Chart produced by Pfizer in association with the British Hypertension Society
Note: If you are overweight, aim to eat most of your food from the far left column.
|
Choose from this group daily |
Eat in moderation 2-3 times a week only |
Eat in moderation once a week or less |
Avoid eating |
Cereal food, i.e. cornmeal |
Wholemeal flour, oatmeal, wholemeal bread, whole grain cereals, porridge oats, crispbreads, brown rice, wholemeal pasta, cornmeal, untoasted sugar-free muesli, rice cakes. |
White bread, white flour, white rice & pasta, water biscuits, wholemeal or oat scone, teacake, pancake. |
Sugar-coated cereals. Plain semi-sweet biscuits. Ordinary muesli. |
Sweet biscuits, cream-filled biscuits (unless cooked in rape seed oil), croissants. |
Fruit & vegetables |
All fresh, frozen & dried vegetables. Baked potatoes (eat skin), tofu. Eat at least 5-7 portions per day. |
Olives, avocado. |
Fruit in syrup, crystallised fruit, chips & roast potatoes cooked in rape seed oil. Oven chips labelled “cooked in sunflower oil & 40% less fat” (grill if possible). |
Deep-fat-fried chips, roast potatoes (unless cooked in rape seed oil), crisps & savoury snacks. |
Nuts |
Chestnuts |
Walnuts, pinenuts |
Pistachio nuts, pecan, almonds, sesame or sunflower seeds. Peanuts & most other nuts, e.g. hazlenuts, brazil nuts. |
Coconut, cashew. |
Fish |
All fresh & frozen fish, (avoid frying), e.g. cod, plaice, herring, mackerel. |
Fish fried in suitable oil, fish fingers or fish cakes (grilled). Tinned fish in oil (drained), or tomato sauce e.g. sardines, tuna. |
Prawns, lobster, crab, oysters, molluscs, winkles. Smoked fish, e.g. salmon. |
Fish roe, taramasalata, fried scampi. |
Meat |
Chicken, turkey (without skin), veal, rabbit, game, soya protein meat substitute, very lean red meat (grilled). |
Lean beef, pork, lamb, ham & gammon, very lean minced meat. |
Liver, kidney, tripe, sweetbreads. Grilled back bacon (pre-boil in water). Duck (without skin). Low-fat pate. |
Sausages, luncheon meats, corned beef, pate, salami, streaky bacon, burgers, goose, meat pies & sausage rolls, pasties, scotch eggs, visible fat on meat, crackling, chicken skin. |
Eggs & dairy foods |
Skimmed milk, soya milk, powdered skimmed milk, cottage cheese, low-fat curd cheese, low-fat yoghurt, egg white, low-fat fromage frais. |
Semi-skimmed milk, no more than 3 whole eggs per week including those in baked items, e.g. cakes, quiche, flans. |
Medium-fat cheeses, e.g. Edam, Camembert, Gouda, Brie, cheese spreads. Half-fat cheeses labelled ‘low-fat’. Sweetened condensed skimmed milk. |
Whole milk & cream. Full-fat yoghurt, cheese, e.g. stilton, cheddar, cream cheese, evaporated or condensed milk, imitation cream, excess eggs, i.e. 4 or more per week. |
Fats & oils |
Small amounts only – see next column. |
Olive oil, rape seed oil. |
Margarine & shortening labelled “high in polyunsaturates” or corn oil, sunflower oil, soya oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut (ground nut) oil, reduced-fat & low-fat spreads. |
All margarines, shortenings & oils not labelled ‘high in polyunsaturates’. Butter, lard, suet & dripping, vegetable oil or margarine of unknown origin. All spreads not labelled “low-fat”. |
Prepared foods
|
Jelly (low sugar), sorbet, fat-free homemade soups. |
Home made pastry, puddings, cakes, biscuits, sauces, etc. made with wholemeal flour & fat or oil as above, low-fat ready-prepared meals. |
Non-dairy ice cream, custard mix made with water or skimmed milk. |
Processed pastries, puddings, cakes & sauces made with whole milk & fat or oil as above, suet dumplings or puddings, cream soups. Packet soups. |
Sweets, preserves, jams & spreads |
Sugar-free artificial sweetners, low-fat jam & marmalade. |
Jam, marmalade, honey, low-fat soft cheese, low-fat spreads. |
Boiled sweets, fruit pastilles & jellies. Marmite, Bovril, chutneys & pickles, fish & meat pastes, peanut butter. |
Chocolate spreads, chocolates, toffees, fudge, butterscotch, carob chocolate, coconut bars. |
Drinks |
Freshly made tea, coffee, mineral water, fruit juice (unsweetened). |
Alcohol 3 units/day (men) 2 units/day (women). Maximum 21 units/week (men) and 14 units/week (women). |
Sweetened drinks, squashes, fruit juice, (sweetened), malted milk or hot chocolate drinks made with skimmed milk. |
Whole milk drinks, cream-based liqueurs, coffee whitener. |
Salt, sauces & dressings |
Herbs, spices, lemon juice, garlic, pepper. |
Homemade salad dressings & mayonnaise made with suitable oils as above. Low-fat or low-calorie, mayonnaise & dressings. |
Parmesan cheese. |
High salt intake, Tabasco, soy sauce, ordinary or cream dressings & mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce. |