Foods With Hydrogenated Fat

Hydrogenated fats are found in a variety of foods and gives those foods their solidity. Hydrogenation is the process of adding hydrogen and nickel to vegetable oil, as it is cooked at a high temperature. This fills in the gap left my missing hydrogen bonds and makes liquid turn to solids. This process is what allows butter to stay firm and solid when set at room temperature.
Hydrogenated fats have been attributed with the rise of heart disease in today's society. According to Harvard University, the chemicals found in hydrogenated fats may be responsible for as many as 100,000 premature deaths per year, in the U.S. alone. Some words to look for when trying to determine if foods contain hydrogenated fats are creamy, lite, no animal fat, chewy and no cholesterol.

Processed Whole Grains

Breads, rolls, buns, crackers and granola bars contain high amounts of hydrogenated fat. In natural form, the grains used to make these foods are safe, however, during processing the fats are added through the hydrogenation process, making them unhealthy.

Confectionaries and Snacks

Confectionaries, such as cookies, cakes, ice cream and candy are okay in moderation, but they do contain a large amount of hydrogenated fats. Salty snack foods are fried in oils that are also full of hydrogenated fats.

Foods Containing Protein

Peanut butter is a good source of protein because of the nuts it contains. Although this ingredient is healthy and found on the food pyramid, the amount of hydrogenated fat is extremely high. Peanut butter is made with oils that have gone through a process to give it a creamy consistency, taking away from it's healthier properties.

Breakfast Foods

Many of cereals and other breakfast items contain hydrogenated fats, including cold cereals, pop tarts and frozen waffles. As with whole grains, these items are being reformulated by manufacturers to offer a healthier version with low to no hydrogenated fat content.

Fast Foods

Fast foods are fried in oils containing large amounts of hydrogenated fat. Fast food companies have started looking into using different oils to reduce the amount of hydrogenated fats.