Finding trans fat levels in foods
For starters, visit Health Canada's website to see a side-by-side product comparison of trans fat levels in some of your favourite foods.
"Consumers who visit that web site will see that a French fry is not a French fry when it comes to trans fats," says Brown.
The next step is to ask staff at the restaurants you frequent about their use of trans fats -- and to not accept "I don't know" as an answer. "All food service outlets that respect the public health of their clients should remove trans fats as soon as possible," states Brown. "If not, they're going to be tracked and we, and other organizations, will 'out' them."
Healthy eating habits
For 60 per cent of the meals you eat at home, follow Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating and:
-Choose lower fat dairy products, leaner meats and foods prepared with little or no fat.
-Cook with polyunsaturated fats (soybean and sunflower oils) or monounsaturated fats (olive and canola oils), both of which tend to lower your risk of heart disease.
-Enjoy more fruits, vegetables, fish and seafood, whole grains, beans, nuts, and non-packaged foods.
-When you buy packaged food, consult the mandatory Nutrition Facts Table, and make sure trans fats are no more than five per cent of the total fat content, two per cent for vegetable oils and soft, spreadable margarines.
The effects of a poor diet
Keep in mind that buying a product with zero trans fat is not a license to binge. "Just because something is labelled "trans fat free" does not necessarily make it a healthy food choice," says Young. "Although trans fats are bad, it's one factor in terms of a healthy diet."
"Poor diet leads to obesity, leads to risk factors for heart disease and stroke, leads to risk factors for diabetes, so we now know that these diseases are largely preventable," says Brown. "The onus is on us all to lead a healthier lifestyle."
Correct poor eating habits by checking out our list of 10 nutrition blunders.
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