Earlier this week I picked up bags of the Steamfresh cauliflower and the Steamfresh beans, just to check. Talk about convenient: just pop the whole bag into the microwave for 4 - 6 minutes, open it up and voila, there's tonight's vegetable.And then I tasted them. And THEN I read the labels. I'm a big fan of frozen vegetables, but take these off your shopping list.
GREEN BEANS: The beans tasted okay though turned out rather 'moist', soggy even. These aren't 'special', just decent frozen green beans, so not worth a price premium if there is one. On the plus side, the ingredient list was straight-forward: beans, nothing but beans.
CAULIFLOWER: I really liked the cauliflower and was happy to call the whole twelve-ounce bag 'lunch' (at two Weight Watchers points a bag, that's not bad!) And THEN I read the label.
IT PAYS TO READ THE FINE PRINT Because the cauliflower is 'specially seasoned', the ingredient list includes salt, sugar, garlic powder, dehydrated onion and garlic, something called "natural flavor" (what the heck is that?) and -- bad, bad, bad -- partially hydrogenated soybean oil (read "trans fat").
Why is trans fat bad?
Trans fat raises your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol and lowers your "good" (HDL) cholesterol. - Mayo Clinic
What is trans fat?
Trans fat comes from adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation. Trans fats are more solid than oil, making them less likely to spoil. Using trans fats in the manufacturing of foods helps foods stay fresh longer, have a longer shelf life and have a less greasy feel. Initially, trans fats were thought to be a healthy alternative to animal fats because they're unsaturated and come primarily from plant oils. However, in 1990 scientists made a startling discovery: Trans fats appeared to both increase LDL cholesterol and decrease HDL cholesterol. More studies over the years confirmed this. - Mayo Clinic
So why does the label for Birds Eye Steamfresh Cauliflower read 0 mg and 0% of transfat?
Why indeed, Birds Eye? I'd love to know.
DISCUSSION
Trans fat seems to be a double negative that unlike the linguistic counterpart (you know, a double negative statement is actually a positive) with nothing positive, either healthwise or so far, anyway, reaction-wise. Are you watching labels for trans fats? And did you know that you have to check the ingredient list as well as the nutrition box, to know for sure? Are you worried that your croissants will no longer be made with butter which happens to contain small amounts of trans fats, naturally? And what about the legislation to ban transfats in New York City and elsewhere? I don't know about you, but ALL this makes me boil.
FROM THE ARCHIVES For other no-cooking products, see 100% Convenience in the Recipe Box.
A YEAR AGO A great citrus salad -- "So pretty! And the dressing, SO delicious! Who knew that orange and cumin are such a magical combination?!"
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