It is not that difficult to follow a healthy diet: in addition to fruits and vegetables, which are naturally delicious, there are currently on the market a number of products that are important to our diet.
However, it is true that we also find a lot of tasty products, but far from unhealthy and can harm our health. A clear example of this is processed foods that contain trans fats.
Pâmela Miguel, nutritionist at the Functional Nutrition Clinic of São Paulo, explains that trans fat? much found in processed foods? emerged in the industry as a way to replace saturated fat (considered harmful to health).
They can be found in two ways: naturally in some foods, however, their amount is minimal, reaching a maximum of 5% of total fat. And in an industrial way: a process where vegetable oils are heated and turned into fats in solid form. These are the known hydrogenated fats (a specific type of trans fat), he says.
The nutritionist adds that many studies associate the consumption of this type of fat with disease and health harm. Another important factor is that this type of fat is not well recognized, nor easily digested by our body, generating its accumulation. That is, we should not consume this type of fat, because our body does not accept it well ?, explains.
But according to the professional, it is trans fat that guarantees the? Crispness? processed foods and increases their durability. Therefore it is commonly used.
Health Harm
Among the health harms caused by the consumption of trans fat, the nutritionist cites:
- Change in blood fat profile. Does it raise LDL (known as bad cholesterol) and reduce HDL (known as good cholesterol)? say.
- Increased accumulation of fat in the abdomen region.
- Increased risk of fat plaque formation in the arteries of the heart and brain and consequently their clogging.
- It is considered a proinflammatory substance in the body, "ie, it stimulates the inflammation processes, contributing to the onset of various diseases, as well as making weight loss difficult," says the professional.
"All these harms contribute to the emergence of diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular and circulatory system (stroke, infarction, thrombosis), obesity and others considered inflammatory, such as arthritis, arthrosis and osteoporosis," he adds.
Foods That Have Trans Fats and How to Replace Them
1. Ice cream (dough)
There is no denying that ice creams are a delicious option, especially on hot days. However, they have a large amount of trans fat and can offer our health all the harms mentioned above.
According to Pâmela Miguel, a good option to replace pasta ice cream is to make a frozen banana-based ice cream. "You use pure fruit as a base, eliminating trans fat and excess sugar from finished products and creating your own flavors," he says.
Frozen Banana Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 frozen and chopped ripe bananas (base);
- 1 cup raspberry, strawberry, cocoa drops, whatever flavor you desire;
- Vanilla extract (optional);
- Cinnamon and cocoa powder or coconut flour (1 tbsp) are great options for flavoring.
Method of preparation
Beat the bananas in a blender or processor until smooth. If necessary, add some water. Put the remaining ingredients one by one and beat well until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Bring to the freezer.
2. Frozen Potato
Avoid buying frozen fries for home frying. The nutritionist points out that the ideal is to make your baked potato. Cut the fresh potatoes and bake. If you prefer a more rustic option, bake the potato with the peel, in the form of a toothpick or slices. If you want to make a crunchier cone, sprinkle some coconut oil on the potato and cover it with a mixture of flaxseed meal and oat bran and bake ?, he explains.
3. Chips
This is another type of products that we should avoid. Pâmela Miguel explains that even baked options on the market and those with zero trans fat contain a large amount of saturated fat that is also harmful to health.
A good tip to replace them is to chop vegetable chips (potatoes, yams, carrots, manioc) and bake at home. That way you'll have a healthy, trans-fat-free snack, explains the nutritionist.
4. Donuts
Pamela points out that the Donut dough, besides containing a large amount of butter, is fried, which further increases the amount of fat.
"The tip is to exchange the donut for simple cake options without filling and topping (for example, orange, cornmeal, lemon)," says the nutritionist.
5. Solid or creamy margarines and vegetable creams
According to the nutritionist, a good way to replace these products is to use the fat from seeds and oilseeds (sunflower seeds, nuts, almonds) and make vegetable creams with these foods.
She even cites two recipes:
Sunflower Seed Butter
Ingredients
- 2 cups of raw sunflower seeds;
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil or flaxseed.
Method of preparation
Beat the sunflower seeds in a processor and gradually add the coconut oil or flaxseed until it forms a smooth cream. Store in a dark, tightly capped jar in the refrigerator.
Herb Butter
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil (choose dark pot);
- Herbs to taste (basil, rosemary, parsley, oregano, thyme etc.).
Method of preparation
In a dark pot, mix the olive oil and herbs. Refrigerate or freeze to butter consistency.
6. Industrialized pastries
According to Pâmela Miguel, one of the best ways to substitute is to choose to prepare a homemade cake. To make your cake healthier, the nutritionist cites other changes you can make:
- Replace the refined wheat flour with coconut flour (gluten free and high in fiber) or whole wheat flour;
- Replace cow's milk with a vegetable milk option (rice, almond, quinoa, or oat milk);
- Butter can be substituted for one of the options mentioned in the previous item;
- Refined sugar may be substituted for brown or demerara sugar;
- The oil can be replaced by coconut oil.
7. Stuffed and / or buttered cookies and cookies
They are, for the most part, delicious. But they are not good for health.
For those who are very addicted to these products, the first step is to exchange the stuffed cookie for the simple and preferably whole. But the best option is to replace these foods with whole cookies ?, says Pâmela Miguel.
It is also important to note whether whole foods are really whole. To be sure of this, always look at the ingredient list on the product label. In the whole product, it should not contain refined or enriched flour, only whole flour, bran and flakes ?, emphasizes the nutritionist.
Homemade cookies are great options, suggests Pamela:
Almond, quinoa and carob cookie
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped almonds;
- 2 tablespoons brown or demerara sugar;
- 1 tablespoon carob powder;
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder;
- 3 tablespoons of wheat germ;
- 1 tbsp wheat
- 2 tbsp coconut oil;
- 3 tbsp water.
Method of preparation
Mix all ingredients well in a bowl. Mold the cookies with your hands and bake in an oven at medium temperature for 30 minutes.
8. Microwave Popcorn
They are tasty and more practical than traditional popcorn, but microwave popcorn is not a healthy option.
"Make your popcorn at home in a pan without oil, finish with little salt and some olive oil with herbs," suggests nutritionist Pâmela.
9. Fast Food Sandwiches
Pamela points out that fast food sandwiches have several disadvantages: breads with white flour and sugar; fatty and fried meat; excess of high fat cheeses; high fat sauces.
The ideal, according to the nutritionist, is to prepare a homemade snack. Replace plain bread with whole grain bread; prepare your hamburger with lean meats and bake it. Is it worth trying the vegetable burgers (soy, tofu and vegetables) ?, he says.
Homemade Hamburger Recipe
Ingredients
- 400g of duckling ground twice;
- 1 chopped onion;
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic;
- 1 or 2 tablespoons of soy flour or eggplant flour;
- Salt, pepper, parsley and chives to taste.
Method of preparation
Mix it all up or use the processor. Divide into five hamburger portions. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator or freezer.
• To complete the snack, choose lower fat cheeses; make a sauce with fresh tomatoes, herbs and little salt; always add a vegetable (lettuce, tomato, carrot, arugula, etc.) ?, adds the nutritionist.
10. Nuggets
They are tasty and practical, but they are not good for your health either. One option to replace nuggets is to prepare a homemade and baked option. Well, besides trans fat, do industrialized versions contain preservatives ?, says Pâmela Miguel.
Homemade Nuggets Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 grams of organic chicken ground beef;
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley herbs, oregano, rosemary;
- 1 clove of mashed garlic;
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt;
- 3 tablespoons of oat bran;
- 3 tablespoons flaxseed flour.
Method of preparation
Mix chicken with garlic and herbs. Shape the nuggets and empane into the mixture of oat bran and flaxseed flour. Bake for about 20 minutes.
11. Pizza
The professional explains that when it is necessary to choose a ready-made version, the ideal is to choose a pizza that does not contain or have little cheese. Example: tuna with onion and tomato; arugula etc. Regarding pasta, look for integral options and ask for thin pasta ?, he says.
Still according to Pamela, a cool option is the detox pasta blogger Cá Healthy:
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons full of cooked chickpeas;
- 1 tablespoon full of ground flaxseed;
- 1 clear;
- Pinch of salt;
- Sesame (optional).
Method of preparation
Beat ingredients in processor until smooth. In a greased form with little oil, put the dough with the help of a spoon, forming a sprouted pizza disc. Finish with sesame on the edge and bake in a high preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Make light covers.
12. Sweet Tartlets
The nutritionist points out that the best tip is to choose tartlets with wholemeal dough and fruit filling. "Unfortunately, however, it is difficult to find these options," he concludes.
You now have a list of products to avoid. Best of all, you have great ideas for how to replace them without damaging your diet and health.
10 Foods You Should Never Eat (April 2024)
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