Nutrition Action Healthletter


Jan/Feb 1997 — U.S. Edition

The Sat Fat Switch

It doesn't matter if you've got high ("bad") LDL or low ("good") HDL. It doesn't matter if you're taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, aspirin, vitamin E, or nothing at all. Experts agree that everyone should be eating a diet that's low in saturated fat.

You should also:

cut back on cholesterol and trans fats (which clog arteries), sodium (which raises blood pressure), and excess calories, especially from fats and sugars (which add pounds), and

eat more fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains (to cut your risk of cancer as well as heart disease and stroke).

But one thing at a time.

Here are some simple switches to help you cut saturated fat. Shoot for no more than 20 grams a day. Check the "%DV" on food labels. It will tell you how much of a day's worth of sat fat the food uses up. -- Bonnie Liebman

Switch From:	Switch To:
Meat, Poultry, Seafood
Hamburger, meatloaf	Ground turkey breast, veggie burgers
T-bone, rib eye, prime rib, etc.	Round steak, sirloin
Pork chops, ribs	Pork tenderloin
Regular hot dog, bologna, sausage, etc.	Low-fat hot dog, bologna, sausage, etc.
Poultry w/skin	Skinless poultry
Fried chicken or fish	Broiled, grilled, or roasted chicken or fish
Chicken thigh, wing	Chicken breast, drumstick
Dairy Products
Whole or 2% fat milk	1% fat or skim milk
Regular cheese	Reduced-fat or low-fat cheese
Regular ice cream	Low-fat or fat-free ice cream or frozen yogurt
Regular cream cheese	Light or fat-free cream cheese
Sweets & Desserts
Cheesecake, cheese danish, croissant, cinnamon roll, brownie, pie, regular or gourmet ice cream, fudge brownie sundae, doughnut, pound cake	Fruit or small serving of low-fat sweet (muffin, cake, cookie, pie, pastry, ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, sorbet, etc.)
Snacks
Chocolate bar, sandwich crackers, ice cream, Bugles, popcorn popped in coconut oil	Fruits, vegetables, whole-grain crackers, "light" popcorn, pretzels, baked potato chips, corn chips, rice cakes
Fast Food
Hamburger, cheeseburger, french fries, pizza, fried chicken, regular milk shake, pot pie, beef taco, beef burrito, taco salad	Grilled chicken sandwich, salad with light dressing, chili, plain baked potato, bean burrito, "light" chicken taco or burrito
Restaurant Sandwiches
BLT, chicken salad, corned beef, egg salad, grilled cheese, ham, tuna salad	Turkey (sliced), roast beef, grilled vegetable, grilled chicken, hummus
Dinner Houses
Hamburger, cheeseburger, baby back ribs, chicken fingers, steak fajitas, bacon & cheese grilled chicken sandwich, french fries, loaded potato, onion rings, buffalo wings, fried mozzarella sticks, stuffed potato skins	Grilled chicken or seafood, chicken or vegetable fajitas, Gardenburger, chicken salad with light dressing, pasta with chicken or shrimp or vegetables in any non-cream sauce, baked potato (with a tablespoon of sour cream), vegetable of the day
Chinese Restaurant Food
Moo shu pork, sweet & sour pork, kung pao chicken, General Tso's chicken, orange (crispy) beef	Stir-fried vegetables, shrimp or chicken with garlic sauce, Hunan or Szechuan shrimp or chicken or tofu
Italian Restaurant Food
Lasagna, manicotti, eggplant or veal parmigiana, fettuccine Alfredo, fried calamari	Spaghetti with tomato or meat sauce, linguini with red or white clam sauce
Mexican Restaurant Food
Taco salad, enchilada, beef chimichanga, chile relleno, cheese quesadilla, beef & cheese nachos, beef burrito	Chicken or vegetable fajitas, chicken or bean burrito, chicken taco
Seafood Restaurant Food
Seafood casserole, any fried seafood, baked stuffed shrimp	Any broiled, grilled, blackened, or steamed seafood
Restaurant Breakfasts
Belgian waffles, biscuits & gravy, ham & cheese omelette, sausage, egg-pancake-sausage-bacon platter	Hot or cold cereal, scrambled egg substitute, hash browns, ham, pancakes (if they hold the margarine), toast or bagel with preserves or marmalade, fresh fruit or juice
Condiments
Butter or margarine, sour cream	Whipped light butter, lower-fat tub margarine, fat-free or low-fat sour cream