Words That Tell Where the Fat Is At

Here are some words to help distinguish the fat listed on ingredient labels, as recommended by the American Heart Assn.’s Grocery Guide.

Acceptable ingredients:

Carob powder, cocoa, corn oil, cottonseed oil, diglycerides, hydrolyzed ingredients, monoglycerides, nonfat dry milk or solids, safflower oil, sesame oil, skim milk, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, sunflower oil.

Unacceptable ingredients:

Bacon fat, beef fat, butter, chicken fat, real chocolate (acceptable for occasional use), imitation chocolate, cocoa butter (acceptable for occasional use), coconut, coconut oil, cream and cream sauce, egg and egg-yolk solids, hardened fat or oil, hydrogenated fat or oil, lard, meat fat, pork fat, vegetable fat, vegetable oil (beware; both vegetable fat and vegetable oil might be coconut or palm oil), whole-milk solids.

Another thing to remember is that oils are often hydrogenated in processed foods to increase shelf life and to make the product firmer. When oils are hydrogenated, they become more saturated.