The facts about the fats

MANY are misled by food labels and advertising claims, many confuse sweetness with fat content and many believe that a food that is wholesome in one respect or that is sold in health food stores is necessarily low in fat.

Here are some facts: Foods like peanut butter and vegetable oil labelled as containing no cholesterol may derive most or all their calories from fat and some may contain significant amounts of saturated fat.

Turkey franks labelled as having 30 per cent less fat than regular beef or pork franks may still derive 81 per cent of their calories from fat.

A fast-food breaded chicken sandwich may have more than 50 per cent calories from fat, but a regular fast-food hamburger typically has only 39 per cent.

Peanuts have more fat than chips, and regular microwave popcorn has as much fat as most biscuits.

A four-ounce Sara Lee banana nut bran muffin has 350 calories and 18 grams of fat, which means that 46 per cent of its calories come from fat.