Triglyceride-Friendly Meals

Triglyceride-Friendly Meals

In this article

• Breakfasts That Protect Your Heart
• Lunches to Reduce Your Risk of Heart Attack
• Super Suppers to Tackle Triglycerides
• Putting Together Your Own Meals

Putting Together Your Own Meals

Fit in with your favorite meals by following these basics to lower your triglycerides.

• Plan for a “moderate” amount of whole-grain carbohydrates. Use portion sizes on packages as a guide. Another way to estimate a healthy amount is to visually divide your plate into 4 equal parts. Fill half of it with fruits and vegetables, and fill a quarter of it with a whole grain. Fill the last quarter with a low-fat protein.
• Limit “white” carbs and sugars. Keep foods made with white flour, desserts, candy, juices, and fruit drinks to a minimum.
• Serve healthy fats because they can help lower your triglyceride levels. They are the unsaturated fats, especially omega-3s found in fatty fish, flaxseed, canola oil, and walnuts.
• Don’t keep around tempting, unhealthy fats -- saturated fats found in red meat and baked goods and trans fats found in some packaged foods. If a food label says hydrogenated oil, don’t even open the bag.
• Choose low-fat proteins, including chicken, fish, seafood, lean meats, and tofu.
• Pour low or nonfat milk and choose low or nonfat dairy -- yogurt, cottage cheese, and cheese.
• Limit how much alcohol you have each day. That’s 1 drink if you’re female and 2 if you are male. But even a small amount of alcohol may raise triglycerides in some people, so ask your doctor what’s right for you.

Having trouble adapting to low-triglyceride meals? See your doctor or a dietitian for help. Together you can put together a healthy meal plan that will lower your triglyceride levels and help you lose weight if you need to.