20 Ways to Reduce Fat and Cholesterol in Your Diet

This handout provides easy ways you can reduce fat and cholesterol in your diet.

Meat and Beans

• Eat less meat. Aim for a total of no more than 6 ounces per day.

• Choose lean and less marbled meats such as 93% lean, tenderloin, top sirloin, or round.

• Bake, grill, broil or roast meat.

• Trim any visible fat and remove the skin from poultry.

• Include fish (not deep fried) at least 2 times per week.

• Include small amounts (1-2 handfuls) of nuts or seeds most days of the week.

• Enjoy meatless meals and include dried beans (navy, kidney, black, pinto, split peas, lentils, or soybeans) at least once per week, more if you can.
  

Dairy and Eggs

• Use skim or low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt (including Greek), low-fat cheese and low-fat cottage cheese.

• Substitute frozen yogurt, or low-fat ice cream for regular ice cream.

• Limit egg yolks to no more than 4 per week.

• Use egg substitute or egg whites when you bake and prepare food.
  

Fruits, Vegetables and Whole Grains

• Fill half your plate with colorful vegetables and include fruits or vegetables for each snack.

• Focus on whole grains, such as oatmeal, barley, quinoa, brown or wild rice, and whole grain bread or pasta.
  

Fats Added to Foods

• Use smaller amounts of all fats.

• Choose oils (olive, avocado, sesame or canola) and soft tub margarine instead of butter and shortening.

• Use reduced fat margarine, cream cheese, sour cream, mayo and salad dressing.
  

Processed Foods and Desserts

• Choose baked instead of deep-fried foods.

• Eat smaller servings of desserts.

• Enjoy fruit for dessert.

• Avoid all fried foods.
  

Who to Call

If you are a UW Health patient and have more questions, please call the phone number listed below. You can also visit our website at www.uwhealth.org/nutrition.

Nutrition clinics for UW Hospital and Clinics (UWHC) and American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH) can be reached at (608) 890-5500.