Patient Education Caring For Your Heart Booklet | Page 33

 Processed red meats like bacon, sausage, hot dogs, brats, and bologna Added Sugars Consuming a diet high in added sugar has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease and can increase triglyceride levels. The American Heart Association recommends that men limit added sugars to no more than 9 teaspoons per day and women to no more than 6 teaspoons per day. That’s 36 for men and 24 grams for women, if you are using the food label to check your intake of added sugar. The average adult consumes 22 teaspoons per day. Major sources of added sugar include:  High fat dairy products (whole or 2% milk)  Butter, shortening, lard  Coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil  High fat desserts and sweets (cookies, cakes, pies, pastries, donuts, ice cream, candy bars, chocolate)  Any foods with partially hydrogenated oil (trans fat) or fully hydrogenated oil (saturated fat) in the ingredients list  Sugar sweetened beverages like soft drinks, lemonades and fruit drinks, sweetened tea and coffee drinks, and sport drinks Snacks Choose:  Sweetened grain products like cereals, pastries, cakes, cookies, and granola bars  nut butter on crackers, toast, or celery  raw fruits and vegetables  Sweetened dairy products like fl avored milk, yogurt, and ice creams  air-popped or light microwave popcorn  fl avored rice cakes  whole grain cereal (not high-sugar types)  whole grain crackers  vanilla wafers  homemade nut and dried fruit mix  handful of unsalted nuts Note: Baked snack chips and pretzels are low in fat, but may be high in salt. 32