This eating plan from the American Heart Association is based on the latest advice of medical and nutrition experts. The best way to help lower your blood cholesterol level is to eat less saturated fat and cholesterol, control your weight and walk or do another physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day. Our plan is based on these dietary guidelines:

• Total calories should be adjusted to reach and maintain a healthy weight.

• Saturated fat intake should be 7 to 10 percent of calories (or even less).

• Polyunsaturated fat intake should be up to 10 percent of calories.

• Monounsaturated fat can make up to 15 percent of total calories.

• Total fat intake should be adjusted to caloric needs. Overweight people should consume no more than 30 percent of total calories from fat. 

• Cholesterol intake should be less than 300 milligrams per day.

• Sodium intake should be less than 2,300 milligrams per day, which is about 1 teaspoon of sodium chloride (salt).

This is an easy-to-follow guide to delicious eating. You don't have to calculate anything — and you don't have to give up your favorite foods.

Eating the recommended number of servings from each food group gives you enough protein, vitamins and minerals — nutrients that your body needs each day. Eat moderate amounts of foods from the meat, fish, poultry, egg and fat groups. You may choose more servings of foods from the other groups if you don’t need to lose weight or if you want to gain weight.

The secret to success is balance. If occasionally you indulge in a high-fat entrée for dinner, balance it with lower-fat foods such as steamed vegetables or a fruit for dessert. The same idea applies to high-fat or salty snacks. Eat small amounts, and balance them with low-fat, low-sodium foods, such as fruits and raw vegetables.

The American Heart Association suggests this plan for all healthy Americans and children older than age 2. Growing children and teenagers have special needs. They must get enough energy (calories) and nutrients each day. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding — or people who have a medical disorder such as diabetes — should talk to their healthcare provider, a registered dietitian, or a licensed dietitian or nutritionist about their special dietary needs.

To control the amount of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol as well as total fat you eat:

• Eat up to 6 ounces (cooked) per day of lean meat, fish and skinless poultry.

• Try main dishes featuring pasta, rice, beans and/or vegetables. Or create "low-meat" dishes by mixing these foods with small amounts of lean meat, skinless poultry or fish.

• Use cooking methods that require little or no fat — boil, broil, bake, roast, poach, steam, sauté, stir-fry or microwave.

• Adjust your total fat intake to your caloric needs.  Consider the fat you use for cooking, baking, and in salad dressings and spreads.

• Trim off the fat you can see before cooking meat and poultry. Drain off all fat after browning. Chill soups and stews after cooking so you can remove the hardened fat from the top.

• Eggs and shellfish can be a major source of dietary cholesterol. Limit your total daily cholesterol intake to 300 mg or less.

• Limit your use of organ meats such as liver, brains, chitterlings, kidney, heart, gizzard, sweetbreads and pork maws.

• Choose fat-free (skim), ½% or 1% fat milk and nonfat or low-fat yogurt and cheeses. Keep fat in dairy products to 1% or less.

• Make 5 or more servings of fruits or vegetables a part of your day.

• Eat 6 or more servings per day of breads, cereals or grains, pasta, dried beans or starchy vegetables.

• To avoid weight gain, balance the calories you eat with 30–60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.

Servings per day

• Eat no more than 6 oz. (cooked) of lean meat, poultry and fish.

• Try to eat 1–2 servings of baked or grilled fish each week.

Serving size

• 3 oz. cooked (4 oz. raw) lean meat, poultry or fish

A three-ounce portion of meat, poultry or fish equals:

• About the size of a deck of playing cards
• 2 thin slices of lean roast beef (each slice 3" x 3" x 1/4")
• 1/2 of a chicken breast or a chicken leg with thigh (without skin)
• 3/4 cup of flaked fish

Choose from:

• Fish and shellfish — Shrimp and crayfish are higher in cholesterol than most other types of fish, but lower in fat and saturated fat than most meats and poultry.

• Poultry — This can include chicken, Cornish hen and turkey (without skin), as well as ground turkey.

• Lean beef — Use cuts from the round, chuck, sirloin and loin. Buy "choice" cuts or "select" grades of beef rather than "prime." Choose lean or extra lean ground beef (no more than 15 percent fat).

• Lean veal — Avoid commercially ground veal.

• Lean ham, lean pork — Use tenderloin and loin chop. Avoid ham and Canadian bacon, which are higher in sodium than other meats.

• Lean lamb — Use leg, arm and loin.

• Lean cuts of buffalo, emu and ostrich — Lean cuts of  these meats are very low in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.

• Wild game — These include rabbit, venison, pheasant and duck (without skin). These usually have less fat than animals raised for market such as duck and goose.

• Processed sandwich meats — These include low-fat turkey, chicken, turkey ham, turkey pastrami or lean boiled ham. However, beware of the high sodium content of these meats.

Shopping and preparation tips

• Choose cuts of meat that have the least amount of visible fat. Trim off the visible fat before cooking.

• Instead of frying, prepare meats by baking, broiling, roasting, microwaving or stir-frying.

• Pour off the fat after browning.

• Remove the skin and fat under the skin from poultry pieces before cooking (except when roasting a whole chicken or turkey — remove the skin before carving and serving the meat).

• Select whole turkeys that haven’t been injected with fats or broths.

• Chill meat juices after cooking, so you can easily skim off the hardened fat. Then add the juices to stews, soups and gravy.

• Look for frozen dinners and entrees that are made specially for diets low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.

• A cup of cooked beans, peas or lentils is equivalent to 2 ounces of meat. Also, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter equals 1 ounce of meat.

• Organ meats are very high in cholesterol. However, liver is rich in iron and vitamins and a small serving (3 ounces) is OK about once a month.

Note: Adults over age 50 should consume vitamin B12 from fortified foods or vitamin supplements to meet the recommended intake of 2.4 micrograms (mg) of vitamin B12 per day.

Servings per week

Because eggs have a high cholesterol content (213 mg per yolk), monitor your use of eggs as you try to limit your cholesterol intake to 300 mg or less per day.

Shopping and preparation tips

• Use two egg whites, or one egg white plus 2 teaspoons of unsaturated oil, in place of one whole egg in cooking. You can also use cholesterol-free commercial egg substitutes.
• Eat only cooked — not raw — eggs and egg whites.

Servings per day

• 5 or more

Serving size

• 1 medium size piece of fruit or 1/2 cup fruit juice
• 1/2 –1 cup cooked or raw vegetables

Choose from:

• All vegetables and fruits except coconut
• Olives and avocados should be counted as fats

Shopping and preparation tips

• Enjoy plenty of fruits and vegetables. If you’re watching your weight, these foods will give you vitamins, minerals and fiber with few calories.
• Be sure to include sources rich in vitamin C and vitamin A.
• Check the labels for sodium content of canned vegetables.

Servings per day

• 2 for children 1–3 years old
• 2 or more for children 4–8 years
• 4 for children and teenagers 9–18 and adults 51 and older
• 3 for adults 19–50 years
• 3–4 for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, according to age groups above

• 1 cup fat-free, 1/2% or 1% fat milk
• 1 cup nonfat or low-fat yogurt
• 1 oz. low-fat cheese or 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

Milk products with 0–1% fat:

• Skim, fat-free, zero-fat, no-fat or nonfat milk
• 1/2–1% low-fat or light milk
• Nonfat or low-fat dry milk powder
• Evaporated skim or fat-free milk
• Buttermilk made from fat-free or 1% fat milk
• Nonfat or low-fat yogurt
• Drinks made with fat-free or 1% fat milk and cocoa (or other low-fat drink powders)
• Frozen low-fat yogurt

• Dry-curd or low-fat cottage cheese
• Natural or processed cheeses with no more than
  -    3 grams of fat per ounce and no more than
  -    2 grams of saturated fat per ounce

• No more than 3 grams of fat per 1/2 cup serving

• Fat-free, 1/2% fat and 1% fat milk all provide the same nutrients as whole milk and 2% fat milk, but they’re much lower in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and calories.

• If you’re used to whole-milk products (3.5% fat), you may find it easier to taper off slowly. Try 1% low-fat milk first, then change to 1/2% low-fat milk. Soon you'll be able to switch to fat-free (skim) milk with no trouble.

Servings per day

• 6 or more

• 1 slice bread
• 1/4 cup nugget or bud-type cereal
• 1/2 cup hot cereal
• 1 cup flaked cereal
• 1 cup cooked rice or pasta
• 1/4–1/2 cup starchy vegetables
• 1 cup low-fat soup

Breads and rolls

• Wheat, rye, raisin or white bread
• English muffins
• Hotdog and hamburger buns
• Water (not egg) bagels
• Pita bread
• Corn tortillas (not fried)

• Animal, graham, rye crackers
• Soda, saltine, oyster crackers
• Matzo
• Fig bar, ginger snap, molasses cookies
• Bread sticks, melba toast
• Flat bread
• Pretzels (unsalted)
• Popcorn

• Homemade
• Biscuits, muffins, cornbread
• Fruit breads, soft rolls
• Pancakes, French toast, waffles

• All kinds (granola-type may be high in fat or saturated fat)

• All kinds (pasta made without egg yolk)

• Potatoes, corn
• Lima beans, green peas
• Winter squash
• Yams, sweet potatoes

• Broth or bouillon
• Chicken noodle
• Tomato-based seafood
• Chowders
• Minestrone
• Onion
• Split pea

• Many kinds of crackers and snacks are available with no added salt or unsalted tops. Some are high in saturated fat, so read the labels.

• For homemade quick breads, pancakes, French toast and waffles: Use margarine with liquid vegetable oil as the first listed ingredient or oils low in saturated fat, fat-free or 1% fat milk, and egg whites or egg substitutes (or egg yolks within limits). If you use any egg yolks, be sure to count them in your daily cholesterol allowance.

• Cereals cooked without salt are lower in sodium than instant cooked cereals. Rice and pasta cooked without salt are lower in sodium than ready-to-eat types.

• Most soups are high in sodium and some are high in fat. When buying soups, read labels and choose those low in sodium and fat (especially saturated fat). You can also make your own soups and control both sodium and fat.

• French fries, donuts and crackers are major sources of trans fatty acids in the diet. Trans fatty acids raise LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol.

Some of these foods are high in vitamins A or E, but all are high in fat and calories.

Servings per day

• Adjust total fat intake to caloric needs.  Limit to 5 teaspoons or equivalent servings if you're trying to lose weight.

• 1 tsp. vegetable oil or regular margarine
• 2 tsp. diet margarine
• 1 Tbsp. salad dressing
• 2 tsp. mayonnaise or peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp. seeds or nuts
• 1/8 of medium avocado
• 10 small or 5 large olives

• Vegetable oils and margarines with liquid vegetable oil as the first listed ingredient and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon such as canola, corn, olive, safflower, sesame, soybean, sunflower

• Reduced-fat and no-fat salad dressings and mayonnaise with no more than 1 gram of saturated fat per tablespoon

Shopping and preparation tips

• Use fats and oils sparingly — and use the ones lowest in saturated fat and cholesterol.
• Use hydrogenated shortenings sparingly and choose those made from vegetable fat. They’re lower in saturated fat than those made from animal- or vegetable-fat blends.
• Use cooking styles that add little or no fat to food, and ask for them when eating out.
• Remember to count the "hidden fat" in bakery and snack foods as well as the fats used in cooking and on vegetables and breads.
• Remember that although coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil are vegetable oils and have no cholesterol, they're high in saturated fat. Read food labels carefully.
• Also look for fats and margarines (liquid and tub varieties) that are low or free of trans fatty acids. Trans fatty acids raise LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol.

First choices (low in fat and saturated fat)

• Fruit — fresh, frozen, canned or dried
• Low-fat yogurt with fruit
• Crackers and cookies (as listed in the Breads section)
• Angel food cake
• Frozen fat-free, low-fat or nonfat yogurt
• Low-fat ice cream with no more than 3 grams of fat per 1/2 cup
• Flavored gelatin
• Water ices, sherbets or sorbets

• Choose homemade desserts made from margarine with liquid vegetable oil as the first listed ingredient or oils low in saturated fat.
• Use fat-free or 1% fat milk, egg whites or egg substitutes. An occasional egg yolk is OK.
• Choose store-bought desserts that are listed as low-fat or nonfat. However, if the product is made with hydrogenated oils, it may contain high levels of trans fatty acids. It's best to limit your intake of these kinds of sweets.

• Fruits and juices
• Raw vegetables and low-fat dips
• Low-fat cookies and crackers
• Plain unsalted popcorn and pretzels

First choices:

Choose fruit or vegetable juice (check sodium content), coffee, tea, plain or flavored mineral water, low-sodium broth and low-sodium bouillon.

Other choices:

Fruit punches, carbonated soft drinks

Alcoholic beverages — If you drink them, do so in moderation. Have no more than one drink per day (for women) or two drinks per day (for men) of wine, beer or liquor, and only when caloric limits allow. Here are the amounts to count as one drink (½ ounce pure alcohol):

• 12 oz. beer
• 1–1/2 oz. 80 proof spirits (bourbon, gin, rum, scotch, tequila, vodka, whiskey)
• 1 oz. 100-proof spirits
• 4 oz. wine (red, white, rose)