Lauren Au, RD

Nutrition 101

January 15th, 2008

Angel wrote on January 15th, 2008:

“I want to know what a quick and easy healthy breakfast might be. I also don’t know what partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is.”

Some great questions, Angel. Let me try to break it down into two separate answers.

1. A healthy breakfast

Eating breakfast has been proven to improve concentration, problem solving ability, mental performance, memory, and mood! If you skip out on this meal, your brain will be deprived of all the nutrients it needs to function and your body will have to work extra hard to breakdown any stored energy for your brain to function.

Ideas for a healthy breakfast:

• Whole grain, low-sugared cereal (try Cheerio’s, Shredded Wheats, or a high-fiber variety at Trader Joe’s with nonfat or 1% milk and half a banana on top
• Whole wheat toast or english muffin with natural (non-hydrogenated oil) peanut butter
• Oatmeal (unsweetened) topped with your favorite fruits
• If you are in a hurry, try to at least grab a piece of fruit or a small snack so that you can eat it on the way to school.

2. What is partially hydrogenated oil?

Partially hydrogenated oil is another term for TRANS FATS.

What are they?
They are formed when regular vegetable oils are solidified making a harder and cheaper shortening. They are more resistant to going bad and allow for a longer shelf life. They are extremely harmful to the heart because over time, an increase in bad cholesterol and decrease in good cholesterol will be promote heart disease and stroke, two leading causes of death in America.

Where are they found?
They are most found in margarines (i.e., I Can’t Believe it’s not Butter, Brumble and Brumble, and almost every name-brand margarine), baked goods, chips, TV dinners, and fried foods.

What can you do?

• Instead of using all-fat butter and trans fat-filled margarines, use a buttery spread that contains no trans fats, such as Smart Balance or Earth Balance.
• Read the ingredient list and avoid partially hydogenated oil or vegetable shortening and as much as possible!
• Shop at places like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. All Whole Foods products are trans fat free and most Trader Joe’s products are trans fat free.

Hope this helps!

Lauren

Entry Filed under: Nutrition