Stay Away From BabyCakes L.A.

Just because a product is gluten-free, soy-free, wheat-free, casein-free, egg-free, vegan, and kosher (whew, i know) does not mean it's healthy!

Although all these claims are true, BabyCakes (the famous NYC Vegan Bakery that has just opened in downtown L.A.) neglects to mention that most of their tasty treats have an incredibly high amount of saturated fat.

How is that possible you ask when saturated fats usually come from animal products?

Despite their elimination of bad animal fat, some vegan products are hiding a host of saturated fat found in the widely accepted vegan cooking substitute: Coconut Oil.

Advocates of Coconut Oil claim the tropical product packs a safer form of saturated fat and is therefore not as harmful as saturated fat derived from our furry friends.

They choose to use it in baking because it has a high melting point and it's claimed nutritional benefits will not be destroyed under high heat.

Unfortunately the assumption that "saturated fat from Coconut Oil is not harmful" is not backed by the American Heart Association, the FDA, or the Mayo Clinic.

Here's some food for thought:

A BabyCakes Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcake has 310 calories and 20 grams of fat, 9 are saturated.

Their Cinnamon Buns have 650 calories and 34 grams of fat, 14 are saturated.

And a slice of the "Healthy Ho" chocolate cake has 340 calories and 23 grams of fat, 12 are saturated.

Can you say Heart Attack?!?

Stats like that are comparable to the demonized brands of Sprinkles, Cinnabon, and Dunkin Donuts!

So next time you're picking out baked goods for a health conscious birthday party, keep in mind that animal-free is not a nutritious guarantee. Always check labels and beware of restaurants that use mass amounts of coconut oil.

A good alternative is to bake your own treats. This simple vegan cupcake recipe has only 186 calories a cup and 6 grams of "good" fat. You can also modify it by subing stevia or agave nectar for sugar and using rice or bean powder instead of flour.

For more info on the debate over coconut oil, check out this MSN Health article.