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University of California San Francisco
Patient Education

Recipe Modifications for Low Cholesterol, Low Saturated Fat Diet

By using the following substitutions, you can significantly lower the cholesterol and fat content of standard recipes.

For this product:

Try this alternative:

Cheese

Low-fat cheeses (less than 3 grams of fat per ounce) part skim cheeses, fat-free cheeses

Creamed cottage cheese

Low-fat cottage cheese, nonfat cottage cheese

Mozzarella & ricotta cheese

Part-skim mozzarella and ricotta

Heavy cream

Evaporated skim milk

Whipped cream

Low-fat whipped topping

Sour cream

Fat-free sour cream, nonfat yogurt

Ice cream

Sherbet, Italian ices, fat-free ice cream, nonfat frozen yogurt

Whole milk

Low-fat milk (1 percent) or skim milk

Butter

Tub or squeeze margarines *

1 cup solid shortening

2/3 cup vegetable oil *

Buttering breads and vegetables

Olive or sesame oil used lightly, fat-free margarines or dressings

Salad dressings

Fat-free salad dressings

1 egg

2 egg whites, 1/4 cup egg substitute

Lunch meats

Those with less than 3 grams of fat per ounce. or turkey and chicken breast

Tuna packed in oil

Water-packed tuna

Self-basting turkey

Regular turkey, baste with fat-free bouillon

Red meat protein sources

Lean cuts such as sirloin, tenderloin and round or dried beans, split peas or lentils

Prime or choice grades of meat

Good or standard grades of meat

Organ meats

Avoid organ meats, choose lean cuts and moderate portions of meats, fish and poultry

Regular bacon

Canadian bacon or lean ham

Commercial gravies

Homemade gravies, skimmed off fat

Preparing gravies

Chill until fat sets and remove, dip a paper towel into warm gravy or use gravy skimmer

Cooking poultry

Remove skin

Cooking meats

Trim all visible fat from meat before cooking, cook on a rack, drain fat

Sautéing foods in fat

Sauté in nonstick skillet without oil or use skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray

Cooking vegetables in butter

Steam vegetable, flavor with herbs

1 ounce bakers chocolate

3 tablespoons cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon safflower oil

Chocolate cake

Angel food cake

Chocolate

Fat-free fudgesicles, nonfat hot cocoa mix, fat-free chocolate pudding

Pastries

Graham crackers, vanilla wafers

Biscuits, muffins, croissants

Hard rolls, pita, Italian or French bread, sandwich bread

Potato chips, corn chips

Pretzels, air-popped popcorn, baked chips

High fat crackers

Bread sticks, melba toast, soda, oyster or whole-grain crackers

* This lowers SATURATED fat, but not TOTAL fat

UCSF Health medical specialists have reviewed this information. It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or other health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider.

Recommended reading

Cholesterol Content of Foods

Use these tables to check the cholesterol and fat content of the foods you eat. This will help you keep track of your daily cholesterol intake.

Guidelines for a Low Cholesterol, Low Saturated Fat Diet

Check out these guidelines for a low cholesterol, low saturated fat diet including how to choose meats, dairy, fruits and vegetables and more.

Guidelines for a Low Sodium Diet

A main source of sodium is table salt. The average American eats five or more teaspoons of salt each day, about 20 times as much as the body needs. Learn more.

Your Doctor Visit

See our top 10 tips for making your UCSF doctor’s appointment as stress-free and productive as possible.

Related clinics

Nutrition Counseling Clinic at the Family Medicine Center at Lakeshore

1569 Sloat Blvd., Suite 333
San Francisco, CA 94132

(415) 353-2291
Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Nutrition Counseling Clinic at Parnassus

400 Parnassus Avenue,, Second Floor
San Francisco, CA 94143

(415) 353-2291
M-F, 8 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

Attention: Masks On!

If you're a patient or visitor in one of our hospitals or clinics, you're required to wear a mask indoors.

Did you know?

In 1981, UCSF's Gail Martin co-discovered embryonic stem cells in mice and coined the term "embryonic stem cell." Today, our stem cell center is one of the largest in the U.S., and our researchers there are developing new treatment strategies for a broad range of disorders, including heart disease, diabetes, neurological conditions and cancer.

Learn more
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