Plant sources of protein and other nutrients, such as dried beans, peas, lentils, or soybean curd (tofu), can supplement your
diet and substitute for meat, poultry, and ?sh. These

foods are high in complex carbohydrates and are lower in saturated fats and calories than animal products such as meat.
Eggs are a good source of protein, B vitamins, and iron, and they are low in saturated fat and total fat. But they are also a source of confusion for many people because they are high in cholesterol. One whole egg contains almost three quarters of the daily limit for cholesterol, so if you eat a whole egg, try to avoid or limit other sources of cholesterol (meat, poultry, and whole-milk dairy products) that day. Limit your intake of egg yolks when possible because that is where the cholesterol is. If you have heart disease or are at high risk, limit yourself to no more than three egg yolks per week; use egg-substitute products or egg whites instead. Baked goods such as doughnuts and coffee cake contain eggs, so be sure to include any eggs eaten this way in your total of three eggs per week.

Fats and Oils

Apart from the saturated fat and total fat you may consume in meat or dairy products, fats and oils from other sources increase your total fat intake per day. Nutrition labels measure fats in grams. How much total fat and saturated fat (in grams) you can consume depends on the num- ber of calories you burn off each day. To arrive at that number, see the table on page 91.
Use fats and oils sparingly and shop for foods lowest in saturated fat and cholesterol. Use more poly- or monounsaturated oils (see pages
30–32). Check the labels on vegetable oils and margarines and choose products with liquid vegetable oil as the ?rst listed ingredient and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon (canola, olive, corn, saf?ower, sesame, soybean, and sun?ower oils). Use margarine as a substitute for butter and choose tub or liquid
forms that are low in saturated fat and trans fat.

When possible, use soft margarines that contain plant stanols and sterols. Switch to low-calorie salad dressings and mayonnaise.
Adjust your cooking style to use more low-fat cooking methods such as baking or roasting, grilling, poaching, and braising. Also, use a nonstick cooking spray instead of butter or oil for cooking or baking.
Several types of fat substitutes in foods have been developed to help people lower their fat intake. Any fat-modi?ed product on the market has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is considered safe. But they have not been avail- able long enough to fully assess the long-term bene- ?ts or risks. In the context of an overall healthful diet, you may ?nd that using some fat substitutes gives you some extra options.

Desserts, Snacks, and Beverages

Traditional desserts are generally high in calories, saturated fat, choles- terol, and perhaps trans fat. You can save these treats for special occa- sions only and cut down your portion size. Your best choices for every day are fruits, fat-free yogurt with fruit, frozen no-fat yogurt or low-fat yogurt, low-fat ice cream (3 grams of fat per 1?2 cup or less), or ?avored gelatin, ices, sherbets, or sorbets. Angel food cake is a healthier choice than denser cakes, and you can choose cookies in small quantities.
Choose snacks from healthful food groups: fruits; raw vegetables with or without low-fat dip; low-fat crackers; plain, unsalted, unbut- tered popcorn; and unsalted pretzels are good choices. In the store, read labels carefully and avoid high sodium and trans fats.
Choose beverages such as water, vegetable juice, low-calorie soft drinks, coffee, or tea. All three of these areas—desserts, snacks, and beverages—offer an opportunity to get extra servings of fruits or veg- etables as substitutes for junk food or sugary treats.

Sodium

The typical American diet is salty: most Americans consume about 4,000 to 5,000 milligrams (almost two teaspoons of salt) per day. That may not sound like much, but the recommended level of salt consumption is no more than 2,400 milligrams per day. And for those who have high blood pressure, are over age 50, or are black, less than 1,500 milligrams per day is recommended. Although the body’s response to salt varies widely from person to person, people who reduce their sodium (salt) intake to the recommended level or below have lower blood pressure and are less likely to die from heart attack or stroke than those who don’t. A lower salt intake is especially helpful as you grow older, when high blood pressure is more common and sensitivity to salt (see page 51) often increases.
If you already have high blood pressure and you are sensitive to salt, reducing sodium intake can lower your blood pressure. If you are on blood pressure medication, less sodium in your diet can improve the effectiveness of the drugs. If you are at risk for developing high blood pressure, you may be able to avoid it by eating less salt and changing your diet in other ways (see pages 83–91).
The salt that you shake onto your meal at the table is only a small part of the sodium you consume. Processed foods and restaurant foods are by far the biggest culprits in adding excessive salt to your diet. But even natural foods such as dairy products, meat, and vegetables have some sodium. To cut back on salt, try these tips:

• Read labels on packaged foods carefully. Look for the words sodium, soda (which is baking soda, a sodium compound), or the chemical symbol Na. All of these indicate sodium content.
• Choose fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned as often as possible. If you do use canned products, drain and rinse them before adding them to other dishes.
• Select salt-free or low-sodium versions of products such as broths, nuts, crackers, and soups.
• If you buy frozen meals, purchase those with the lowest sodium levels.
• Limit your intake of salty snacks like potato chips. Avoid highly processed and high-salt products like most canned soups, frozen entr?es, and sandwich meats.
• Use low-fat dairy products, which are also lower in salt content.
• Season your foods with herbs and natural ?avorings like lemon or lime juice instead of salt. Try salt-free lemon pepper or other sea- soning blends to boost ?avor.

• At restaurants, ask to have your meal prepared without salt.
• Check the labels (ingredients list and warnings) on over-the- counter medicines such as antacids; many of these products con- tain signi?cant amounts of sodium.
• Ask your doctor about the use of “lite” salt. Some people use so much of these products to get the ?avor they want that they end up getting more sodium than they would from regular table salt.