Food Choices - Mercy

cheese, egg yolk, ice cream, lard, andmeat, especially the fat around the meatand the marbling. Some vegetable fats arealso saturated but do not containcholesterol - coconut oil, cocoa butter, palmoil, and palm kernel oil as well ashydrogenated vegetable shortenings. Thesefats are solid at room temperature.TRANS-FATS also referred to as trans-fattyacids are formed during the hydrogenationprocess of oils. This process makes the oilmore solid, more stable and easier to use.Trans-fatty acids are therefore found instick margarines, shortenings, fried foods,baked goods and snacks. They will raiseLDL cholesterol, lower HDL cholesterol andpossibly reduce the normal function ofblood vessels. In 2006, the Nutrition Factspanel will be required to list the amount oftrans-fats under the amount of saturatedfat. If a serving contains less than 0.5grams of trans-fat this will be listed as “0”.POLYUNSATURATED fats are primarily foundin plant sources such as safflower,sunflower, corn, and soybean which arecommon cooking oils. Polyunsaturated fatsare also found in soft margarines and saladdressings. These are liquid at roomtemperatures. Almonds, filberts, pecans,walnuts, and fish oils are alsopolyunsaturated fat sources. Research hasshown polyunsaturated fats can help lower“bad” blood cholesterol (LDL) levels whensubstituted for saturated fat. But may alsolower “good” blood cholesterol (HDL).MONOUNSATURATED fats are found incanola, olive, and peanut oil as well asavocados, olives, peanuts, and peanutbutter. According to recent research thesemonounsaturated fats also lower “bad”blood cholesterol levels when substitutedfor saturated fat. Monounsaturated fat mayalso raise “good” blood cholesterol.TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, THE FOLLOWINGIS RECOMMENDED:• Limit your intake of meat, seafood, andpoultry to no more than 6 ounces cookedweight per day. Choose lean cuts of redmeat and trim off the fat. Processedsandwich meats should contain 3 gramsof fat or less per ounce.• Use chicken, turkey (without skin) or fishonce a day. Limit shrimp and lobster toonce a week as these seafoods are highin cholesterol even though they are lowin saturated fats.• Try main dishes of pasta, rice, or beansor create low-meat main entrees bysubstituting more carbohydrates and lessmeat.• Use no more than 5-8 teaspoons ofvisible fat per day. This includesmargarine, oil, and salad dressings forcooking, baking, and at the table.Chooseskim milk& nonfatyogurt &cheeses• Use low-fat dairy products. Chooseskim, 1/2 %, or 1% milk and nonfator low-fat yogurt and cheesescontaining 3 grams fat per ounceor less.• Use no more than 4 egg yolks a weekincluding those used in cooking. You mayuse egg whites or egg substitutes asdesired.• Limit organ meats (liver, heart,sweetbreads) to an occasional use ofabout once a month as the cholesterolcontent is very high.POINTS FOR GOOD NUTRITION PAGE 9