Tips for Spotting Hidden Trans Fats

The FDA is turning up the heat on fat by requiring food labels to include artery-clogging trans fats. The edict goes into effect in 2006. Until then, protect yourself with these tips from Heather Greenbaum, a registered dietitian in New York City. Crack the Code: Look for "hydrogenated oil" or "partially hydrogenated oil" on the label. These are code for trans fat. Do the Math: Add the grams of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. Subtract the sum of those three from the total number of grams of fat -- anything left over is roughly the amount of trans fat. Cut Out Common Culprits: Limit how much you eat of the worst offenders, such as crackers, cookies, fried foods, chips, muffins, vegetable shortenings, and margarines.