Triglyceride, a type of fat, occurs naturally in some foods. Your body also converts some non-fat foods into triglycerides. Alcohol and sugar, for instance, convert to triglycerides if you consume more of them than your body can metabolize. A healthy diet will include limited amounts of foods that contain triglycerides or foods that convert to triglycerides in your bloodstream.
Healthy Triglyceride Diet
In April 2011, the American Heart Association introduced a triglyceride-lowering diet that it claims can help you lower your triglycerides by 20 percent. The AHA also says that changes in your lifestyle such as limiting alcohol consumption and making exercise a near-daily habit can reduce your triglycerides by another 20 to 30 percent. Keep your triglyceride levels below 150 mg/dl and, ideally, below 100 mg/dl -- milligrams per deciliter of blood. The diet and lifestyle guidelines are based on reviews of more than 500 studies about triglycerides.
Dietary Limits
The AHA recommendations for a healthy triglyceride-conscious diet include these daily limits: saturated fat, no more than 16 g daily; trans fat, 2 g or less daily; sugar, 5 to 10 percent of daily calories; and fructose, 50 to 100 g. You should also include more vegetables, legumes and whole grains in your diet. You do not need to give up any of your favorite foods to keep your diet within these guidelines, but you may need to eat some in smaller portions and some only occasionally. You could, for instance, eat a ½ lb. hamburger and stay within the 16 g limit for saturated fat if you consumed no other animal products for the rest of the day.
Saturated Fat and Trans Fat
Animal protein provides the main source of saturated fat in your diet. You don't need that much protein in your diet -- about 5 oz. to 6 oz. daily -- and if you limit yourself to this amount, you could safely include most types of meat in your daily food plan. But if you enjoy eating protein at every meal, choose options low in saturated fat. Choices that include less than 2 g of saturated fat in a 3-½ oz. serving include skinless chicken, salmon, pinto beans, lobster, halibut and ham. If you eat beef, choose extra-lean portions such as top sirloin and bottom round. To limit your intake of trans fat, omit margarine and shortening in the cooking and baking you do at home. Avoid fast-food fries and, if you indulge in them occasionally, order them from a restaurant that no longer uses trans fat in its deep fryers.
Sugar and Alcohol
The AHA recommendations for sugar intake amount to about 100 to 250 calories per day. A teaspoon of sugar contains just 16 calories, but you can easily top your daily quota if you drink regular soda and commercial baked goods. Include no more than 36 oz. of sugary soft drinks in your weekly menu, and avoid foods that list sugar as the top ingredient. You can keep to the recommendations for fructose intake if you limit the amount of dried fruit, canned fruit and overly sweet fresh fruit -- watermelon, for example -- in your diet. Men younger than 50 should drink no more than two alcoholic beverages daily, and everyone else should drink no more than one. If your triglycerides measure higher than 500 mg/dl, ask your doctor if additional restrictions would prove prudent.
References
- Cleveland Clinic: Heart and Vascular Health and Prevention; How Foods Affect Triglycerides
- American Heart Association; Diet, Lifestyle Changes Can Significantly Reduce Triglyceride; April 18, 2011
- MayoClinic.com; High Cholesterol; June 24, 2010
- University of California San Francisco Medical Center; Cholesterol Content of Foods; Feb. 2, 2011
- United States Department of Agriculture: My Pyramid
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork With These Nutrition Guidelines; February 2011
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