Now that you know more about eating on the TLC Diet, here are some practical guidelines to help you buy low saturated fat, low cholesterol foods at the grocery store. This list provides only a small sample of the foods you can eat on a heart healthy diet. It is still important for you to read the food label.
Breads, Cereals, Rice, and
Pasta Group
- Breads** (like whole wheat, rye, pumpernickel, or white)
- Buns, dinner rolls, bagels, English muffins, pita breads**
- Low fat crackers (like bread sticks, saltines, rice crackers)**
- Soft tortillas, corn or whole wheat
- Hot and cold cereals** (except granola or muesli)
- Pasta (like plain noodles, spaghetti, or macaroni)
- Rice (white, brown, wild, basmati, or jasmine)
- Grains (bulgur, cous cous, quinoa, barley, hominy, millet, aramanth)
**If you are watching your sodium intake, be sure to check the label to find low-sodium varieties.
Fruit and Vegetable
Group
- Fruits: any fresh, canned, dried, frozen, without added sugar
- Vegetables: any fresh, frozen, or canned** without cream or cheese sauce
- Fresh or frozen juices, without added sugar
**If you are watching your sodium intake, be sure to check the label to find low-sodium varieties.
Milk, Yogurt and Cheese
Group
- Fat free or 1 % milk
- Cheese** (3 grams of fat or less per serving)
- Lowfat or nonfat yogurt
**If you are watching your sodium intake, be sure to check the label to find low-sodium varieties.
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry
Beans, Eggs, and Nuts Group
- Lean cuts of meat:
- Beef: eye of round, top round, sirloin
- Pork: tenderloin, sirloin, top loin
- Veal: shoulder, ground veal, cutlets, sirloin
- Lamb: leg-shank
- Lean or extra lean ground beef
- Chicken or turkey, white or light meat (remove skin)
- Luncheon meats, 95% to 99% fat free
- Fish (most white meat fish is very low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol)
- Tuna, light meat canned in water
- Shellfish* (shrimp, scallops, crab)
- Dry peas and beans (black-eyed peas, chick peas, kidney beans, lentils, navy beans, soybeans, split peas)
- Peanut butter, reduced fat
- Tofu (soy bean)
- Eggs, egg whites, egg substitutes
Sweets and
snacks
- Low fat cookie: animal crackers, devil's food cookies, fig and other fruit bars, ginger snaps, graham crackers, vanilla or lemon wafers
- Angel food cake or other lowfat cakes
- Low fat frozen yogurt, ice milk, fruit ices, sorbet, sherbet
- Pudding (make it with fat free or 1% milk), gelatin desserts
- Popcorn without butter or oil, pretzels, baked tortilla chips**
**If you are watching your sodium intake, be sure to check the label to find low-sodium varieties.
Fats and
Oils
- Margarine** (soft, diet, tub, or liquid)
- Vegetable oil (canola, olive, corn, peanut, sunflower, safflower, or sesame oil)
**If you are watching your sodium intake, be sure to check the label to find low-sodium varieties.
Miscellaneous/Condiments
- Herbs
- Spices
- Non-stick cooking spray
- Imitation butter (flakes or buds)
- Reduced calorie or fat-free salad dressing
- Reduced fat or non-fat sour cream
- Reduced fat or non-fat mayonnaise
- Mustard (Dijon, etc.)
- Horseradish
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Catsup
- Vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Lime juice
- Jelly or jam
- Sodium-free salt substitute
- Salsa or picante sauce
- Low-fat soup** (broth or tomato-based, bean soup, vegetable, minestrone)
- Spaghetti sauce
**If you are watching your sodium intake, be sure to check the label to find low-sodium varieties.
Beverages
- Water
- Sparkling water
- Milk, fat free or low fat (1%)
- 100% fruit juice, regular or low calorie
- Lemonade, regular or low calorie
- Iced tea, regular or low calorie
- Tea
Tips for Buying Frozen
Foods
Many prepared and frozen foods are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Look for frozen food packages that say, "Light," "Lean," "Reduced Fat," "Reduced calorie," "Healthy," or "Diet." These version will be lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, calories, and/or sodium than the regular versions. Check out the Reading Food Labels tip sheet for more information.
Tips for Buying Prepared
Foods
When choosing prepared foods, choose vegetables, pasta and grain salads and side dishes made without high fat mayonnaise and oil. Steer clear of high saturated fat meats, dressing and other spreads, and dishes with creams and other sauces. Fruit salad is usually available and is always a great choice.
To keep low fat foods low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, use this tip sheet to help you prepare heart healthy meals, Heart Healthy Cooking.
For more information on choosing low saturated fat, low cholesterol foods, check out the Daily Food Guide.