Low Fat Foods

Feel better. Look better. Live longer.

Here’s a handy checklist of food facts that can help put you on the right road to feeling less fatigued, more energized, and more alert.

Limit your consumption of oils, butter, margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressings and peanut butter.

Eat more starches such as grains, beans and root vegetables. These will help fill you up.

Learn to use seasonings such as fat-free, butter-flavored powders and low-fat dressings.

Steer clear of croissants, butter rolls, pastries, doughnuts, biscuits and most dinner yeast rolls.

Check directions on baking mixes and choose those you can adapt to be lower in fat.

Keep a variety of whole-grain cereals on hand, since these are generally low in fat (except for most granolas).

Look for packaged snack foods that are baked rather than fried.

If you must have the taste of margarine or butter on your bread, look for reduced-fat versions and use them in moderation.

Choose items within each food category in this guide that are lowest in fats.

Try fruits, fruit juices, or non-fat yogurt for dessert.

Patient Education PO Box 1120  Danville, VA 24543  1-877-846-8930 www.gatewayhealth.com

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The Three Types of Fat: Knowing the differences between them – and which foods contain which types – can help you make better choices. Key point: LIMIT SATURATED FATS!

Saturated Fat (“The Bad Fat”) BAD Raises your blood cholesterol more than anything else you eat Usually solid at room temperature Found in foods that are made from animal – fatback, lard, whole milk, fatty meats, bacon drippings, shortening, butter, cheese Also found in the “tropical oils” – palm, palm kernel and coconut oils

Polyunsaturated Fat When used in place of saturated fat, it may lower both “good” or “healthy” (HDL) and “bad” (LDL) blood cholesterol Liquid at room temperature Sources – corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean & sesame oils Margarine, mayonnaise and salad dressings are high in this type of fat

Monounsaturated Fat BEST May lower only “bad” (LDL) blood cholesterol when used in place of saturated fat Liquid at room temperature Best source is canola oil Other sources – peanuts, peanut and olive oils

Patient Education PO Box 1120  Danville, VA 24543  1-877-846-8930 www.gatewayhealth.com

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Heart Healthy Recipe Substitutions

Changing your favorite recipes to be heart healthy can be fun. Experiment with these hints below for ways to lower fat and calories without sacrificing good taste.

Instead of: Use:

Butter, lard, bacon, chicken Margarine or liquid vegetable oil; butter flavored fat, fatback, & shortening granules; vegetable oil cooking spray Sour Cream Non-fat plain yogurt or fat free sour cream 1 ounce baking chocolate 3 Tbsp cocoa powder plus 1 Tbsp oil 1 medium egg ¼ C egg substitute or 2 egg whites Coffee creamers Evaporated skim milk; nonfat dry milk powder

Fat free cream cheese; Neufchatel cheese; in Cream cheese cooking – part-skim, ricotta or cottage cheese

Cream Evaporated skim milk

Here are some helpful pointers about Soluble Fiber: Sources – oats, oat bran, rice bran, dried beans and peas, oranges, apples, prunes, many vegetables, whole grains & wheat bran

Choose more foods rich in fiber (20-30 grams of fiber a day is recommended).

Fiber can help lower blood cholesterol levels.

Fiber makes you feel full so you may eat less!

Patient Education PO Box 1120  Danville, VA 24543  1-877-846-8930 www.gatewayhealth.com

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What’s on the menu?

Reading Menus Confused about how to make lower fat choices when eating out? The table below can help you identify which words on the menu mean “low-fat” and “high sodium.” Looking for this terminology can help you find the healthy choice on your favorite menu.

Low-Fat Low-Fat, but High Sodium High Fat and/or High Cholesterol Buttered , Sautéed, Breaded, Creamed, Au Gratin, Prime, Fried, Steamed, Roasted, Baked, Pickled, Smoked, In cocktail Scalloped, Béarnaise, Crispy, Pot Broiled, Grilled In Its Own sauce, In broth, In a tomato paste Pie, Hollandaise, In cream sauce, Juice, Garden Fresh In cheese sauce, In its own gravy, In butter sauce

The Power of One

When reading a nutrition label, and calculating the amount of calories you’re taking in, be sure you are counting by the serving, not by the plateful or bowlful. There might be a big difference between the two! (For example, some individual size packages of snack foods contain more than one serving – you might be taking in double or even triple what you think you’re eating!

What Is One Serving?

Bread, Cereal, Rice & Pasta 1 slice of bread or ½ a bagel or ½ cup of rice or pasta

½ cup of chopped raw or cooked vegetables or 1 cup of leafy raw Vegetable vegetables

Milk, Yogurt & Cheese 1 cup of milk, yogurt or pudding or 1-1/2 to 2 oz. of cheese

1 piece of medium-sized fruit or ¾ cup of juice or ½ cup of canned Fruit fruit or ¼ cup of dried fruit.

Bread, Cereal, Rice & Pasta 1 slice of bread or ½ a bagel or ½ cup of rice or pasta

Patient Education PO Box 1120  Danville, VA 24543  1-877-846-8930 www.gatewayhealth.com