Thursday, February 8, 2007

McDonalds and trans-fats

Over on my healthy-living journal, I celebrate the fact that McDonald's is finally getting rid of trans fats in their food. 

Just five grams of trans fats a day can increase the risk of heart disease by 25%, according to a Harvard study.

A reader, Faye, left this comment:  "Does that mean that McDonald's food is no longer taboo?"

Well, no, it doesn't mean that, exactly.  Not if you are counting calories, or worried about proper nutrients.

But at least parents don't have to worry so much about poisoning their children and giving them the chance of future heart disease, when they buy them a happy meal.

Looking back, I believe the main source of trans fats in this household in the past was margarine.  Cheap margarine.  Stick margarine.  And plenty of it.  Nowadays I only buy tub margarine for the table, and butter for cooking (for the times when olive oil won't work).

Oh, the real purpose of this entry?  To get that silly skull in the previous entry off the top of my journal; it was beginning to freak me out!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope it doesn't change how the food tastes.

Anonymous said...

Their chicken is still fried and their beef is still fatty.  Somehow their grilled chicken is greasy too. I do like the fries! Hope they taste the same. And the salad is made of iceberg lettuce, the kind that has zero nutrients.
I do like their double cheeseburgers!

Anonymous said...

If I go (which is rare), I will get a small hamgurger. No cheese. If I get a small order of fries, I eat maybe 6 of them, lol! Dropping the trans-fats is a good plan. It always seems to me that when I eat in restaurants I fill up very fast and the food seems so heavy in my stomach - I swear they add fat to food. Americans like the taste, I guess!

xoox

Anonymous said...

Morning! :)
Sugar

Anonymous said...

Glad to see your entry !  Good Morning to you !  I've even heard that Crisco is now making a trans fat free shortening. I'm going to check that out next time I head for the grocery store.  Lots of little things we can all do to improve....if we only take a minute to check things out.
Sun is shining here this morning and it's suppose to hit 19 degrees today !  'On Ya' - ma

Anonymous said...



why do the people pick on the resturants when 99% of the meals are eaten at the house where few people are going to worry about the FAT an just want something to eat.

There are few people that can afford to eat the the FAST
food places. ARE you gonna issue , "TRANS-FAT food stamps"
Make illegal manufacturing "STUFF" that is not on the  YUPPIES DIET today ...WHAT will you make illegal nest week.
WHY, can you still SMOKE while it is killing thousands
leach year.  NOONE complains about it. They still SELL, weeds that kill

Anonymous said...

That skull was freakish to me too.