Household shortening is 884 kcal per 100 g with 29% saturated fat. The blend is usually hydrogenated soy, palm, or lard. A 2024 meta-analysis of 165 studies (Jayedi et al., Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2024) linked trans-fat intake to higher coronary risk. Modern US shortenings have minimal trans, but the saturated load stays.
How should I track Shortening, special purpose for baking, soybean (hydrogenated) palm and cottonseed?
With calorie-dense foods like Shortening, special purpose for baking, soybean (hydrogenated) palm and cottonseed, a kitchen scale is your best friend. Research shows that portion estimation errors reach 50–200% for fats and oils (Almiron-Roig et al., Appetite 2013) — even a tablespoon off can mean 40–120 extra calories. Weigh on a scale rather than eyeballing — this applies to both liquid oils and solid fats like butter. If you use cooking sprays, note that "0 calorie" labels are per fraction-of-a-second spray — a realistic burst is closer to 5–10 calories, and multiple sprays add up.