Patient Education Materials

	Patient Education

Patient Education - N

Triglycerides

What are triglycerides?

Triglycerides (try-GLIH-ser-ides) are a form of stored fat. This is the most common fat found in foods and the body.
Fats and oils in foods are mainly in the form of triglycerides.
Triglycerides are carried in the blood. A high level of triglycerides in the blood may increase your risk of heart disease.

What can increase triglyceride levels?

too much fat in your diet
too much weight and body fat
too much calorie intake, especially from sugar and carbohydrates
drinking alcohol
taking certain medicines
family history of high triglyceride levels
lack of exercise and a non-active lifestyle

What can help decrease triglyceride levels?

weight loss, if you are overweight
regular exercise (speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program)
limiting or avoiding alcohol
eating less fat (especially less saturated and trans fat)
eating less sugar
controlling carbohydrate portions
eating more fiber-rich foods
eating fish 2 or more times a week (follow guidelines for safe fish consumption: call 1-888-SAFEFOOD).

Additional tips to help decrease triglycerides

Choose whole grain bread and cereal products and control portion sizes.
Limit portions of potatoes, pasta, rice, and noodles.
Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages, candy, and other high-sugar foods.
Limit juice portions. Choose fresh fruit in place of juice.
Check labels for fat and sugar content. For example, some products that are labeled “fat-free” contain high amounts of sugar.
Choose low-fat proteins such as lean meats, poultry without skin, and fish.
Bake, broil, grill, or poach rather than fry.
Choose fat-free milk and fat-free or low-fat cheese.
Limit desserts.

Food guidelines to reduce triglycerides

The following diet guidelines may not be appropriate for everyone. Check with your doctor or dietitian.

Food/Beverage Item	Choose	Avoid or Limit
Beverage	water sugar-free soda, tea, and coffee no-calorie seltzer water	regular soda lemonade sugar-sweetened iced tea or coffee beverages Kool-Aid sweetened seltzer water fruit drinks (note 100 percent fruit juice is allowed but portions should be limited)
Dairy	skim, 1/2 percent, or fat-free or sugar-free yogurt, ice cream, and pudding (limit portions) fat-free or low-fat cheese (3 grams (g) of fat or less per ounce) fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese soy milk	whole, 2 percent, and chocolate milk milkshakes whole milk yogurt regular ice cream and pudding cheese made with 2 percent or whole milk
Desserts and Sweets	low-fat cakes and cookies (limit to 2 to 3 servings per week) sugar-free Popsicles graham crackers, animal crackers, gingersnaps, and fig bars (limit portions) sugar-free gelatin or pudding	pies cakes cookies and brownies doughnuts or Danishes chocolate and candy bars regular Popsicles sugar, honey, and syrup jelly and jam
Food/Beverage Item	fat-free or reduced-fat mayonnaise, sour cream, salad dressing tub margarine (limit portions) liquid oil such as canola or olive	butter shortening lard
Fruit	fresh fruit unsweetened frozen fruit or canned fruit packed in water or fruit juice	coconut canned fruit in syrup
Protein (limit to 6 ounces per day)	lean cuts of beef and pork (tenderloin, sirloin, round steak, rump roast, boneless pork chops) Canadian bacon turkey and chicken breast fish and chicken canned tuna or salmon in water venison egg whits or egg substitutes	fatty cuts of beef and pork fried fish and chicken hot dogs high fat lunch meats keilbasa, bacon, or sausage dark meat poultry egg yolks (limit to 3 per week)
Startch	whole grain breads brown rice whole grain pasta whole grain, unsweetened cereals air-popped popcorn or low-fat microwave popcorn soups made with water or allowed milk types homemade soup that has had the fat removed	croissants, muffins, biscuits, and cornbread pancakes, French toast and waffles home fries, French fries, and fried potatoes pasta or rice mixes granola-type cereals sweetened cereals potato chips and corn chips regular microwave popcorn and sugar coated popcorn
Vegetables	fresh, streamed, or stir-fry vegetables	deep fried vegetables vegetables in butter, cream, and cheese sauce.