The UCSF Weight Management Program offers customized plans to help adult patients achieve and maintain weight loss. The plans may include weight loss techniques, dietary changes, exercise programs and behavior modifications, as well as support groups and educational lectures. Research has shown that combining a variety of weight loss and management techniques increases an individual's chance of long-term success. Our goal is to help you adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Choosing Heart Healthy Fats
Heart healthy food choices, exercise and weight control all help prevent and treat heart disease. Saturated fat, hydrogenated fat, and trans fat are linked to an increased risk for heart disease. A heart healthy diet is low in these fats and includes moderate amounts of healthy fats.
Limit These FatsSaturated, Hydrogenated, Trans Fats |
Choose These Healthier FatsMono- and Polyunsaturated FatsUse in moderation |
·Solid at room temperature
Butter, Cheese, Cream Cheese Cream, Ice Cream, Sour Cream ·Meat FatsFatty Marbled Meats, Bacon, Ribs Sausage, Salami, Hamburgers
Croissants, Cookies, Cakes, Muffins, Pastries, Biscuits, Pies
Donuts, French Fries, Hash Brown
Coconut and Palm Oil ·Hydrogenated OilsStick Margarines, Shortening
Read food labels. Trans fat is listed under total fat.
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·Liquid at room temperature
Olive, Avocado, Canola Peanut, Safflower, Sunflower Walnut, Sesame, Grapeseed Flax, Soy
Walnuts, Almonds, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Pecans, Pistachios Peanuts, Macadamias ·SeedsChia, Flax, Hemp, Pumpkin Sesame, Sunflower, Pine Nuts
Salmon, Mackerel, Herring Sardines, Trout, Tuna Clams, Mussels, Shrimp ·Avocados & Olives·Soy Tofu, Tempeh, Soy Milk
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How to Read a Food Label
How Much Saturated Fat is Too Much?
Calorie Intake |
Saturated Fat Limit |
1400 kcal |
8-9 grams |
1600 kcal |
9-10 grams |
1800 kcal |
10-11 grams |
2000 kcal |
11-13 grams |
Guidelines for a Heart Healthy Diet
Fats
- Replace saturated, hydrogenated, and trans fats with heart healthy oils in food preparation, cooking, and at the table.
- Choose healthy fats from whole foods such as avocados, nuts, seeds, fish and olives.
- Choose vegetable oils such as olive, canola, avocado, and grapeseed oils instead of butter, lard, shortening, palm and coconut oils.
Meats and Proteins
- Choose fatty fish like salmon, mackerel or herring twice per week
- Incorporate more vegetarian meals. Try tofu, lentils, beans, nuts, and meat alternatives.
- Choose leaner cuts of meat such as loin or round.
- Choose meats that are not marbled with fat and trim visible fat before cooking.
- Avoid high-fat processed meats such as hot dogs, sausages, salami, ribs, bologna and bacon.
- Remove skin from poultry.
Dairy and Dairy Alternatives
- Use low fat or nonfat version of dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese.
- Buy reduced fat or low fat versions of your favorite cheeses. Look for 2% cheeses. Mozzarella and ricotta are naturally lower in fat.
- Choose milk alternatives like soy and almond milk.
- Limit cream, cream sauces, and creamed soups.
More Helpful Tips
- Read Nutrition Facts labels on food packages. Choose foods with low amounts of saturated fat and avoid trans fats.
- When reading labels on meat and cheese (per ounce)
0-3 grams of fat = lean
4-7 grams of fat = medium fat
8 or more grams of fat = high fat
- Avoid deep-fried foods.
- Drain and discard visible fat when cooking.
- Baking, broiling, boiling, poaching, and steaming are low fat cooking methods.
- Use vegetable oil sprays to coat pans and trays for cooking or baking.
Choose Healthy Fats