Makeover 1: The Trans Fats Transformation

The classification of fats sounds prety much like Star Wars.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats come under "good fats", while saturated and trans fats make up the "bad fats" (think Jabba the Hut).

While light consumption of saturated fats are widely accepted by nutritionists, the intake of trans fats is considered a strict no-no. Technical explanations aside, trans fats increases the "bad cholesterol", decreases "good cholesterol" in the body, and causes major clogging in the arteries, thus greatly multiplying the risk of contracting heart disease.

If the impact of trans fats is so severe, why are foodmakers still putting them into potato chips and cookies? A major source of trans fats are hydrogenated oils such as vegetable shortenings, and the addition of these ingredients into food products helps to extend their shelf lives.

According to the World Health Organisation, intake of trans fats should be limited to less than 1% of our daily nutrition intake. Based on a 2000 kilo calorie diet, that translates to roughly 2 grams, which by pure coincidence is the amount of heroin you can possess to be charged with drug trafficking.

With the death penalty (of heart disease) in mind, I sought out the first offender I could find in the kitchen.

The defendant takes his stand...

A closer inspection of the ingredients reveals the culprit.

A look at the nutrition panel.

I absolutely adore Julie's delicious peanut butter biscuits, but the listing of vegetable shortening as the second ingredient right after wheat flour and BEFORE peanut butter does sound rather worrying.

No offense to your baking skills Julie, but the biscuits are going down the trashbin.

I needed an alternative snack. Being a lover of cream-filled biscuits, the shoes were hard to fill. But my girlfriend came up with a mouth-watering idea:

And when the powers combine:

Not a particularly imaginative piece, but you get the idea. With that in mind, I had to check out the actual products and what they exactly they contain.

Of all the cream crackers in the market, Hup Seng boasts the most fragrant and cripiest ones around. But the presence of vegetable shortening grants them auto-elimination, and upon further inspection, Jacob's Cream Crackers emerge tops in terms of nutritional value.

The bottle of Smucker's Strawberry Preserves not only feel good in the hand and had a reasonable price to go along. Best of all, it's sugar-free (and trans fats free!).

When one thinks of cheese spread, Philly's is the first, and usually the only, brand that comes to mind. To my delight, I found a reduced salt version in Philadelphia Light - all the creaminess of Philly's still intact with 80% less salt. Splendid.

The cost of the three items adds up to about $11, which will not be the cheapest snacks you can find around. But the taste was heavenly. The cream cheese and strawberry preserve form an intricate mix of sweet, sour and salty variations, while the cream crackers fuses the flavours together with a satisfying crispiness.

Eunice's Strawberry and Cheese Sandwiches
Taste: 5/5
Value: 3/5
Nutritional Value: 4/5
Makeover Success: 4/5