey breasts. Use healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats most often. These include olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oils and non-hydrogenated soft margarine.

There have not been sufficient studies to determine whether these naturally occurring trans fats have the same bad effects on cholesterol levels as trans fats that have been industrially manufactured.

The American Heart Association recommends cutting back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet and preparing lean meats and poultry without added saturated and trans fat. Read the Nutrition Facts panel on foods you buy at the store and, when eating out, ask what kind of oil foods are cooked in. Replace the trans fats in your diet with monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats. Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisers.

See our editorial policies and staff. Eat Smart. American Heart Association Cookbooks. Nutrition Basics. Healthy For Good: Spanish Infographics. What are trans fats? Why do some companies use trans fats? How do trans fats affect my health?

Why did trans fats become so popular if they have such bad health effects? Which foods contain trans fats? How much trans fat can I eat a day? How can I limit my daily of trans fats? Here are some ways to achieve that: Eat a dietary pattern that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts.