4 Sneaky Health-Food Ingredients To Watch Out For (Page 4)

Oils in Packaged Foods

Packaged convenience foods that you would assume are healthy, such as commercial salad dressings, crackers, breads, granola bars, etc., often contain palm oil and soybean oils—as well as corn, cottonseed, safflower and sunflower oils—all of which are rich in omega-6 oils. Why does that matter? Omega-6 fats compete in your body with healthy omega-3 fats, which benefit your heart and may also keep you happy. So look for products that don’t include these oils—or at least contain “high oleic” versions of oils that are rich in omega-6 fats. (These high-oleic oils are produced using plants that have been bred or engineered to have more monounsaturated fats and fewer omega-6 fats.)

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