Trans fats were the first man-made fat to enter the food supply, according to the American Heart Association, when Crisco was introduced in 1911. Consumers and food producers loved the extra flavor and extended shelf life trans fat provided. Scientists and health care professionals were then unaware of the connection between trans fat and high cholesterol levels. High LDL, or bad cholesterol levels, can lead to heart disease, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list as the number one killer in the United States. Becoming aware of the foods containing trans fat is the first step in avoiding this unhealthy food product.
Shortenings and Margarines
Trans fats are created by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil to create a product called partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Vegetable shortening, like Crisco, and some types of margarines contain trans fats. Stick margarines tend to have trans fats whereas tub margarines do not.
Fried Foods
Foods fried in hydrogenated vegetable oil contain trans fats; this is particularly unhealthy if the food that was fried was made with hydrogenated fats to begin with, such as candy bars. Foods that are battered or breaded can also be quite high in trans fats even before deep-frying.
Baked Goods
Perhaps surprisingly, many baked goods contain trans fats that give food a less greasy texture than using butter. Cookies and cakes are filled with trans fats unless you bake them at home from scratch. Pastries, pie crusts, biscuits and pizza crusts often contain trans fats. The University of Pennsylvania, Office of Education notes that you will find more trans fats in commercially baked goods than in any other foods. Donuts are particularly bad because they are made with a significant amount of trans fats before being fried in hydrogenated vegetable oil.
Packaged Goods
Packaged goods, like cake mixes and baking mixes, contain trans fats. Prepared noodles and soup cups are high in trans fats, as are many types of frozen foods. Trans fat can be found in waffles, frozen pies, pot pies and breaded fish sticks. Cake icings and pie also contain hydrogenated vegetable oil, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Microwave popcorn and crackers may also be made with trans fat.
Restaurant Foods
Fast foods and many restaurants use trans fats, or purchase ready-made ingredients that are high in these dangerous, man-made fats. Some foods, like grilled cheese sandwiches, panini or pancakes, may become high in trans fat from the butter slathered on the grill. Avoid eating fried chicken and other fried foods to reduce the amount of trans fat in your diet.
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