Zeno's Bar & Grill

We’ve probably all noticed that trans fats have disappeared from the grocery store landscape seemingly overnight. And nutrition labels now include trans fats explicitly. But how much is too much?

I, for one, am used to thinking about fat as being something where a few grams is considered “low fat”. I assumed trans fats were the same deal, so I kept buying my favorite PB crackers for the kids, which contain about 4 grams of trans fats. They’re cheap, they’re easy. What could possibly be bad about that?

An op-ed piece in the NY Times yesterday told me I’m wrong. It turns out that a daily intake of five grams of trans fats increases risk of heart disease up to 28%. There's apparently no safe level for trans fats. Buh bye, Costco peanut butter crackers.

The article also describes how regulations in America do not cover fast food. An order of fries and nuggets at McDonald’s (also another guilty parenting pleasure) delivers 10 grams of trans fats.

Maybe all those perfect moms making nutritious snacks were the ones who were right all along. I hate it when that happens.

--Melanie