In the News: The Fatty Food Tax, Unilever Ditches Trans Fat & Steroids in Diet Supplements
Unilever, maker of half the margarine spreads in the U.S., announced it's ditching trans fat in all its buttery spreads. Products like I Can’t Believe It's Not Butter are already considered “trans-fat free”; however, tricky food labeling laws actually allow products with less than 0.5 grams of trans fat to make that claim. It seems this move was partially motivated by buttery-spread rival Smart Balance, who boasts that their products don't contain even trace amounts of the artery-clogging fat.
Optional Toppings Not Factored in Restaurant Nutrition Labels
Putting some freshly grated cheese onto your pasta? You’ll be adding 100 to 200 calories to your dish, but may not realize it because it’s not included on a posted menu nutrition fact sheet. Same goes for salads with extra toppings like nuts, avocado and dried fruit. Although many of those extras are healthful ingredients, they can quickly increase calories. Keep this in mind if you're counting calories -- you'll need to do a little more math than what's posted. And if add on are a must, swap them for another high-calorie ingredient or take a small spoonful.
How much sodium could Denny’s possibly be pumping into their meals to cause a consumer activist group to file a law suit against them? Well, it's actually about double the amount suggested in the USDA Dietary Guidelines of 2,300 milligrams per day. Some dishes at Denny’s top the charts at over 5,000 milligrams! For those with conditions such as high blood pressure, this makes eating out at places like these nearly impossible and truly a health risk.