Heart&Stroke Health Check^TM Program

Eat a Healthy Lower Fat Diet

The best way to control blood cholesterol is to eat a diet lower in fat, especially saturated fat and trans fats. To do that:

• Follow Canada’s Food Guide and eat a variety of foods from each food group
• Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits
• Choose lean meats and poultry and keep portions small
• Choose lower fat dairy products
• Choose meat alternatives like bean, peas and lentils more often
• Eat at least 2 servings of fish each week*
• Include a small amount (30-45mL) of unsaturated fat each day  e.g. oil for cooking and on salads
• Use cooking methods such as baking, grilling and barbecuing rather than frying
• Limit your intake of:
  • fatty meats like sausages, some deli meats and poultry with skin
  • fried foods
  • baked goods, especially commercially prepared ones
  •  pre-packaged foods that contain trans fats
• Read food labels to compare the fat content of foods
• Look for the Health Check symbol on packaged food products.

* See Health Canada’s advice on limiting certain types of fish.