Foods That Are High in Plant Sterols Include

The “good” fats

Foods that are high in plant sterols include:

1 cup of fortified breakfast cereals

1 cup of reduced fat milk

margarine spreads (e.g. Flora pro-active)

Note* Plant sterols should only be used in children under the direction of a dietitian or doctor.

See table below for food examples and serve size

Include fish/fish oilsor plant based omega 3 ( ALA) as they contain omega-3 oils which are a type of MUFA and can help reduce triglyceride levels

Age / Adequate intake
1-3 year olds / 40mg/day
4-8 year olds / 55mg/day
9-13 year olds / 70mg/day
14-18 year olds male
14-18 year olds female / 125mg/day
85mg/day
>18 years old male
>18 years old female
To reduce risk of CVD / 160mg/day
90mg/day
250-500mg/day

Daily recommended intake of omega-3 for different age groups (nutrient reference values)

Sources of plant based omega 3 (ALA) (Heartfoundation.com)

Food group / Food / Serving size / ALA mg/serve
Nuts and seeds / Walnuts / 30g (handful) / 1884
Pecan nuts / 30g (handful) / 186
Hazelnuts / 30g (handful) / 36
Tahini / 30g (handful) / 36
Flaxseeds or linseed / 4g (1tsp) / 922
Fats and oils / Canola oil / 20g (1tbsp) / 1820
Soybean oil / 20g (1tbsp) / 1434
Vegetable oil / 20g (1tbsp) / 1458
Olive oil / 20g (1tbsp) / 92
PUFA Margarine spread (sunflower margarine) / 20g (1tbsp) / 282
MUFA margarine (canola margarine) / 20g (1tbsp) / 970

Sources of marine based omega 3 (Heartfoundation.com)

Fresh fish
Omega3 content ( DHA and EPA) / 150g serve size
500mg / Mullet
Atlantic salmon
Mackerel
Australian salmon
Sardines
Silver perch
400-500mg / Yellow-tail king fish
Australian herring
Trevally
300-400mg / Snapper
Flounder
tuna
200-300mg / Australian bass
Coral trout
King George whiting
<200mg / Whiting
Canned fish
Omega 3 content ( DHA and EPA) / 100g serve size
>1500mg / Canned sardines
Canned salmon
500-1500mg / Canned tuna
Smoked mussels
300-500mg / Flavoured canned salmon and tuna

Omega 3 supplements

When choosing fish oils always look for the supplements with the highest omega 3 content

Speak to your dietitian about fish oil supplements for the type of brands and amounts you require

Easy swaps to include more “good” fats

“Bad fats” (saturated fats and trans fats) / Swap to / “Good fats” (mono or polyunsaturated fats)
Fats used in cooking / Cooking margarine
Vegetable shortening
Lard/Dripping
Ghee
Copha
Palm oil
Coconut milk/cream / / Canola oil (ideal for cooking)
Olive oil (ideal for salad dressings/ low heat cooking)
Peanut oil (ideal for high heat frying/ stir frying)
Rice bran oil
Sunflower/Safflower oil
Grapeseed/Cottonseed oil
Soybean/Sesame/Corn/Linseed
(ideal for high heat frying/ stir frying) (Flaxseed) oil (ideal for dressings and dips)
Spreads / Butter
Dairy blends / / Margarine spreads
Peanut butter
Tahini
Meats and animal products / Fatty meats (e.g. chops, poultry with skin, fatty mince)
Small goods/ processed meats (e.g. sausages, fritz, salami, bacon)
Full cream dairy products (e.g. milk, cheese, yoghurt, cream, custard, ice-cream) / / Fresh lean red meat and poultry (e.g. premium mince, skinless chicken breast, low fat deli ham)
Legumes or lentils
Low or reduced-fat dairy products (e.g. skim milk, low fat cheese, 98% fat free yoghurt/custard/ice cream)
Fresh, frozen or canned fish (e.g. salmon, tuna, sardines, mullet, mackerel, gem fish, blue eye cod)
Other foods (i.e. snack foods etc) / Commercial cakes, pastries and biscuits
Pies, pasties and sausage rolls
Deep-fried and battered foods (e.g. potato crisps/chips) / / Nuts (e.g. pine nuts, brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans)
Seeds (e.g. sesame, sunflower, linseeds)
Avocados and Olives

Tips to include more fibre in your everyday eating

Foods that are high in fibre can help reduce the amount of ‘bad cholesterol’ and bile (a by-product of cholesterol) that the body absorbs, hence leading to a decrease in ‘bad’ cholesterol

Eat more fruit and vegetables. Make snacks like fruit kebabs, veggie slices, English muffin/pita bread pizzas and baked bananas

Choose wholegrain breads and cereals over more processed items whenever possible i.e. choosing weetbix instead of rice bubbles or cornflakes

Have vegetables and grain-based foods (i.e. breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, noodles and rice, lentils and legumes) as the major part of each meal

Daily recommended intake of fibre for different age groups (nutrient values)

Age / Adequate intake
1-3 year olds / 14g/day
4-8 year olds / 18g/day
9-13 year olds male
9-13 year olds female / 24g/day
20 g/day
14-18 year olds male
14-18 year olds female / 28g/day
22g/day
19-30 year olds male
19-30 year olds female / 30g/day
25g/day

Sources of fibre example

Food / Serving size / Fibre content
Wholemeal pasta / 1 cup / 7.9g
Carrots (skin on) / 1 cup / 6.9g
Kidney beans / 1 cup / 5.7g
Rolled oats / ½ cup / 4.5g
Broccoli ( skin on) / 1 cup / 3.8g
Brown rice / 1 cup / 2.7g

Women’s and Children’s Health Network

Nutrition Department

72 King William Road

North Adelaide SA 5006

Telephone: (08) 8161 7233