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New labeling helps people choose foods healthier for heart.

Article Excerpt
It is getting easier to eat meals that are both tasty and healthy for the heart. For example, new labeling that indicates the amount of harmful trans fat in foods like crackers, chips, breads, cookies and cereals means you can choose products that have eliminated trans fatty acids in favor of healthier oils.

Starting January 1, the FDA is requiring food companies to list trans fat content separately on the nutrition facts panel of all packaged foods. Under this rule, consumers can see how much saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol are in foods.

According to the American Heart Association, consumption of trans fat raises LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels and lowers HDL ("good") cholesterol levels, causing the arteries to become clogged and increasing the risk of developing heart disease and stroke.

Although low-fat foods are healthy for the heart, you don't have to avoid fats entirely. Lauren Magee, RD, LD, a clinical dietician specializing in cardiac nutrition at the Mississippi Baptist Medical Center...