Download How much Fat is in common foods

How much Fat is in common foods?
Background: This week’s lab is one of the most fascinating and satisfying topics in
existence: food! That’s right, whether it is eaten, talked about in cooking shows, or
analyzed by food experts, food is not only enjoyable, it is necessary for life.
Food is made up of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. These three components (along
with water, fiber, vitamins and minerals), give us the energy we need to attend Mizzou,
work out, and live.
One of the main questions today is what we should eat. One of the Dietary Guidelines,
for Americans over two years of age, is to choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and
cholesterol. A diet high in fat, especially saturated fat, increases your risk for heart
disease, some types of cancer, and obesity.
In most cases, the amount of total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol listed on food labels
is the food as packaged, before you prepare it.
www.dietfacts.com
To get health information on restaurants and fast
food.
(Really great site!)
Experiment:
In this lab we will be measure the amount of fat
and sugar in potato chips and hot dogs. We will
use 2 methods, one for meat and the other for
chips. Meat has its fat bound with the protein, so
it needs a different method of extraction than
potato chips. The fat will float on the surface of
the mixture (fat is less dense than water so it
floats). We will then remove the fat and weigh
it. You will be surprised at the results! Feel free
to bring in food types to analyze (ex: ranch
dressing).