Danger Of Restricting Fat in Children Under 2 years old

 DIET TO LOWER BLOOD CHOLESTEROL

Your doctor has recommended a diet for your child which is designed to lower blood cholesterol. Decreasing the

amount of cholesterol and saturated fat that your child eats can lower his or her blood cholesterol and, hopefully, lower risk of cardiovascular disease in later life. The recommendations made below

will require some changes in what your child eats and how it is prepared. To insure your child's compliance with these recommendations, it is essential that meals for the

whole family be prepared according to these guidelines. This way your child will not feel singled out. Careful adherence to

this plan at home will help balance the inevitable intake of less desirable foods outside the home. Following these recommendations will result in a diet lower in cholesterol and saturated

fat:

1. Eat fish, shellfish and more poultry more frequently.

2. Trim visible fat from meats and poultry before and after cooking. Use only lean cuts of meat.

3. Bake, broil or grill rather than fry.

4. Limit egg yolks to 2 per week. This includes egg used in food prep.(Egg whites are not limited.)

5. Offer skim or 1% low fat dairy products.

6. Substitute tub margarine for butter.

7. Read food labels carefully:

    a. Look carefully at the kinds of fats and oils used in a product. Avoid those products that contain saturated fats such as coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, lard and butter.

    b. If a product contains "vegetable shortening" but does not disclose the oil(s)it was made from, you must assume it is saturated fat. 

    c. Don't believe that "cholesterol free" on the label means it's good for your child's diet.

     Many products with no cholesterol contain large amounts of saturated fat.

8. Acceptable oils include: safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, cottonseed, canola, olive, and peanut.

9. Offer fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds(age 3 and above)as snacks.

10. Do not purchase high cholesterol, high saturated fat foods. Your child can only eat what is available.

11. Fibrous foods such as oatmeal, oatbran, legumes(dry beans and peas),popcorn, fruits and vegetables can be beneficial   in a cholesterol lowering diet.

SUBSTITUTION LIST

FOOD-------------------------->  SUGGESTED SUBSTITION         

Milk: whole or 2%------------->  Skim milk or 1% low fat

Whole milk yogurt------------->  Non-fat or low fat yogurt

Cream------------------------->  Evaporated skim milk

Sour cream-------------------->  Non-fat or low fat yogurt

Whipped cream----------------->  Whipped evaporated skim milk

Cheese------------------------>  Limited amounts of part skim cheese with less than 5 grams fat per oz.wt.

Cream cheese------------------>  Tub margarine

Non-dairy -------------------->  Whipped evaporated skim milk or non-dairy whipped topping free of coconut oil, palm kernel oil

Butter------------------------>  Tub margarine

Bacon----- ------------------->  Lean ham

Salt pork--------------------->  Lean ham

Fried foods------------------->  Baked, broiled or grilled foods

Sausage, salami,-------------->  Lean meats, skinless poultry, fish pepperoni

Luncheon meats---------------->  Lean sliced meats such as turkey, turkey ,roast beef, ham

Frankfurters------------------>  Chicken or turkey frankfurters

Pasta with cheese------------->  Pasta with marinara sauce and lean meat, no cheese

Pizza------------------------->  Blot oil, limit portion size and frequency

Eggs-------------------------->  Limit egg yolks to 2 per week, use egg whites and egg substitute

Peanut butter----------------->  Use all natural types made from whole peanuts without added vegetable shortening

Poultry----------------------->  Skinless poultry

Chocolate candy--------------->  Jelly beans, gum drops, gummy bears, hard candy

Pie, pastry------------------->  Fresh fruit or home prepared pie or pastry from appropriate ingredients

Cake-------------------------->  Commercial angel food cake or home prepared cake and frosting from appropriate ingredients

Cookies, crackers---------->  Read labels carefully and select only those made without coconut oil, palm and palm kernel oil, lard, butter, and vegetable shortening from un-disclosed oils. Home prepared cookies from appropriate ingredients .

** LIMIT PORTIONS **

Snack chips------------------->   Pretzels or fat free popcorn

Ice cream -------------------->   Ice milk, low fat frozen yogurt,fruit ice,sher-bet(without cream)

Pancakes and french toast----->   Prepare with egg whites or egg substitute

Fast food:

Fried foods------------------>   Select a plain burger and juice,or soda