In today’s generation, trans fat consumption has increased manifold because of the availability of packaged food like pastries, cookies, cakes, pies, muffins, doughnuts, potato chips, tortilla chips, popcorn, and crackers. On top of it, deep-fried food items like French fries, fried chicken, onion rings, and fried fish have taken a major portion of people’s diets these days. Trans fat also known as hydrogenated oil is responsible for causing various health risks including the risk of heart disease. Thus, it is important to reduce their consumption to maintain our health. We connected to expert Chhavi Rohilla, Founder of Nutrindulgence to know about the strategies in which you can cut down your trans fat intake.
Read Food Labels
Read the nutrition labels of the packaged food before putting them in your shopping cart. Look for the presence of "partially hydrogenated oils" or "hydrogenated oils" in the ingredients list, as these indicate the presence of trans fats. Choose products with zero grams of trans fat or those that do not contain partially hydrogenated oils.
Choose Whole Foods
Focus on consuming whole foods which are minimally processed foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and nuts which contain little to no trans fat.
Cook At Home
It’s easier to order meals from restaurants but a habit of ordering food can be detrimental to your health. Thus it is advised to prepare meals at home using fresh ingredients whenever possible. Cooking from scratch allows you to control the type and amount of fats used in your recipes, reducing the intake of trans fats.
Limit Fast And Processed Food
Minimise the consumption of fast food and heavily processed foods, as they often contain high amounts of trans fats. opt for healthier alternatives or prepare homemade versions of your favourite fast-food items.
Use Healthier Fats
Choose healthier (low calorie dinner options) fats such as olive oil, avocado oil, canola oil, and oils rich in unsaturated fats for cooking and baking. These oils are liquid at room temperature and do not require hydrogenation.
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Choose Healthier Snack Options
When snacking, opt for healthier (winter health hacks) alternatives such as fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, air-popped popcorn, or whole-grain crackers instead of packaged snacks that may contain trans fats.
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By incorporating these strategies into your lifestyle, you can effectively reduce trans-fat intake and promote better heart health.
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