The Portfolio Diet is a plant-based diet plan designed to lower cholesterol levels by including more soy protein, plant sterols, nuts, and soluble fiber in your diet. The diet encourages nutrient-dense whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes, and does not eliminate any foods from your diet or specify which ingredients to limit. However, avoiding certain foods may maximize the potential heart health benefits. Here are some foods to limit or avoid on the Portfolio Diet:
- Processed foods: chips, pretzels, fried foods, convenience meals, french fries, processed meats
- Refined carbs: white pasta, white rice, white bread, tortillas
- Sweets: cookies, cake, candies, baked goods
- Sugar: table sugar, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar
- Beverages: soda, sweet tea, sports drinks, energy drinks
All four ingredients encouraged on the Portfolio Diet have been shown to reduce cholesterol: plant sterols, soy protein, nuts, and soluble fiber. The diet replaces butter and margarine with plant sterol-enriched margarine, and U.S. brands include Benecol and Take Control. The four portfolios to choose from are plant-based proteins such as soy/tofu and other legumes, viscous fiber, nuts, and plant sterols. The diet is effective at decreasing elevated cholesterol levels under metabolically controlled conditions, and its components are all FDA-approved foods that can claim heart-healthy benefits. The portfolio diet offers versatile ways in which hyperlipidemic individuals can use daily food choices as opportunities to improve their LDL-C numbers and possibly their CVD risk.
