Primary Care

Believe in Better Health Toolkit

Low Fat Low Cholesterol Diet - 1800 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 (1800 calories)

Breakfast
Allowed Food Group Exchanges:
3 breads, 1 fruit, 1 milk, 1 fat, Free

1 whole English muffin	2 breads
3/4 c. corn flakes	1 bread
1/2 c. orange juice	1 fruit
1 c. skim milk	1 milk
1 tsp. margarine	1 fat
coffee, tea, sugar substitute	Free

Lunch
Allowed Food Group Exchanges:
3 breads, 3 meats, 1 vegetable, 1 fruit, 1 fat, Free

Turkey Sandwich
2 slices whole wheat bread	2 breads
3 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
6 vanilla wafers	1 bread
tea, sugar substitutes	Free

Dinner
Allowed Food Group Exchanges:
3 breads, 3 meats, 2 vegetables, 1 fruit, 1 milk, 2 fats, Free

3 oz. lean roast beef	3 meats
1 small baked potato	1 bread
2 tblsp. sour cream	1 fat
1/2 c. broccoli, steamed	1 vegetable
1/2 c. carrots, steamed	1 vegetable
1 dinner roll, 1tsp. margarine	1 bread/1 fat
1/3 c. crushed pineapple	1 fruit
1 c. skim milk	1 milk

Snack
Allowed Food Group Exchanges: 1 fruit

1/3 cantaloupe

1 fruit

Food Group Definitions

Daily Checklist - 1800 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 (9)

OOO
OOO
OOO

Breads (9)

OOO
OOO
OOO

Breads (9)

OOO
OOO
OOO

Breads (9)

OOO
OOO
OOO

Breads (9)

OOO
OOO
OOO

Breads (9)

OOO
OOO
OOO

Breads (9)

OOO
OOO
OOO

Meats (6)

OOOO
OO

Meats (6)

OOOO
OO

Meats (6)

OOOO
OO

Meats (6)

OOOO
OO

Meats (6)

OOOO
OO

Meats (6)

OOOO
OO

Meats (6)

OOOO
OO

Fruits (4)

OOOO

Fruits (4)

OOOO

Fruits (4)

OOOO

Fruits (4)

OOOO

Fruits (4)

OOOO

Fruits (4)

OOOO

Fruits (4)

OOOO

Fats (4)

OOOO

Fats (4)

OOOO

Fats (4)

OOOO

Fats (4)

OOOO

Fats (4)

OOOO

Fats (4)

OOOO

Fats (4)

OOOO

Milks (2)

Veg. (3)

OOO

Veg. (3)

OOO

Veg. (3)

OOO

Veg. (3)

OOO

Veg. (3)

OOO

Veg. (3)

OOO

Veg. (3)

OOO

The University of Rochester Medical Center’s
commitment to help Rochester
become America’s healthiest community
by 2020

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