Meats, Fish Marbled beef, pork, bacon, sausage, and other pork products; fatty fowl (duck, goose); skin and fat of turkey and chicken; processed meats, luncheon meats (salami, bologna); frankfurters and fast-food hamburgers (they're loaded with fat); organ meats (kidneys, liver); canned fish packed in oil.
Eggs Limit egg yolks to two per week.
Fruits Coconuts (rich in saturated fats).
Vegetables Avoid avocados, starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, lima beans, dried peas, beans) may be used only if substitutes for a serving of bread or cereal. (Baked potato skin, however, is desirable for its fiber content.)
Beans Commercial baked beans with sugar and/or pork added.
Nuts

Avoid nuts. Limit peanuts and walnuts to one tablespoonful per day.

Breads, Grains

Any baked goods with shortening and/or sugar. Commercial mixes with dried eggs and whole milk. Avoid sweet rolls, doughnuts, breakfast pastries (Danish), and sweetened packaged cereals (the added sugar converts readily to triglycerides).

Milk Products

Whole milk and whole-milk packaged goods; cream; ice cream; whole-milk puddings, yogurt, or cheeses; nondairy cream substitutes.

Fats, Oils

Butter, lard, animal fats, bacon drippings, gravies, cream sauces, as well as palm and coconut oils. All these are high in saturated fats. Examine labels on "cholesterol-free" products for "hydrogenated fats." (These are oils that have been hardened into solids and in the process have become saturated.)

Desserts, Snacks

Fried snack foods like potato chips; chocolate; candies in general; jams, jellies, syrups; whole-milk puddings; ice cream and milk sherbets; hydrogenated peanut butter.

Beverages

Sugared fruit juices and soft drinks; cocoa made with whole milk and/or sugar. When using alcohol (1 oz. liquor, 5 oz. beer, or 2 1/2 oz. dry table wine per serving), one serving must be substituted for one bread or cereal serving (limit, two servings of alcohol per day).

  Special Notes:

1. Remember; that even nonlimited foods should be used in moderation.
2. While on a cholesterol-lowering diet, be sure to avoid animal fats and marbled meats.
3. While on a triglyceride-lowering diet, be sure to avoid sweets and to control the amount of carbohydrates you eat (starchy foods such as flour, bread, potatoes).
4. Buy a good low-fat cookbook, such as the one published by
the American Heart Association.

5. Consult with your physician if you have any questions.


Meats, Fish Choose lean meats (chicken, turkey, veal, and nonfatty cuts of beef with excess fat trimmed; one serving = 3 oz. of cooked meat). Also, fresh or frozen fish, canned fish packed in water, and shellfish (lobster, crabs, shrimp, oysters). Limit use to no more than one serving of one of these per week. Shellfish are high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat and should be used sparingly. Meats and fish should be broiled (pan or oven) or baked on a rack.
Eggs Egg substitutes and egg whites (use freely). Egg yolks (limit two per week).
Fruits Eat three servings of fresh fruit per day (1 serving = 1/2 cup). Be sure to have at least one citrus fruit daily. Frozen or canned fruit with no sugar or syrup added may be used.
Vegetables Most vegetables are not limited (see vegetables to avoid). One Dark-green (string beans, escarole) or one deep-yellow (squash) vegetable is recommended daily. Cauliflower, broccoli, and celery, as well as potato skins, are recommended for their fiber content. (Fiber is associated with cholesterol reduction.) It is preferable to steam vegetables, but they may be boiled, strained, or braised with polyunsaturated vegetable oil (see fats, oil to use).
Beans Dried peas or beans (1 serving = 1/2 cup) may be used as a bread substitute.
Nuts

Almonds, walnuts, and peanuts may be used sparingly (1 serving - 1 tablespoonful). Use pumpkin, sesame, or sunflower seeds.

Breads, Grains

One roll or one slice of whole-grain or enriched bread may be used, or three soda crackers or four pieces of melba toast as a substitute. Spaghetti, rice, or noodles (1/2 cup) or 1/2 large ear of corn may be used as a bread substitute. In preparing these foods, do not use butter or shortening; use soft margarine. Also use egg and sugar substitutes. Choose high-fiber grains, such as oats and whole wheat.

Cereal

Use 1/2 cup of hot cereal or 3/4 cup of cold cereal per day. Add a sugar substitute if desired, with 99% fat-free or skim milk.

Milk Products

Always use 99% fat-free or skim milk, dairy products such as low-fat cheeses (farmer's, uncreamed diet cottage), low-fat yogurt, and powered skim milk.

Fats, Oils

Use soft (not stick) margarine; vegetable oils that are high in polyunsaturated fats (such as safflower, sunflower, soybean, corn, and cottonseed). Always refrigerate meat drippings to harden the fat and remove it before preparing gravies.

Desserts, Snacks

Limit to two servings per day; substitute each serving for a bread/cereal serving; ice milk, water sherbet (1/4 cup); unflavored gelatin or gelatin flavored with sugar substitute (1/3 cup); pudding prepared with skim milk (1/2 cup); egg white soufflés; unbuttered popcorn (1 1/2 cups). Substitute carob for chocolate.

Beverages

Fresh fruit juices (limit 4 oz. per day); black coffee, plain or herbal teas; soft drinks with sugar substitutes; club soda, preferably salt-free; cocoa made with skim milk or nonfat dried milk and water (sugar substitute added if desired); clear broth. Alcohol: limit two servings per day (serving sizes: 1 oz. liquor, 5 oz. beer, or 2 1/2 ox. dry table wine per serving, one serving must be substituted for one bread or cereal serving).

Miscellaneous

You may use the following freely; vinegar, spices, herbs, nonfat bouillon, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, flavoring essence.

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Information provided on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your doctor.
Please check with your health care provider for advice
or guidance specific to your case.

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