Unfortunately, many commercially baked cookies, crackers, cakes, muffins and pastries contain trans fat. Trans fats are created when vegetable oils are hydrogenated, a process that gives margarines and shortenings a fluffier consistency.

Hydrogenated vegetable oils give baked goods a tender crumb and help extend their shelf life. But health experts have warned against consuming trans fats because they raise "bad" cholesterol levels and reduce the "good" cholesterol in the body.

In 1994 the Center for Science in the Public Interest petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to require these hidden trans fats to be listed on nutrition labels rather than just in the ingredient list.

In January 2006 all nutrition labels began including trans-fat numbers. The FDA estimates that the new labeling will have prevented 600 to 1,200 heart attacks and saved 250 to 500 lives by 2009.

Still, the FDA has not banned the use of trans fats. Although many manufacturers have responded to consumer demand by removing trans fats from their products, not all have done so. That's one reason baking your own snacks makes sense.

These Cranberry Oatmeal Chews substitute butter for hydrogenated vegetable oils. Rolled oats offer the considerable nutrition advantages of whole grains. Dried cranberries add tart sweetness without large amounts of sugar, in addition to vitamin C and some fiber.

Cranberry oatmeal chews

Makes 4 1/2 dozen cookies