Vegan Nutrition with Dina Aronson, M.S. R.D.

Dina Aronson, MS, RD is a vegan dietitian whose specialties include chronic disease prevention, vegetarian/vegan nutrition, and lifestyle management. She is the founder and director of VeganRD.com, a nutrition consulting company. Active in many vegetarian nutrition organizations, Dina was the recipient of the American Dietetic Association's Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award in 2002.

My husband and I are arguing over which forms of "junk foods" are worse for you. He craves chips and salty foods, which I object to our children eating because they have little nutritional value and are usually fried in oils high in omega-6 and low in omega-3 acids. He says the vegan chocolate I crave and give to the children occasionally as a treat is not any better because of the saturated fat in cocoa butter, but I've heard a lot about the antioxidants in chocolate being good for you in small quantities. Who is right? -- Melanie

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Dear Melanie,

Nutritionally speaking, I would have to agree with you on this one. High-quality dark chocolate does have components that may offer protection against disease. And the fats in cocoa butter do not appear to be as damaging as the fats from animal products or the fats from hydrogenated oils. Of course, chocolate is a refined food with added sugar, so should be eaten in small quantities, as you indicated. I tend to recommend those tiny individually-wrapped squares, which are nice to savor and come in a neat little single-dose package.

However, salty snacks now and then won't spoil an otherwise healthy diet, based predominantly on a wide variety of whole plant foods. On the special occasions when you do offer your children chips, I recommend organic chips fried in cold-pressed oil, NOT hydrogenated oil. Some have canola oil, which is a better choice than soy or corn oil. Another option is baked tortilla chips, which are very low in fat and do provide a few nutrients. Also, you may wish to try unsalted varieties; they're much less addictive, and they beg for a healthy partner, like salsa, guacamole, and black bean dip!

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Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

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