How much fat should I have?

• Try to reduce your total fat intake to 30 percent of your calories.
• Limit fish, meat, and poultry to 6 ounces or less (90% lean) per day

Saturated Fats

• Saturated fats should comprise less than 7% of your daily calories.
• Saturated fats raise blood cholesterol levels.
• These fats are solid at room temperature and include butter, shortening, hydrogenated oils, stick margarine, bacon lard, and palm oil.
• Saturated fats are found primarily in animal products including beef, lamb, pork, poultry skin, cream, whole milk, and egg yolks.

3 ounces of meat is about the size of a deck of cards or a computer mouse.

Can I still eat meat?

Red Meat

• Limit meat to 3-4 times per week.
• Choose leaner cuts of meat like sirloin or round.
• Choose meats that are at least 90% lean.

• Make sure to trim away visible fat before cooking. This step can reduce overall fat content by 50%.

All beef cuts are based on 3 ounce cooked servings, ¼ inch trim, lean only, select grade. Pork cuts are based on lean, roasted varieties.

Poultry

• Remove the skin from poultry before or after cooking.

• Choose white meat. Dark meat is higher in fat.

All chicken cuts are based on cooked servings, skinless.

Fish

• The American Heart Association encourages everyone to consume fish at least twice per week.
• Fatty fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids. This includes salmon, mackerel, albacore tuna, sardines, and lake trout. Omega-3 fatty acids protect against heart disease by lowering blood triglycerides (fats) and reducing blood clotting.
• Omega-3 fatty acids help lower the risk for heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest due to an irregular heart beat.

All fish cuts are based on 3 ounce servings.

Heart Healthy Cooking Tips

• Select Meats labeled "select" or "choice" rather than "prime." "Select" and "choice" meats are more red in color and are lower in saturated fat.
• Trim visible fat from meat and remove skin from poultry before cooking.
• Small amounts of meat, fish, or poultry can be combined with vegetables, pasta, rice or other grains for a hearty entrée.
• Cook foods by baking, broiling, boiling, roasting, grilling, stewing or steaming.
• Place meats on a rack so fat can drain off.
• Remove fat from meat drippings by refrigerating the drippings until the fat is hardened. It then can be removed and the natural juice can be used for making gravy or soups.
• Switch to low-fat or fat free dairy products and cheese.
• Skim milk and low-fat cheese may be used for making sauces for vegetables.
• Select a margarine which lists liquid oil as the first ingredient.
• Opt for a margarine that is free of trans-saturated fat (hydrogenated oils.)
• Substitute two egg whites or ¼ cup of liquid egg substitute for one whole egg.
• Read labels carefully. Choose foods having more polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats than saturated fats.
• Cook with vegetable oils instead of butter or shortening. Good choices include olive oil, canola oil, and peanut oil.

Margarine Vs. Butter – Which is Better?

That depends! Some margarine spreads contain trans fatty acids.

• Trans fatty acids are made through hydrogenation, a process that turns liquid oils into solid fats.
• Trans fatty acids increase LDL cholesterol ("bad") and the risk of heart disease.

• These fats are typically found in:

• Limit foods that list "partially hydrogenated" or "fully hydrogenated" oils as an ingredient.

Some Margarine Spreads are Better than Others!

• Choose a margarine that lists liquid oil as the primary ingredient.
• Choose a margarine that is labeled "Trans fat free" or "Contains no hydrogenated oils."
• Heart smart choices include:

Plant Stanols and Sterols Can Help Lower Your Cholesterol

• Some margarine spreads contain plant stanols or sterols, natural substances found in plant foods like soybeans.
• Plant sterols and stanols can help reduce your cholesterol by 10% to 15%.
• Recommended intake is 2 to 3 grams of stanol/sterol per day for lower cholesterol.
• Margarine spreads that contain stanols and sterols include:

— The recommended intake of either of these spreads is three servings a day.

• Make sure that you choose a margarine spread that lists liquid oil as the first ingredient.

All margarine spreads should be Trans Fat Free (no hydrogenated oils used

Include Omega - 3 Fatty Acids

• Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish including salmon*, mackerel, albacore tuna*, and lake trout.

• Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil, and soybean oil.

• Omega-3 fatty acids help lower the risk for heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest.

• The American Heart Association recommends consuming fish at least twice per week (6 ounces per week.)

Increase Your Use of Soy

• Soy foods contain soy protein that may help lower blood cholesterol levels.
• The recommended level of soy protein is 25 grams per day.
• Foods may use health claim if at least 6.25 grams soy protein present per serving.

— 1 cup soy milk contains 7 grams

— 1/2 cup tofu contains 10 grams

— 1/2 cup textured soy protein has 11 grams

— 1/2 cup cooked soybeans has 14 grams

— 1/4 cup roasted soynuts has 16 grams

Increase Monounsaturated Fats

— Replace saturated fat with monounsaturated fats (15 - 30 grams a day.)

— Monounsaturated fats are found in olive, canola, peanut oils, most nuts, and avocados.

— Most fat is a mixture of all three types of fat – saturated, monounsaturated, and

polyunsatruated.

— The grams monounsaturated fat in 1 oz (3 Tbsp) of nuts:

— macadamia 16.5

— filberts 14.0

— pecans 11.4

— almonds 9.5

— pistachios 9.3

Use Soluble Fiber

— Every 1 - 2 grams soluble fiber reduces LDL cholesterol ("bad cholesterol") by 1 %.

— Try to eat 15 grams soluble fiber each day (25-30 grams of total fiber.)

— Legumes, fruits, root vegetables, oats, barley and flax are good sources of soluble fiber.

— The following each contain at least 2 grams soluble fiber:

— 1 cup cooked oatmeal

— 1 cup cooked barley

— 1 cup cooked beans, split peas, lentils

— 1 large sweet potato

— 1 cup broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots

— 1/2 cup apricots, figs

— 6 prunes

— 1/4 cup ground flax seeds

— 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

Increase intake of Anti-Oxidants

— Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

— Aim for 5 - 9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

— The more colorful a fruit or vegetable is, the better it is for you.

— Beta-Carotene and Vitamin A can be found in broccoli, collard greens, kale, spinach, apricots,

cantaloupe, carrot, mango, papaya, pumpkin, sweet potato, tomato, and winter squash.

— Vitamin C sources include broccoli, cantaloupe, citrus, kiwi, red pepper, strawberries, and

tomatoes.

Tips for reducing the salt in your diet

Hide the salt shaker

• Remove the salt shaker from the table.

• Replace with a salt-free substitute like Mrs. Dashã , Papa Dash, Kroger Zesty Blends or your own mixture of favorite spices.

• Check with your physician before taking a salt substitute (e.g. No Salt, "Lite" Salt).

Avoid canned or boxed foods

• Sodium is often used as a preservative in canned and boxed foods.

• Avoid canned meats, soups, canned vegetables, condiments, frozen convenience foods, and TV dinners.

• Try to use fresh or frozen vegetables and make foods from "scratch."

Read labels carefully to find "hidden" sodium.

• Many foods that don't taste salty are actually quite high in sodium.

• Most "hidden" sodium comes from commercially prepared or packaged foods.

Learn to prepare meals with less salt

• Avoid high sodium condiments like soy sauce, mustard, ketchup & barbecue sauce.

• Season with herbs, spices, herbed vinegar, herb rubs and fruit juices.

• Create your own sodium-free substitutes

Spice Up Your Meals!

Add herbs and spices to your favorite foods for a low sodium treat!