
Lowering your triglyceride levels
Whakahakahaka i ngā ngako ki te toto
If you have high or very high triglyceride levels, changing what you eat and drink, and making some other lifestyle changes will help you get back to healthy levels.
The changes you make need to be permanent. You need to continue them even when your triglycerides are back to a healthy level if you want them to stay there.
If your triglyceride levels remain high even after you have made lifestyle and dietary changes, you may need to take medications to reduce your risk of heart disease or pancreatitis.
Drink less alcohol
- You may need to drink less alcohol. Normal guidelines for lower-risk drinking are no more than two standard drinks a day (and no more than 10 standard drinks a week) for women and three standard drinks a day (and no more than 15 standard drinks a week) for men, but this is usually far too much for people with high triglycerides.
- People with triglyceride levels above 5 mmol/l usually have to give up alcohol altogether.
Avoid sugars

- Avoid added sugar, maple syrup and honey in food and drinks. Drink water (tap water, soda or mineral water) instead of fruit juice, soft drinks and cordials.
- You can use alternative sweeteners, such as sucralose and stevia, but it's best to cut down on all sweeteners in your diet.
- When you buy food, check the nutrition information label. Choose foods with less than 10 g of sugar per 100 g.
- Eat fresh fruit or fruit canned in juice, instead of fruit canned in syrup. Have lite or plain unsweetened yoghurt instead of regular yoghurt.
- Keep cakes, biscuits, sweet pastries, chocolate, lollies, ice cream and puddings for occasional treats. But even then, only have them if your triglycerides are in your target range.
Eat less fat and choose healthy fats
- Use polyunsaturated fats (margarine and healthy oil such as canola, peanut, olive, rice bran, sunflower and soybean) instead of saturated fats (butter, lard, dripping, coconut oil and palm oil).
- Use little or no oil for cooking.
- Use alternative spreads to margarine or butter, such as lite mayonnaise, cottage cheese and avocado.
- Use low-fat milk (green or yellow top) and milk products, such as low-fat yoghurt and cottage cheese.
- Keep cream, sour cream, cream cheese, crème fraiche (and their lite versions) for occasional treats only.
- Keep daily servings of lean red meat, chicken and fish to the size and thickness of the palm of your hand. Try adding extra vegetables or cooked legumes (for example, kidney beans, chickpeas or lentils).

- Aim to have at least two to three servings of fish each week. Oily fish such as herring, kahawai, mackerel, salmon and sardines are particularly good.
- Remove the visible white fat from meat and the skin from chicken before cooking.
- Use low-fat cooking methods: bake, grill, microwave, boil or steam, instead of frying or roasting.
- Avoid deep-fried foods and processed products, such as sausages, salami, meat pies, pizza and canned corned beef.
- Avoid high-fat snacks such as potato chips, high-fat crackers and creamy dips, pastries, biscuits and cakes.
- Restrict takeaways to once a month.
- Heart healthy snacks include fresh fruit, low-fat milk, lite or plain unsweetened yoghurt, reduced-fat crackers with cottage cheese or avocado and tomato, and a small handful (30 g) of unsalted raw nuts.
Eat plenty of foods high in fibre
Every day have at least:
- Five servings of vegetables and two servings of fruits. A serving is the size of the palm of your hand.
- Six servings of bread, cereals, grains and starchy vegetables such as potato, kumara, yam, taro and corn. A serving is one slice of bread, half to one cup of breakfast cereal, or a cup of cooked rice or pasta. Have lots of different grain products and make sure at least half of them are wholegrain.
Be active every day
- Be active in as many ways as possible – move more and sit less.
- Aim for least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days.
- If you aren't active, ask your GP or practice nurse about a Green Prescription. This includes a free consultation with a physical activity coach to create a personal activity plan suited to you, and the opportunity to take part in group physical activity sessions.
Lose weight
- If you're overweight, losing weight will help to lower your triglyceride levels. Cut back on food that is high in fat or sugar and drink less alcohol.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed December 2021.
Sources
The information in this section comes from the following sources, some of which may be clinically complex or not available to the general public
Department of Clinical and Preventative Cardiology & Lipid Disorders Clinic. Triglycerides. Canterbury District Health Board. March 2010.
Images courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net. Salmon sandwich by tiramisustudio, fruit in glass by Praisaeng
Page reference: 1137885
Review key: HIHTR-114560