Primary Care

Believe in Better Health Toolkit

Low Fat Low Cholesterol Diet - 1200 CALORIES PER DAY

Tips

  • Avoid Saturated Fats. Replace with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats.

    Saturated Fats - meats, poultry, whole milk dairy products, coconut oil, palm oil and cocoa butter.

    Polyunsaturated Fats - sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, vegetable oil and soybean oil.

    Monounsaturated Fats - olive oil, canola (rapeseed) oil.

  • Avoid Hydrogenated Oils - more solid and saturated than regular vegetable oils.

  • Limit egg yolks to 2-3 per week. Two egg whites can be used in baking.

  • Choose as many meats from the Lean Meat column as possible. Remove skin and trim visible fat off meat. Bake, broil, roast, or grill instead of frying and set meats on a rack when cooking to allow fat to drip off meat.

  • Limit liver to one 3 oz. serving per month as it is high in cholesterol but a good source of iron.

  • Choose skim milk and nonfat dairy products.

  • Total milligrams of cholesterol in sample meal plan is 185 mg and 30% of calories are from fat.

  • Limit salt intake for sodium restricted diets.

One-Day Sample Diet (1200 calories)

Breakfast
Allowed Food Group Exchanges:
1 bread, 1 fruit, 1 milk, 1 fat, Free
1/2 English muffin 1 bread
1 tsp. margarine 1 fat
1 tsp. low calorie jelly Free 
1/3 cantaloupe 1 fruit
1 c. skim milk 1 milk
coffee, tea, sugar substitute Free


Lunch
Allowed Food Group Exchanges:
2 breads, 2 meats, 1 vegetable. 1 fat, 1 fruit, Free
Turkey Sandwich  
2 slices whole wheat bread 2 breads
2 oz. roasted turkey breast 2 meats
1 leaf lettuce Free
1 tsp. mustard Free
&  
Tossed Salad  
1 cup lettuce & cucumbers Free
1 medium tomato 1 vegetable
1 tblsp. salad dressing 1 fat
1 small peach 1 fruit
1 cup raw celery sticks Free
tea, sugar substitutes Free


Dinner
Allowed Food Group Exchanges:
1 bread, 2 meats, 2 vegetable, 1 milk, 1 fat, Free
2 oz. lean roast beef 2 meats
1/2 c. asparagus, steamed 1 vegetable
1/2 c. carrots, steamed 1 vegetable
1 dinner roll 1 bread
1 tsp. margarine 1 fat
1 c. skim milk 1 milk
1/2 c. sugar free gelatin Free
tea, sugar substitute Free



Snack
Allowed Food Group Exchanges:1 bread

6 vanilla wafers 1 bread

 

Food Group Definitions

 

Daily Checklist - 1200 Calories Per Day Diet

This chart can be used to monitor your daily food consumption.
To use it, print out this page and place a check mark in one circle for
each portion you consume from each food group throughout the day.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Breads (5)

OOOOO

Breads (5)

OOOOO

Breads (5)

OOOOO

Breads (5)

OOOOO

Breads (5)

OOOOO

Breads (5)

OOOOO

Breads (5)

OOOOO

Meats (4)

OOOO

Meats (4)

OOOO

Meats (4)

OOOO

Meats (4)

OOOO

 

Meats (4)

OOOO

Meats (4)

OOOO

Meats (4)

OOOO

Fruits (2)

OO

 

Fruits (2)

OO

 

Fruits (2)

OO

 

Fruits (2)

OO

 

Fruits (2)

OO

 

Fruits (2)

OO

 

Fruits (2)

OO

 

Fats (3)

OOO

 

Fats (3)

OOO

 

Fats (3)

OOO

 

Fats (3)

OOO

 

Fats (3)

OOO

 

Fats (3)

OOO

 

Fats (3)

OOO

 

Milks (2)

OO

Milks (2)

OO

 

Milks (2)

OO

 

Milks (2)

OO

 

Milks (2)

OO

 

Milks (2)

OO

 

Milks (2)

OO

 

Veg. (3)

OOO

 

Veg. (3)

OOO

 

Veg. (3)

OOO

 

Veg. (3)

OOO

 

Veg. (3)

OOO

 

Veg. (3)

OOO

 

Veg. (3)

OOO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(complete index of Believe in Better Health Toolkit files offered on this Web site with links to printable versions)