Checklists to Track Your Healthy Diet

Checklists

Chose these checklists to track your daily and weekly eating:

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Tracking Foods and Supplements

Today I added:

DAILY TRACKER

·        Vegetables (goal: 4+ servings/day — 1 cup raw, ½ cup cooked, 2 cups leafy) _________

·        Fruits (goal: 2–3 servings/day — 1 medium fruit or 1 cup chopped) _________

·        Whole grains (goal: ≥3 oz/day — 1 slice bread = 1 oz; ½ cup cooked rice/pasta = 1 oz) _________

·        Olive oil (daily — main fat source) _________

·        Legumes (several times/week — ½ cup cooked) _________

·        Nuts/seeds (4 servings/week — ¼ cup unsalted nuts) _________

·        Fish/seafood (2–3 times/week — 3–5 oz per serving) _________

·        Poultry (Grilled, baked, roasted, or sautéed in olive oil)

·        Low‑fat dairy (moderate daily — cheese portion = size of 4 dice) _________

·        Herbs/spices (daily — replace salt) _________

·        Wine (optional) (up to 1 drink/day for women, 1–2 for men; not every day; only if already drinking) _________

                                                                               OR

·        WEEKLY TRACKER

·        Vegetables (4+ servings/day)

·        Mon ☐ Tue ☐ Wed ☐ Thu ☐ Fri ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐

·        Fruits (2–3 servings/day)

·        Mon ☐ Tue ☐ Wed ☐ Thu ☐ Fri ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐

·        Whole Grains (≥3 oz/day)

·        Mon ☐ Tue ☐ Wed ☐ Thu ☐ Fri ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐

·        Legumes (several times/week)

·        Mon ☐ Tue ☐ Wed ☐ Thu ☐ Fri ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐

·        Nuts/Seeds (4 servings/week)

·        Mon ☐ Tue ☐ Wed ☐ Thu ☐ Fri ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐

·        Fish/Seafood (2–3×/week)

·        Mon ☐ Tue ☐ Wed ☐ Thu ☐ Fri ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐

·        Low‑Fat Dairy (moderate daily)

·        Mon ☐ Tue ☐ Wed ☐ Thu ☐ Fri ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐

·        Olive Oil (daily)

·        Mon ☐ Tue ☐ Wed ☐ Thu ☐ Fri ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐

·        Herbs/Spices (daily)

·        Mon ☐ Tue ☐ Wed ☐ Thu ☐ Fri ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐

·        Movement (daily)

·        Mon ☐ Tue ☐ Wed ☐ Thu ☐ Fri ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐

·        Wine (optional; moderate)

·        Mon ☐ Tue ☐ Wed ☐ Thu ☐ Fri ☐ Sat ☐ Sun ☐

This Week I Went Out of My Way to Avoid:

☐ Trans fats — partially hydrogenated oils, some baked goods, fried fast foods (raise LDL, lower HDL, increase inflammation, accelerate plaque formation)

☐ Excess sodium — processed meats, canned soups, frozen meals, snack foods (raises blood pressure, increases arterial stiffness, strains the heart)

☐ Processed meats — bacon, sausage, hot dogs, deli meats, pepperoni (increase inflammation, raise blood pressure, damage endothelial function)

☐ Refined carbohydrates & added sugars — white bread and many honey‑wheat breads, pastries, sugary cereals, soda (spike blood sugar, raise triglycerides, worsen insulin resistance)

☐ Ultra‑processed foods — chips, packaged desserts, fast food (promote inflammation, increase LDL, impair metabolic health)

☐ Excess saturated fat — fatty beef, pork, butter, cream, high‑fat dairy including some cheeses (raises LDL, contributes to plaque buildup)

☐ Nitrites/nitrates (processed meats) (damage blood vessels, increase oxidative stress)

☐ High fructose corn syrup — soda, sweetened drinks, processed snacks (raises triglycerides, promotes fatty liver, worsens insulin resistance)

☐ Artificial trans fats — some imported packaged foods (dramatically raise LDL and inflammation)

☐ Artificial colors & preservatives (associated with inflammation and metabolic dysfunction)

☐ Deep‑fried foods (oxidized oils raise LDL, damage arteries, increase inflammation)

☐ Sugary drinks — soda, sweetened teas, energy drinks (spike glucose, raise triglycerides, increase metabolic syndrome risk)

☐ Excess alcohol (raises blood pressure and triglycerides, weakens heart muscle)

I am taking one or more of these daily supplements:

 I Added These Daily Supplements to My Diet:

☐ Omega‑3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA) (lowers triglycerides; supports heart rhythm; reduces inflammation)

☐ CoQ10 (supports heart muscle energy; may help with blood pressure and heart failure symptoms)

☐ Magnesium (helps regulate blood pressure and vascular relaxation)

☐ Psyllium fiber (lowers LDL cholesterol; improves overall lipid profile)

☐ Plant sterols/stanols (reduce cholesterol absorption → lower LDL)

☐ Garlic extract (may modestly lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol)

☐ Turmeric/curcumin (anti‑inflammatory; supports vascular health)

☐ Beetroot/nitrates (boost nitric oxide → better vessel dilation and lower blood pressure)

☐ Vitamin D (supports cardiovascular and immune health when deficient)

☐ Green tea extract (polyphenols support endothelial function and reduce inflammation)

Checklist for Cholesterol Lowering Foods

LDL‑Lowering Foods

☐ Oats / oat bran — ↓ LDL (beta‑glucan fiber) □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Barley — ↓ LDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Beans / legumes — ↓ LDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Flaxseed / chia seeds — ↓ LDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Soy protein — ↓ LDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Dark leafy greens — ↓ LDL (bind bile acids) □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios) — ↓ LDL, ↑ HDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Olive oil — ↓ LDL, ↑ HDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Avocado — ↓ LDL, ↑ HDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Plant sterols — ↓ LDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Green tea — ↓ LDL (catechins) □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, others) — ↓ LDL (polyphenols/flavonols) □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussels, cabbage, bok choy, kale, collard greens, arugula, radishes, turnips, others)— ↓ LDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Dark chocolate >70%)(— ↓ LDL (cocoa flavonols; low‑sugar) □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

Triglyceride‑Lowering Foods

☐ Fatty fish (EPA/DHA) (tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, others)— ↓ triglycerides, ↑ HDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ High‑fiber foods — ↓ triglycerides □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Low‑added‑sugar fruits — ↓ triglycerides □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts, macadamia, cashews)— ↓ triglycerides □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Green tea — ↓ triglycerides □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Flaxseed / chia seeds — ↓ triglycerides □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

HDL‑Increasing Foods

☐ Olive oil — ↑ HDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts, macadamia, cashews)— ↑ HDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Avocado — ↑ HDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Fatty fish — ↑ HDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Soy — ↑ HDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Dark chocolate (greater than 70%) — ↑ HDL □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

Plaque‑Reducing / Artery‑Protective Foods

☐ Berries and red grapes — antioxidants reduce arterial stiffness - Grapes, apples, plums, raspberries, blueberries — polyphenols improve vessel function□ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Cruciferous vegetables — protect blood vessels (broccoli, brussels, cabbage, bok choy, kale, collard greens, arugula, radishes, turnips, others) □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Olive oil & olives — reduce oxidative stress □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Nuts — support arterial lining □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Fatty fish (tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, others)— reduce inflammation & plaque progression □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Whole grains — improve vascular health □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Legumes — improve lipid profile □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Low‑fat dairy — supports cardiometabolic health □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su

☐ Probiotic‑rich foods — improve lipid absorption & inflammation - live-culture yogurt, kefir, cultured buttermilk, sauerkraut, kimchi, naturally fermented pickles, tempeh, miso, and others) □ M □ T □ W □ Th □ F □ S □ Su