Q.	My kids love burgers and I always buy the extra-lean ground beef. Is this lean enough if they eat ground meat about four nights a week?
A.	Lean ground beef isn't as lean as you think, since 3 1/2 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards) contains 16 grams of fat, a large part of which is saturated. Instead, try using ground veal, chicken or turkey, or use half beef with half one of these.
Q.	I find that MSG bothers me. What is it exactly, and is it ever called anything else?
A.	MSG (monosodium glutamate) does bother many people. It is, however, a safe ingredient in small doses. MSG is the salt of an amino acid, which brings out the flavour of certain foods. Read labels carefully, and if you are sensitive to MSG, you should also avoid hydrolyzed vegetable or plant protein, often labelled as HVP or natural flavouring. Tomatoes may also need to be avoided, as they too contain glutamate and can cause symptoms in some people.
Q.	I read your recent column on trans fats and am trying to eliminate the amount that I purchase and eat. How much is OK?
A.	I think the best answer is that less is best. It seems unclear if there actually is a safe amount for intake of trans fats, or if so, what that amount is. What I suggest is to try, as much as possible, to buy foods without trans fats when grocery shopping, because you will likely consume some when eating out. For those who missed the first column, trans fat is the fat in hydrogenated oils, shortening, palm and coconut oils. It is a cause of heart disease and its intake should be limited.
Q.	How can I tell from a nutrition label what the percentage of trans fat is in a product?
A.	Currently manufacturers are not obliged to list the amount of trans fat in a product, although recent legislation will require this over the next few years. To find out the percentage, you can do a little addition. If a label lists that a food has six grams of total fat for example, and then lists how much polyunsaturated and saturated fat is in the food, and if those two numbers do not add up to six, then the missing amount is trans fat. Otherwise, look at the ingredients list to see which may contain trans fat.
Q.	I am wondering about the calories in two exotic fruits that are in season in the winter — persimmon and pomegranate. Would you know the values of these?
A.	Two great and delicious ways to get variety in the winter, a medium persimmon has about 18 calories and a medium pomegranate has about 104 calories. Enjoy. Lisa Weinberg is a registered dietitian/nutritionist in Toronto, in private practice and at the Genesis Professional Group.