Healthy Eating Guide

Advice for those keen to lower their cholesterol

HEART UK – The Cholesterol Charity

providing expert support, education and influence
 YOUR AT A GLANCE GUIDE TO HEALTHY EATING
Dietary advice to help lower your cholesterol (and triglycerides*) and help keep your heart healthy
www heartuk org.uk
FOOD GROUP KEY MESSAGES BEST CHOICE OCCASIONALLY BEST AVOIDED
VEGETABLES

Eat at least 5 or more Fresh, frozen, dried, canned fruit and vegetables Canned fruit in syrup (drain the Coleslaw, vegetables fried in batter (onion
FRUIT AND

portions everyday. . Canned in natural juices and water. syrup), fruit juice. rings etc.), pakoras and samosas.
Choose a wide variety. Vegetable based soups (without cream).

Eat more wholegrains Wholegrain varieties of bread, chapatti without Naan bread, paratha, roast potatoes, Garlic bread, croissants, waffles, puris,
and high fibre versions. fat, pitta bread, flour tortillas, bagel, pasta, oven chips. pilau, biryani and fried rice. Sugar and
rice, noodles. Wholegrain breakfast cereals, chocolate coated breakfast cereals. Deep
AND OTHER STARCHY CARBOHYDRATES

oats, couscous, pearl barley, bulger wheat, fried chips, pizza with fatty meat or too
POTATOES, BREAD, RICE, PASTA

potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam and plantain. much cheese.

Breadsticks, rye crispbreads, water biscuits, Crackers and semi-sweet biscuits Cakes, pasties, pies, steamed and
plain rice cakes, fruit teacakes, crumpets, malt (check label for lowest saturated sponge puddings, doughnuts, filled or
bread, English muffins. fat content), Homemade cakes coated fancy biscuits, shortbread.
and puddings (using best choice
ingredients) such as carrot cake,
muffins, cereal bars, fruit loaves,
fruit based puddings.

Plain popcorn. Baked crisps, low fat crisps. Crisps, cheese snacks, cheese crackers,
bombay mix.

Eat more beans and Pulses including baked beans, peas, kidney Hummus.
pulses; 2 portions of fish beans, chick peas, lentils. Rinse if canned in
BEANS, PULSES, FISH, EGGS, MEAT AND OTHER PROTEINS

per week, one of which salt/sugar. Reduced fat hummus.

is oily. Eat less red and
processed meat, and no Soya products such as soya mince, soya/ Vegetarian dishes, vegetarian
more than 500g cooked edamame beans, tofu, soya nuts. Quorn pieces, sausages and burgers.
weight a week. Quorn mince.

All fish and shellfish . Oily fish include Canned fish in oil (drain oil), fish in Seafood in rich creamy or cheesy sauces
fresh/canned mackerel, sardines, pilchards, batter (remove batter), fish fingers, such as Hollandaise, lobster, Marie Rose
salmon, trout and herrings. fish cakes. sauce.

Eggs boiled, scrambled, poached. 3-4 a week . Fried eggs and omelettes. . Quiche, scotch eggs, cheese omelettes.

Nuts and nut butters with less than 10% Nut and seed bars, reduced fat Coconut, coconut cream, full fat coconut
saturated fat, all seeds (flaxseed, sunflower, coconut milk. milk. Salted nuts, nut and seed butter with
pumpkin, sesame etc). more than 10% saturated fat.

Lean pork, ham, lamb, beef, extra lean mince. Lean bacon, low fat sausages, low Fatty cuts of meat - belly pork, lamb,
Kidney . Chicken and turkey without skin. Veal, fat burgers, mutton, liver , coated duck, goose. Sausages, streaky bacon,
rabbit, game, ostrich. meat, meatballs. Read labels to find sausage rolls, pies, pasties, chicken Kiev.
lowest saturated fat versions.

Choose lower fat and Skimmed milk, 1% milk, buttermilk, skimmed Semi-skimmed milk (2%), reduced Full fat cows, sheeps or goats milk.
lower sugar options. milk with plant sterols, soya and oat drinks fat evaporated milk. Evaporated or condensed milk.
with added calcium.
DAIRY AND ALTERNATIVES

Low fat, low sugar yogurt or soya alternatives to Fromage Frais. Full fat, thick and creamy yogurts.
yogurt. Virtually fat free fromage frais. Yogurts and Coconut yogurts.
mini drinks with added plant sterols/stanols .

Low fat and reduced fat cheese such as cottage, Modest portions of medium fat High fat cheese e.g. cream cheese,
curd, quark, ricotta, extra light cheese spread. cheese e.g reduced fat cheddar, mascarpone, stilton, cheddar, gouda,
edam, brie, camembert, soft goat’s parmesan, fried paneer. Full fat cheese
cheese, mozzarella, feta, paneer. spread.
Light cheese spread.

Choose unsaturated oils Olive, rapeseed, sunflower, soya, corn and nut Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil on food
OILS AND SPREADS

and spreads and use in oils. labels. Oils that have been reheated several
small amounts. times. Palm, coconut, shea fats and oils.

Spreads made from vegetable oils such as Butter, lard, suet, dripping, ghee, hard
sunflower or olive oil. Spreads with added plant cooking fats.
sterols/stanols .

Eat sugary, salty and Sugar free jelly, sweeteners. Dark chocolate, boiled sweets, gums, Milk/white chocolate, fudge, toffee, sugar,
SUGARY, SALTY AND FATTY FOODS

fatty foods less often. honey, jam, marmalade, sorbet, low treacle, syrup, Indian sweets, meringue,
fat or non-dairy ice cream. cheesecake, trifle, full fat dairy ice cream.

Pepper, herbs, spices, lemon juice, garlic, Reduced salt soy sauce and stocks. Salt, garlic salt, celery salt, soy sauce,
chutney and pickles made with minimum oil. oily pickles.

Use lemon juice, vinegar, herbs, yogurt, olive oil Salad cream and mayonnaise (use Rich sauces made with butter, cream or
for salad dressings. Thicken sauces and gravies light/low calorie versions where full cream milk. Cream: clotted, double,
with flour or tomato puree. Tomato based sauces possible), half-fat crème fraiche, oat whipping, soured or single. Crème fraiche.
and ketchup. and soya alternatives to cream.

6-8 cups/glasses Tap, mineral or soda water, tea, coffee with Fruit juice, fruit smoothies. Where sugar or syrup is added: squash,
DRINKS

per day. low fat milk, no sugar/syrup. Sugar free/diet Alcohol . fizzy drinks, flavoured waters, energy
squashes and fizzy drinks. drinks, hot drinks.

LABELLING NUTRIENT LOW MEDIUM HIGH

Per 100gms of food Total Fat 3g or less (1.5g or less) 3g-17.5g (1.5g-8.75g) 17.5g or more (8.75g or more)

(per 100mls of drink) Saturates 1.5g or less (0.75g or less) 1.5g-5g (0.75g-2.5g) 5g or more (2.5g or more)

Total Sugars 5g or less (2.5g or less) 5g-22.5g (2.5g-11.25g) 22.5g or more (11.25g or more)

Salt 0.3g or less (0.3g or less) 0.3g-1.5g (0.3- 0.75g) 1.5g or more (0.75g or more)
ADULT’S DAILY REFERENCE INTAKE – Total Fat: less than 70g. Saturates: less than 20g. Total sugars: 90g. Salt: less than 6g. This information is intended as a guide only and is not individual advice.

KEY SYMBOLS AND NOTES

Wholegrains Oily fish Cholesterol Alcohol Cooking with fat Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Fruit and vegetables
lowering foods (FH)

Packed with the Rich in omega 3 Foods fortified Keep to sensible limits. For We all need some fat If you have FH you may be sensitive A portion is: one large (apple, orange,
goodness from the fats which help with plant sterols men and women no more but too much can cause to the effects of foods high in tomato); 2 small (plums, satsumas, beetroot);
whole grain they are your heart beat and stanols, nuts, than 14 units per week, weight gain. When you cholesterol such as egg yolks, a handful (grapes, strawberries, sprouts); a
higher in fibre, vitamin more regularly and oats and soluble avoid binge drinking, have cook with fat choose kidney, liver, shellfish. Speak to a heaped tablespoon dried fruit; 150ml, 100%
and minerals than their prevent your blood fibre from pulses, alcohol free days each week. heart healthy vegetable dietitian or doctor about limiting your unsweetened fruit juice or smoothie (counts as
refined equivalents. from clotting. Aim vegetables and Women who are planning oils more often and use intake of these. a maximum of 1 portion a day); 3 tablespoons
People with healthy for at least one fruits. a pregnancy, pregnant or small amounts. For less vegetables/chopped fruit; a small bowl of salad;
hearts tend to eat more portion (140g) per breastfeeding should not fat - steam, microwave, 3 heaped tablespoons of pulses and beans
wholegrains. week. drink any alcohol. poach, boil and casserole. (counts as a maximum of 1 portion a day).
*Triglycerides are a type of fat. The amount of triglyceride in the blood rises after a meal and then slowly decreases. If your triglyceride levels remain high after a meal you may be asked to reduce the amount of sugar, alcohol or fat in your diet.
The Mediterranean diet
A traditional Mediterranean diet helps protect fish), vegetables, fruits, pulses, wholegrains
our bodies from heart and circulatory disease and wholegrain cereal products. It also contains
and can help manage cholesterol levels too – it’s moderate amounts of white meat and low fat dairy
full of healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds, oily foods. Red meat is eaten less often.

Check out how you score on our Mediterranean check list and then decide where you can improve.

TICK THE BOXES THAT APPLY TO YOU YES SOMETIMES NO

Do you have at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day?
A portion is roughly a handful.
Do you have 3 portions of wholegrains each day? (wholemeal bread & pasta, wholegrain
breakfast cereals, brown rice, oats, bulger wheat etc.)
Do you use olive, rapeseed and sunflower oils and spreads made from these as your main
spreading and cooking fats and in salad dressings?
Do you eat unsalted nuts and seeds each day? (as snacks, cereal and dessert toppings, in recipes)

Do you have at least 2 portions of fish or seafood per week, one of which is oily?
Do you use onions, leeks, tomatoes and garlic in sauces, stews, casseroles and soups at least
twice a week?
Do you have at least 2 meat free days each week?

Do you include pulses (beans, peas and lentils) in meals at least twice a week?

Do you cook most of your meals from basic ingredients?

If you answered mostly YES – well done, carry on. Where you answered NO or SOMETIMES – these are areas you can change or improve on.

HEART UK – The Cholesterol Charity

HEART UK saves lives by We provide expert support, education and influence, by;
helping people avoid heart • campaigning for proper diagnosis, treatment and care
attacks and strokes caused by • helping people manage high cholesterol
high cholesterol. • providing education and training for healthcare professionals

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