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I've
presented foods and fats as being on a continuous spectrum from
good (toward the top of the page), to bad (toward the bottom),
since they can't really be classified as only good or only bad.
Foods
contain mixtures of saturated and unsaturated fats, so they
are not necessariy all good or all bad based on their fat content.
To
make things more confusing, other food ingredients, such as
calcium, protein, or vitamins, can be so valuable that a food
can be healthy even if it contains some bad fats.
The
* refers to foods that are commonly made with partially hydrogenated
oils that contain the harmful trans fats; if these foods are
made with other types of fat they are not necessarily bad.
** Even fish may have dangerous components such as mercury or
dioxanes. Mercury is lowest in small and shortlived fish such
as sardines and salmon. Dioxanes are lowest in wild, as opposed
to farmed, fish. Canned tuna is fine several times a week unless
you are pregnant or nursing (avoid albacore), but reserve swordfish
as an occasional treat. Go to the
FDA's web site for more information on mercury
and fish.
***Chocolate is fine if it's made with cocoa butter.
Stay away from chocolate and other foods made with partially
hydrogenated oil, and limit those made with palm kernel oil
or coconut oil. |
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Good
foods
fish, shellfish**
nuts, seeds (tahini)
legumes (tofu, peanut butter,
hummus, chili, beans)
avocado, olives
vegetables, seaweed
fruit
oils- olive, walnut, soybean
mayonnaise
corn tortillas, whole cornmeal
whole wheat, brown rice, oatmeal
pesto
chicken, eggs
low fat dairy
pork
beef
Some redeeming value
aged cheeses
chocolate***
white rice
white flour (cookies, cake, bread)
Bad Foods
butter, ice cream
sugar, candy
soda including 'vitamin drinks'
baked goods/crackers*
French fries*
donuts*
canned frosting*
Crisco*, margarine*
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