Low Fat Diet

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• The goal of a low fat diet is to decrease the amount of calories that are eaten from fat. Following this diet may help lower your blood cholesterol (koh-LES-ter-ol) level. Cholesterol is a type of fat that is found in your blood. High levels of blood cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease. A diet having too much saturated (SACH-er-ayt-ed) fat, dietary cholesterol and total fat can lead to high blood cholesterol. High blood cholesterol is often seen in people who are overweight, and may run in families. For example, if your parents have high blood cholesterol, you are more likely to have it also.
  
  
• This diet will show you how to lower the amount of total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet. This diet will also show you how to include more fiber in your diet. Soluble fiber is one type of fiber that decreases blood cholesterol levels. You may also lose weight by following a low fat diet. Losing weight can reduce your risk of having certain diseases and health problems.

INSTRUCTIONS:

What should I avoid eating and drinking while following a low fat diet? Avoid eating foods that are high in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Learn to read labels on packaged foods before buying them. Ask your caregiver for more information about how to read food labels. The following foods are very high in fat, saturated fat or cholesterol.

• Bread and other carbohydrates:
  
  
  • Biscuits, croissants, and store-bought muffins.
    
    
  • Cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, pastries.
    
    
  • French fries, hash browns and fry bread.
    
    
  • Granola.
    
    
  • Snack chips.
  
  
• Dairy:
  
  
  • Whole milk, evaporated whole milk, and sweetened condensed milk.
    
    
  • Half and half creamer.
    
    
  • Hard or semi-soft cheese.
    
    
  • Ice cream.
    
    
  • Cheddar cheese soup, French onion soup topped with cheese, and soup made with cream, half and half, or whole milk.
  
  
• Fruits and vegetables:
  
  
  • Fruits baked into high fat desserts, such as pastries, pies, or cakes.
    
    
  • Fruit fritters.
    
    
  • Fruit ice cream.
    
    
  • Avocado (more than one-quarter of an avocado) or guacamole dip.
    
    
  • Fried or batter-dipped vegetables, or vegetables prepared with butter, cream, or cheese sauce.
  
  
• Meats and meat substitutes:
  
  
  • Bacon, fatback, ham hocks, or sausages.
    
    
  • Fish canned in oil, or ham, cold cuts, or lunchmeats.
    
    
  • Hot dogs, spare ribs, chimichangas, and other fried foods.
    
    
  • Lamb or mutton, liver, sweetbreads, or organ meats.
    
    
  • Cheese dips.
    
    
  • Eggs (more than four per week).
  
  
• Fats:
  
  
  • Butter, margarine or shortening with hydrogenated oils or lard.
    
    
  • Coconut or coconut milk, or foods containing palm kernel, or coconut oil.
    
    
  • Heavy, table, or whipping cream, or regular sour cream or cream cheese.

What are some other ways to decrease the amount of fat in my diet?

• Keep your total fat intake at about one-third or less of your daily calories. Eat low fat foods, and avoid eating high fat foods. Choose packaged foods with less than 30 percent of calories as fat. Read the labels on packaged foods before buying them. Many products have lower fat options. Choose low fat or fat-free dairy products. Remember that fat-free does not mean "calorie-free". These foods still contain calories, and too many calories can lead to weight gain.
  
  
• Cut off fat from all meats before cooking them. Remove the skin from poultry (chicken). Do not fry meat, fish, or poultry. Bake, roast, boil, or broil these foods instead. Eat a baked potato instead of French fries. Steam vegetables instead of sauteing them in butter.
  
  
• Add less fat to foods. Use imitation bacon bits on salads and baked potatoes instead of regular bacon bits. Use low or nonfat butter-flavored topping instead of regular butter or margarine on popcorn and other foods.

How can I increase the amount of fiber in my diet? Eat enough high fiber foods to get 20 to 35 grams of fiber every day. Slowly increase the amount of fiber that you eat. Ask your caregiver for more information about adding fiber to your diet. Following are ways to increase fiber in your diet:

• Eat high-fiber cereals. Oatmeal is a good source of soluble fiber. Look for cereals that have bran or fiber in the name. Choose whole grain products like brown rice, barley and whole wheat pasta.
  
  
• Eat whole grain breads like whole wheat bread. Whole wheat, whole-wheat flour, or other whole grains should be listed as the first ingredient on the food label. Add bran cereal or unprocessed wheat bran to baked products. Replace whole grain flour for white flour or use half of each when baking bread. Whole grain flour is heavier than white flour, so you may need to add more yeast or baking powder to your recipe.
  
  
• Add beans, peas and lentils to your diet. You can do this by adding beans to soups or salads. Eat at least five different fruits and vegetables each day. Eat fruits and vegetables with the peels (skins) on, such as potatoes, apples, cucumbers, pears, or peaches. You can add fruit to your diet by eating them during meals and snacks. A baked potato (with skin) is a good food choice.

Risks:

• If you are at risk for heart disease and do not follow the diet suggestions made by your caregiver, you may develop serious medical problems. Atherosclerosis (ath-er-o-skluh-RO-sis) (a build- up of fat-like substances in blood vessels) may lead to blood clots, and a heart attack. Heart muscle may be damaged, and cause disability, or death. High blood cholesterol puts you at a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Untreated high blood pressure may lead to a stroke (blood clot in the brain). It can also lead to a heart attack, or heart or kidney failure.
  
  
• Obesity is linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. This includes cancer of the breast, colon, or prostate in men. Other health problems linked to obesity include bone and joint problems, breathing problems, and emotional suffering. For more information about following a healthy heart diet contact:
  • American Heart Association National Center
    7272 Greenville Avenue
    Dallas, TX 75231-4596
    Phone: 1-800-242-8721
    Web Address: http://www.americanheart.org
    

CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:

You have questions or concerns about your illness, medicine, or this diet.

Copyright © 2008 Thomson Healthcare Inc. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.

The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

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