The TLC diet is a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol diet that includes less than seven percent of calories from saturated fat and less than 200 mg of dietary cholesterol daily. The number of calories allowed on the TLC diet is individualized based on the number of calories needed to lose weight or maintain weight while avoiding weight gain. Sometimes reducing saturated fats and dietary cholesterol is not enough to lower your LDL enough and increasing the amount of soluble fiber may be necessary. Other foods that contain plant stanols or plant sterols such as cholesterol-lowering margarines and salad dressings can be added to the TLC diet to further help boost the effectiveness of the TLC diet.
Foods low in saturated fats include:
- fat
free or one percent dairy products
- lean
meats
- fish
- poultry
with the skin removed
- fruits
- vegetables
- soft margarines either liquid or in tubs--read the labels to find the ones that are low in saturated fats, as well as ones that contain little or no trans fat
Foods, high in cholesterol, that should be limited include:
- liver
and other organ meats
- egg
yolks
- full-fat dairy products
Sources of soluble fiber include:
- oats
- fruits
such as oranges and pears
- vegetables
such as brussel sprouts and carrots
- dried peas and beans
For
more information about lowering cholesterol and lowering
your risk for heart disease, write to:
the NHLBI Health
Information Center
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda, MD, 20824-0105
Or you may call 301-592-8573
