Less Is More: No Fat, No Yolks

Cholesterol watchers can look forward to the debut this month of a new cholesterol-free egg noodle substitute.

The word “substitute” may sound like a warning that you’ll be getting a poor imitation of the real thing. But these noodles cook, look and taste like regular egg pasta.

They’re called No Yolks, in honor of the absence of the cholesterol-rich portion of the egg. The noodles do include eggs--but only the whites. The other ingredients are enriched durum wheat flour and enriched corn flour, which provides a faint egg-yolk color.

No Yolks can be used in any noodle dish--salads, main dishes, soups and so forth. Manufactured by Foulds Inc. of Libertyville, Ill., they come in three widths--medium, broad and extra-broad--and cost about $1.25 for a 12-ounce bag. They’ll be introduced in some independent markets next week, in Hughes Markets the following week, with wider distribution anticipated.

According to the nutrition information on the product label, a 2-ounce serving (dry measure) of No Yolks contains 210 calories, 10 fewer than 2 ounces of regular egg noodles. Protein and carbohydrate content are the same. Fat content is 1 gram lower (2 grams in No Yolks, 3 in regular egg noodles). Interestingly, the sodium content is higher--40 milligrams in No Yolks compared to 10 in regular noodles. But the cholesterol content drops to 0 in the substitute compared to 51 milligrams (a United States Department of Agriculture figure) in conventional egg noodles.

Health Valley Foods Inc., of Irwindale, has recently launched several fat-free items.

The first to appear, in May, were fat-free cookies, little powerhouses of fiber and fruit that come in five flavors: apple, date, Hawaiian fruit, apricot and raisin-oatmeal. Reading the label is like scanning the shelves at a natural-foods store. The Hawaiian fruit cookies contain a whole-grain-and-fiber blend made of organic whole wheat and oats; concentrated pineapple, pear and apple juices; papaya, pineapple, raisins, dates, banana flakes and mango. They also contain soy lecithin, high-chromium yeast and dulse, a sea vegetable that functions as a source of dietary fiber and as a thickening agent. Three of these cookies provide 75 calories, 3 grams dietary fiber, no cholesterol and less than 1 milligram of fat.

The “fat-free” label for products that contain a trace of fat is perfectly legitimate, according to Bernie Landes, director of education at Health Valley Foods. “There is no food that is 100% fat-free unless it is synthetic,” he said, explaining that small amounts of oil occur naturally in whole grains and tiny traces of fat may appear even in fruit.

Regulations give companies a choice of declaring less than 1 milligram of fat on the label or rounding off to the nearest gram. And a product with a naturally occurring but nutritionally insignificant quantity of fat is entitled to be called fat-free, Landes said.

Health Valley introduced fat-free muffins and fruit bars in July, followed by jumbo cookies later that month. Look for these products in supermarkets and also in natural foods stores. You’ll pay about $1.89 for a package of 16 small or 9 jumbo cookies; the muffins are $2.69 for six, and the individually packaged fruit bars retail for about $2.49 for a package of four.

Another product aimed at the health-conscious customer is Spicer’s Wheat Snacks. These are tiny hollow morsels that look like kibble or bits of elbow macaroni. They are made from expanded wheat kernels and are intended to keep you feeling so full you won’t be tempted to consume rich, fattening foods.

Flavors include natural, chocolate, Cheddar cheese, barbecue and sour cream and onion. The natural flavor tastes sweet, as does the chocolate, which has a dark chocolate color but not its distinctive flavor. Spicer’s suggests combining either of these with low-fat milk for a breakfast cereal.

The 1 1/2-ounce packs are handy to carry about when you’re on the run and unable to stop for a conventional meal. Although the snacks contain no cholesterol, they are not fat-free. A 1-ounce serving contains 5 grams of fat and 100 calories, according to the label. And the ingredients list indicates that corn oil has been added.

The snacks sell for about 99 cents a pack, and they’re available at a variety of outlets, including major chain markets.