Diet for High Triglycerides: What to Cut, What to Add, and How Far It Moves the Number
Cut added sugar, refined starch and alcohol. Eat oily fish twice a week. If you carry excess weight, losing 5–10% of it lowers triglycerides by about 20%. The AHA puts the combined effect of these changes at 20–50%, and a retest at 4–12 weeks shows it.
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What each change does to your triglyceride number
The expected drop for each change, from the American Heart Association’s 2011 scientific statement on triglycerides. The effects add up, which is why the combined figure is so much larger than any single row.
| Change | Typical triglyceride drop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lose 5–10% of body weight | About 20% | If you carry excess weight. The AHA cites a 1.9% drop for every kilogram lost. |
| Switch to a Mediterranean-style diet | 10–15% | Compared with a low-fat diet. Olive oil, nuts, fish, legumes and vegetables in place of refined starch. |
| Add marine omega-3 (EPA + DHA) | 5–10% per gram a day | About 25–30% at 4 g a day. Larger drops when the starting level is higher. Plant omega-3 (flax, chia, walnuts) has not shown a consistent effect. |
| Regular aerobic exercise | 20–30% | When the starting level is above 150 mg/dL, the activity is moderate to vigorous, and calorie intake also falls. |
| Cut back on alcohol | Varies | About 1 oz of alcohol a day goes with 5–10% higher triglycerides than in non-drinkers. Above 500 mg/dL, the AHA recommends stopping. |
| All of the above together | 20–50% | The AHA’s overall estimate for diet and lifestyle changes combined. |
Triglycerides respond to diet more than any other number on a lipid panel: the AHA puts weight loss of 5–10% at about a 20% triglyceride drop against about 15% for LDL. The liver turns surplus sugar, starch and alcohol into triglycerides, so most of the levers are about what goes in. The National Lipid Association’s 2023 nutrition guidance gives the same three for everyone with a raised level: restrict alcohol, added sugars and refined starches.
Not sure what your number means yet?
The normal, borderline, high and very-high bands, the causes that are not diet (thyroid, medications, insulin resistance), and when medication enters the picture.
Read: High Triglycerides, what the number means
Foods to cut or limit
In order of how much they matter for most people with a raised result.
Sugary drinks and added sugar
The AHA recommends keeping added sugar under 100 calories a day for women (about 6 teaspoons) and 150 for men (about 9). One 12-oz cola holds 22.5 g of fructose, the sugar the liver turns into fat with the least regulation. Fruit juice, sweetened coffee drinks and energy drinks count here too.
Refined starches
White bread, white rice, pasta, pastries and crackers. They raise blood glucose and insulin fast, and insulin drives triglyceride production in the liver. Swap them for legumes, vegetables and whole grains rather than cutting carbohydrate to zero.
Alcohol, if you drink
Alcohol raises the liver’s triglyceride output and slows clearance from the blood. The rise is steepest when drinking comes with a high-fat meal. If your result is 500 mg/dL or higher, the AHA recommends no alcohol at all, because of the pancreatitis risk.
Concentrated fructose
Honey (8.6 g of fructose per tablespoon), agave nectar (8.9 g), raisins (13 g in a 1.5-oz box) and sweetened applesauce. Per serving, these carry far more fructose than a piece of whole fruit.
Trans fats
Bakery shortening and stick margarine can be 30–50% trans fat. The AHA cites a triglyceride drop of about 1% for each 1% of calories moved from trans fat to unsaturated fat.
What to add
Adding the right foods matters as much as cutting the wrong ones, and most of these improve LDL and HDL at the same time.
1
Oily fish, two or more times a week
A 3.5-oz serving of Atlantic salmon, herring or canned anchovy carries about 2 g of EPA + DHA. Canned sardines carry 1.0–1.4 g, canned light tuna only 0.3 g. Reaching the 2–4 g a day the AHA uses for triglyceride lowering is hard through food alone, which is why it describes supplements taken under a doctor’s care for that range.
2
Unsaturated fats in place of refined starch
Olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocado. This is the core of the Mediterranean pattern behind the 10–15% figure above. You are swapping calories, not adding them: replacing a bread roll with a handful of nuts moves the number, adding the nuts on top of the roll does not.
3
Fibre from legumes, vegetables and whole grains
Beans, lentils, chickpeas, oats and non-starchy vegetables. They slow how fast carbohydrate reaches the blood, which blunts the insulin spike that drives triglyceride production.
4
Movement most days
In one six-month trial in the AHA statement, overweight adults with an average triglyceride level of 197 mg/dL walked 12 miles a week and saw a 26% drop. Exercise works best when your starting level is above 150 mg/dL and you also eat fewer calories.
5
Retest in 4–12 weeks
The ACC/AHA cholesterol guideline repeats a fasting lipid panel 4–12 weeks after starting treatment to check the response to medication and lifestyle changes. Avoid a heavy meal or alcohol the night before, since both raise the next morning’s reading. If the number has not moved after consistent changes, check for causes diet does not fix: low thyroid function, medications and insulin resistance.
References & Guidelines
- Miller M et al. — Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2011;123(20):2292-2333
- Kirkpatrick CF et al. — Nutrition interventions for adults with dyslipidemia: A Clinical Perspective from the National Lipid Association. J Clin Lipidol. 2023;17(4):428-451
- Grundy SM et al. — 2018 AHA/ACC Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol. Circulation. 2019;139(25):e1082-e1143
- Rouhani MH et al. — Effects of Egg Consumption on Blood Lipids: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. J Am Coll Nutr. 2018;37(2):99-110
Note: At 500 mg/dL or higher, the priority shifts to preventing pancreatitis, and the National Lipid Association recommends an individualised plan with a registered dietitian and, in many cases, medication. See your doctor before relying on diet alone at that level.
Frequently asked questions
What foods should I not eat if I have high triglycerides?
Limit sugary drinks and fruit juice, foods with added sugar, refined starches (white bread, white rice, pastries), alcohol, and trans fats from bakery shortening or stick margarine. The National Lipid Association lists alcohol, added sugars and refined starches as the three restrictions for everyone with a raised triglyceride level.
Does walking lower triglycerides?
It can. In a six-month trial cited by the AHA, overweight adults with an average level of 197 mg/dL walked 12 miles a week and their triglycerides fell 26%. Other trials of 30 minutes of walking a day, with no weight loss, found no difference. Exercise works best when your starting level is above 150 mg/dL, the activity is moderate to vigorous, and you also eat fewer calories.
Which fruit is best for high triglycerides?
No single fruit lowers triglycerides. Whole fruit in normal portions is fine: an apple or pear carries 4–10 g of fructose, and the meta-analysis behind the AHA statement found no effect on fasting triglycerides below 100 g of fructose a day. The problem is concentrated fructose: fruit juice, sweetened drinks, dried fruit, honey and agave.
Can I eat eggs if my triglycerides are high?
Yes. A 2018 meta-analysis of 28 randomised trials found eggs had no effect on triglycerides. Eggs did raise total and LDL cholesterol by about 5.6 mg/dL each, so if your LDL is also high, keep portions moderate.
How fast can diet lower triglycerides?
Within weeks. The ACC/AHA guideline uses a recheck 4–12 weeks after starting treatment to judge the response. The AHA estimates a combined 20–50% drop from diet and lifestyle changes, with larger drops when the starting level is higher.
Do I need to fast before a triglyceride test?
Not always. Under the AHA statement, a non-fasting result below 200 mg/dL is consistent with a normal fasting level and needs no further testing. A non-fasting result of 200 mg/dL or more should be repeated fasting within 2–4 weeks. Either way, avoid alcohol and a high-fat meal the evening before.
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