Wendy's Cutting Trans Fats
Looks like one of the nation's biggest fast food chains is heeding the warnings of doctors everywhere, and cutting trans fats (though not entirely).
Recently, Wendy's announced it would drastically cut trans fats from its menu by using a blend of soy and corn oil for deep-frying. The new blend is replacing hydrogenated oil, the big culprit when it comes to trans fats. Hydrogenation is a process that allows food to have a longer shelf life. But it also clogs up your arteries, putting you at a much higher risk for heart disease.
Wendy's says the change will lower the trans fats in their fries to between zero and .5 grams (depending on the serving size), and cut the amount of trans fats in their breaded chicken products to zero.
The changeover isn't complete yet, though. The company is still testing the new oil out in restaurants in Florida, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Ontario, Canada.
I think it's great that a fast food restaurant is making an effort to cut out trans fat. But that doesn't mean you've got a free pass to hit the drive-thru.
This food is still fatty -- just not quite so trans fatty. It's still calorie-laden. It's still lacking in a lot of the essential nutrients you need to stay healthy. And it's still made from force-fed, antibiotic-stuffed animals raised in dirty pens. Trans fat or no trans fat, you're better off skipping this junk altogether.
