Patient Education

 

Diet

General Guidelines

  • Limit your sodium intake to roughly 2,000 milligrams (mg) per day.
  • Limit your amount of fat intake to:
    • 8-10% of calories from saturated fat
    • 30% or less calories from total fat
    • less than 300 mg/day of cholesterol
  • Read labels carefully and look for foods labeled:
    • low-sodium or sodium-free
    • low-fat or unsaturated fat

Food Chart

Use this chart to help you plan heart smart meals and snacks that are low in sodium and fat.

Food Group
Sodium
Fat

breads

Breads
6 or more servings
per day

Choose: Breads without salted tops; muffins; some cold and hot cereals; unsalted crackers and breadsticks; low-sodium breadcrumbs. Plain rice and pasta Choose: Whole grain bread; english muffins, bagels, buns, corn or flour tortilla; oat, wheat, corn, multigrain cereals; pasta, rice
Avoid: Breads and crackers with salted tops; quick breads and biscuit mixes; some cold cereals
and instant hot cereals; regular bread crumbs; packaged/prepared rice, pasta and stuffing mixes that have added seasonings or sauces		 Avoid: Bread in which eggs, fat and/or butter are a major ingredient; croissants; most granolas; high-fat crackers; store-bought baked pastries, muffins and biscuits

fruits
Fruits
2-4 servings
per day

Choose: Fresh, frozen and canned fruits; fruit juices Choose: Fruits; fruit juice
Avoid: Fruits packaged or served with added salt or sodium Avoid: Fried fruit or fruit served with butter or cream sauce

vegetables

Vegetables
3 - 5 servings per day


Choose: Fresh, frozen, and low-sodium canned vegetables; low-sodium and salt-free vegetable juices Choose: Fresh, frozen or canned without added fat or sauce
Avoid: Regular canned vegetables and juices;
frozen vegetables with sauces; packaged and prepared potato and vegetable mixes		 Avoid: Fried vegetables or those prepared with butter, cheese or cream sauce

meats

Meats
<5 - 6 oz. per day

Choose: Fresh or frozen beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, fish and some shellfish Choose: Lean cuts of beef, pork and lamb, well trimmed before cooking; poultry without skin; fish, shellfish; lean processed meats
Avoid: Smoked, cured, salted or canned meat, fish, or chicken including bacon, chipped beef, cold cuts, ham, hot dogs, sausage, sardines, and anchovies; frozen breaded meats; meats with gravies or sauces Avoid: Regular ground beef, fatty cuts, spare ribs, organ meats; fried chicken; poultry with skin; regular luncheon meats such as bologna, salami, sausage and hotdogs.

cheese

Milk, Yogurt, Cheese 2 - 3 servings per day

Choose: Low-fat 1% or skim milk; low-fat or nonfat yogurt;  some low-sodium cheeses; eggs and egg substitutes Choose: Skim milk, 1/2 % or 1% fat; non-fat yogurt; low-fat processed and cottage cheeses; ice milk; frozen yogurts; low-fat coffee creamer
Avoid:: Buttermilk; canned and chocolate milk; regular and processed cheese, cheese spreads/sauces including cottage cheese and ricotta cheese Avoid: Whole or 2% milk; imitation milk; whole milk yogurt; regular cheeses, cottage cheese (4% fat); ice cream, Cream, Half & Half, whipped cream, nondairy creamer, sour cream

butter

Butter, Dressings
< 6 - 8 tsp per day

Choose: Low-sodium or sodium-free butter, margarine, salad dressing, soups, condiments and snack foods; pepper, herbs,spices, vinegar, lemon or lime juice Choose: Unsaturated oils (sunflower, corn, soybean, canola, olive, peanut); unsaturated margarine; low-fat salad dressings; seeds and nuts, peanut butter
Avoid: Salad dressings, soups, gravies, and sauces made from instant mixes or other high-sodium ingredients; catsup, barbecue sauce, soy sauce, teriyaki, horseradish, pickles, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; salted snack foods; meat tenderizers, seasoning salt, flavored vinegars Avoid: Coconut, palm kernel and palm oils; butter, lark, shortening, hard margarine, bacon fat; dressing made with egg yolk, cheese, sour cream, whole milk, coconut; milk chocolate