A Low Cholesterol, Low Saturated Fat Diet:
A Guide for Parents

Are you worried that your teen eats too many foods high in fat and cholesterol? Or has your teenager already been diagnosed with high cholesterol? Many adolescents lead very active lifestyles - going to school, working, and taking part on after school activities and they may be too busy to think about nutrition. Or they may think nutrition isn’t very important. But as a parent, there are certain things you can do to improve how your teen eats.

First, you need to get informed and learn about nutrition. This information sheet will teach you about low fat, low cholesterol eating. Once you have the right information, you can change the way your whole family eats at home. You will know what healthy food choices to stock your home with. (See the list of low fat, low cholesterol food choices.) You will be able to prepare and cook foods using less fat. Providing good nutrition at home is one of the most important things you can do to help your teen.

When your child is outside the home or when you are not around, you obviously have less control over what your teen eats. You should talk to your teen about nutrition and encourage him/her to make healthy food choices. But in the end, it’s up to your teen to decide what he/she is going to eat. All you can do is provide the information and serve as a model for your teen, and hopefully your teen will make smart choices.

You can also talk with your teen about meeting with an expert in nutrition who works with adolescents. This person can talk with your son/daughter about a healthy diet. Then you just need to provide your teen with healthy food and support his/her in following these nutritional guidelines.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fat-like, waxy substance found in foods of animal origin, such as meat. It is also found in fish and dairy products that contain fat. You will never find it in vegetable sources. Your liver makes all the cholesterol that you need, so you need to limit the cholesterol in your diet. Too much cholesterol might build up in the walls of your arteries and cause heart problems in the future. The American Heart Association recommends eating a diet that contains less than 300 mg of cholesterol per day and less than 30% of total daily calories from fat. For example, if you need to eat 2,000 calories, you will need around 67 g of fat per day. Since 1 gram of fat has 9 calories, about 600 calories should come from fat.

What is fat?

Fat is important for our bodies since it is used to transport some vitamins. Fat adds flavor to food, which is why the food that is high in fat tastes good. Fat also gives us a feeling of fullness, since it takes a while to digest. This is why you feel full for a longer time when eating foods high in fat. While fat is important, we only need a very little amount. Small amounts of it have a lot of energy. Too much fat makes it harder to maintain a healthy weight and may increase your risk of heart disease. Most of us will be healthier if we lower the amount of fat that we eat.

Fat is important for:

What are the fats that are found in the body?

What are the types of fat found in the food we eat?

There are 3 types of fat:

What are some ways to lower cholesterol and saturated fat intake?

Remember, children and adolescents learn through example, so be a good role model. Take time to prepare healthy meals and eat as a family.

Most Frequently Asked Questions

What are trans fatty acids?
Trans fatty acids are made during the process of making oils into margarine and shortening. The process is called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation increases the amount of time food will "stay good" on the shelf, an helps food keep its flavor for longer. Trans fatty acids are found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other foods. There are some studies that have reported an increase in LDL (bad cholesterol) and decrease in HDL (good cholesterol) when trans fatty acids were eaten. The debate continues over how much trans fatty acids people should eat. Current U.S. government nutrition policy does not include official dietary guidelines for how much trans fatty acids to eat. So in the meantime, lowering the intake of trans fatty acids probably makes sense.

What are omega-3 fatty acids?
Omega-3 fatty acids are the fats found in fish oil. They are usually found in fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and trout. These fats help to prevent blood platelets (platelets are irregularly shaped, colorless bodies that are present in the blood. Their sticky surface helps them with other substances to form clots to stop bleeding) from clotting and sticking to the blood vessel walls, which would cause clogged vessels. Most fish are low in both saturated and total fat. You should try to eat a serving of 4-6 ounces of fish 4 times per week.

What are fat replacers?
Fat replacers are intended to replace part or all of the fat in a product. They are usually in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, or fatty acids.

One important thing to remember when using products that contain a fat replacer is that the product has less fat or no fat but still has calories. Fat replacers are safe to use in a balanced diet.

What is the effect of fiber in lowering blood cholesterol?
There are two types of fiber, soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is the type that lowers cholesterol levels by binding with some cholesterol so it won’t be absorbed. Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, and some fruits.

What are the benefits of oat bran?
Oat bran, a soluble fiber, can help lower cholesterol. Eating oat bran also helps to fill you up without adding a lot of fat. Oat bran and other soluble fibers help to lower cholesterol by binding with some cholesterol in the GI tract and taking it out of your body. However, you also need to eat a diet low in cholesterol and fat. Oat bran by itself is not magic.

What effect does alcohol have on heart disease?
The effects of red wine and other alcohol beverages on heart disease is still not known for sure. Some researchers believe that moderate amounts of alcohol (one or two drinks per day) may help to increase the "good cholesterol" and slow down the formation of the "bad cholesterol," which may lower the risk for heart disease. These possible benefits of alcohol are not enough reason to start drinking.

Does garlic reduce cholesterol?
The use of garlic appears to have some effect on lowering cholesterol levels, but the amount needed to have an effect is unknown. The benefits of garlic only come from the use of natural garlic, and not from pills, capsules, or oils. Garlic won’t be beneficial unless you also eat a low fat and low cholesterol diet.

Ideas for Cooking with Less Fat

Cook without Extra Fat

To reduce fat, start modifying recipes by changing one ingredient at a time. Below is a list of possible substitutions.