Diet Low In Fat And Cholesterol

Choosing sensibly means choosing a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat; choosing beverages and foods to moderate your intake of_, sugars: choosing and preparing foods with less salt; and only drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation.

You may be surprised to know that we do need to eat fat in the diet. Fats supply essential fatty acids and help absorb fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) in the body. But problems arise because people tend to eat too much fat.

Diets high in fat, particularly saturated fat and cholesterol, both known to increase blood cholesterol levels, have been linked to heart disease, stroke, obesity, and certain types of cancer. In contrast, consuming fats from unsaturated sources (mainly from vegetable oils) does not raise blood cholesterol levels. Eating too much fat, of all types, is also a cause of obesity.

Because of the concern with high-fat foods and a high-fat diet, recommendations call for choosing a diet with no greater than 30 percent of the total calories coming from fat. Of this 30 percent, no more than 10 percent should come from saturated fat sources. Refer to the following chart to see how many grams of fat, saturated and unsaturated, should be part of a diet depending on the number of calories consumed daily.

Saturated fats are primarily found in foods from animal sources, like high-fat dairy products (whole milk and cheese), fatty fresh and processed meats, skin and fat on poultry, lard, and also in palm and coconut oils. Cholesterol is also found solely in animal products, primarily in the liver and other organ meats, egg yolks, dairy fats, chicken skin, fatty meats, and in some seafood. Unsaturated fats are mainly found in vegetable oils, nuts, olives, avocados, and fatty fish like salmon. All are considered fats. Some are healthier choices than others but in all cases their intake should be limited. 

In order to follow these recommendations, here's how you can reduce your fat and cholesterol intake:

• Reduce the amount of fat you consume from animal sources, like fat on meats and fat in milk, butter, cream, and egg yolks.
• Choose lean cuts of meat.
• Remove skin from chicken and poultry before eating.
• Select low-fat dairy products, including milk, yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese.
• Limit your intake of high-fat convenience snack foods.
• Limit foods like cookies, cakes, pastries, doughnuts, margarine, and cooking oils.
• Become familiar with sources of saturated fat and cholesterol.
• Use low-fat soft margarine in place of hard margarine.
• Use liquid cooking spray in place of oil or butter.
• Avoid fried foods; opt for baked, broiled, boiled, or grilled foods instead.
• Substitute olive oil, canola oil, or other vegetable oils for solid fats like margarine, butter, or lard.
• Be smart, too, and compare similar products.

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