TLC Daily Food Guide

Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) Eating Heart Healthy

This tip sheet, organized according to food groups, is a guide to choosing a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. The chart lists the number of servings recommended for each day plus examples of typical serving sizes.

FOOD GROUP	NUMBER OF SERVINGS	SERVING SIZE
Lean Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Dry Beans	<5 ounces per day (leanest cuts only)	5 ounces maximum per day lean meat, poultry and fish ½ cup cooked dry peas or beans ½ cup tofu
Eggs	<2 yolks a week*	1 whole egg Egg whites or egg substitute, unlimited
Lowfat Milk, Yogurt and Cheese	2-3	1 cup fat free milk or 1% milk 1 cup nonfat or lowfat yogurt 1 ounce of lowfat or fat free cheese that has 3 grams of fat or less in a serving.
Fats and Oils	<6-8*	1 teaspoon soft margarine or vegetable oil 1 tablespoon salad dressing 1 ounce nuts
Fruits	2-4	1 piece fruit ½ cup diced fruit ¾ cup juice
Vegetables	3-5	1 cup leafy or raw ½ cup cooked ¾ cup juice
Breads, Cereals, Pasta, Rice and Other Grains	6-11	1 slice bread ½ bun, bagel, muffin 1 ounce dry cereal ½ cup cooked cereal, potatoes, pasta, rice, or other grains
Sweets and Snacks	Now and then

*Includes food preparation; for fats and oils also includes salad dressings and nuts.
<=less than or equal to.

Portions of the above information has been provided with the kind permission of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (www.nhlbi.nih.gov/).

Last Editorial Review: 11/18/2005

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