The portfolio diet is a plant-based diet aimed specifically at lowering cholesterol. There’s good evidence from research to suggest that it can benefit people with high blood cholesterol. The plan is based on eating a ‘portfolio’ or group of foods that have all been found to help lower blood cholesterol.
These foods include plant stanols, nuts and soy protein, together with foods that provide a specific type of fibre, often referred to as soluble fibre, found in good amounts in oats, barley, pulses, fruit and veg. All of these foods have been found to lower cholesterol in scientific studies. When eaten together, as part of a healthy diet, the cholesterol-lowering effect is enhanced further. The diet is a vegan diet that’s low in saturated fat and salt, high in fibre and packed with fruit and veg. It also includes specific amounts of soya, nuts, plant stanols and soluble-fibre rich foods.
It involves a combination of a low fat diet and the following 4 key foods:
Food Component | Evidence for % Cholesterol Lowering |
Plant sterols/stanols | 7-10% |
Tree Nuts | 3% |
Plant fibres | 5-10% |
Soya protein | 3-10% |
PLANT STEROLS/STANOL PRODUCTS
Plant sterols and stanols work by blocking cholesterol absorption from the gut. If taken in the right amounts they can lower LDL cholesterol by 10 to 15%. They are not a replacement for cholesterol medication.
The amount needed for the Portfolio diet can only be achieved by eating foods specially fortified with plant stanols and sterols such as spreads, juices, yoghurts and milk. These products lower cholesterol by interfering with biliary and dietary cholesterol absorption from the gut. These foods should be taken at mealtimes or as part of a main meal.
The recommended 2g per day is usually achieved by consuming three portions of a fortified food:
- 1 portion equals either 2 teaspoons of spread, 1 yoghurt or 1 glass of milk
or 1 portion of
- 1 mini yoghurt / smoothie drink is equal to 3 portions
ALMONDS AND TREE NUTS: 30g DAILY
All nuts are a good source of vegetable protein, fibre, heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and vitamin E. Although the research behind the original Portfolio diet is based on almonds, in recent research other nuts have been used with similar benefits e.g. brazil nuts almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, cashews and peanuts.
How can these be included as part of your day?
- eat as a snack between meals
- sprinkled on cereal, yoghurt or salad
- use almonds in cooking or try almond butter in sandwiches
Be careful not to overindulge with nuts as they may have heart health benefits but do no favours for the waistline as they are high in energy (calories). Stick to the recommended 30g per day.
SOLUBLE FIBRE:
Found naturally in foods such as oats, oatmeal, oat bran, barley, beans, pulses and fruits. The type of fibre in these foods reduces cholesterol levels by interfering with cholesterol absorption in the gut from food and bile acid cholesterol.
Beta-glucans form a gel in the gut which helps stop cholesterol from being absorbed into the body.
- 3 x 30g portions per day
- A bowl of oats – 40g portion will provide 1.4g beta-glucans
- 2 tbsp. (13g) oatbran – sprinkled onto cereals or added to casseroles, stews, soups and smoothies
- My Breakfast Cookies – 0.7g beta-glucans
- My Porridge oat bread ( 500g yoghurt, 370g wholemeal flour, 2 eggs, 2 tbsp milk, 2 tbsp linseeds, 2 tsp bp, 1 tsp salt )
- 3 oat cakes as snack or lunch instead of bread
80-100g Pulses per day:
- Add beans/pulses/pearl barley/ lentils/chickpeas in your salads/casseroles/soups/ pasta sauces. Hummus is another good option.
1-2 servings of whole grain foods per day e.g.
- Use rye bread or whole-grain bread
- 2 tbsp brown rice
- 3 tbsp cooked whole-wheat pasta
In addition:
- Eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day (approx 10g soluble fibre).
SOYA PROTEIN: 15-25g DAILY – 2-3 SERVINGS PER DAY
Soya is a good source of vegetable protein, low in saturated fat and high in fibre. This is by far the most challenging aspect of the Portfolio diet. Start by trying to achieve 25g each day and work up if you feel you can.
How to do it:
- Soya milk can be substituted for cow’s milk. 250mls of soya milk (ensure it is fortified with calcium) = 7g Soya Protein
- Try soya nuts as snacks
- Soya yoghurts or desserts (3-4g per pot)
- Use soya beans/mince to replace some of the meat in your dishes
- Add tofu and/or soya beans to stir fries, casseroles, salads and on pasta
- Textured vegetable protein as meat substitute
I believe if we have delicious recipes, that are clever and smart and introduce a new mindset that it is not what we have to give up but what we can have instead, it can become very doable and achievable. Over 6 months, we managed to reduce my husbands cholesterol from 6.6 -6.2. Heres how;
Diet beforehand
Breakfast
Eggs 4 days a week , 2 eggs per portion, toast, real butter.
Weekend Bacon, sausage, eggs, tea/coffee pastry
11 o clock – tea and biscuit, Mr Kipling, fruit
Lunch – sandwich – ham ( chorizo ), cheese, butter, mayo, salad, fruit, yoghurt
Dinner: spag bol, curry, lasagne, pizza, stew, chicken pasta
Weekend BBQ, steak, roast beef
Wine, beers, crisps, snacks
What it is ( to reduce cholesterol from 6.6 – 6.2 )
- Breakfast
Oats – porridge, overnight oats, granola, Weetabix, shredded wheat, porridge bread, cashew butter and chia jam
Eggs x 2 times per week.
Cholesterol-lowering butter
Yoghurt drink
Soy yoghurt on the granola
Always wholegrain bread
Avocado on toast with poached egg
New habit apple, pear or raspberry at breakfast.
11 o clock – Benecol yoghurt, 30g handful nuts, fruit with the skin on ( pectin and beta-glucans ) ( soluble fibre )
- Lunch
No more sandwiches – no meat, no cheese, no butter, no mayo
Nourish Bowls – flexitarian model – 1/2 plate fruit and veg, wholegrain and lean plant and animal proteins.
Build. – grains, awesome dressing, crunch, nuts and seeds, good fats, nuts, seeds, avocado, oil, oily fish
- Dinner
More plant-based ingredients are mixed in with meat.
Meat – beans and lentils
Mince-based – rather than reaching for highly processed quoin / tvp it is lentils – shepherd pie, lasagne, ragu
50g mince, 50g tinned drained and rinsed green lentils
Curry – lentil dhal, red lentils
Chicken and butter bean pesto pasta
Weekend – fish
No crisps or nuts – but not peanuts. Pistachios, cashews.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or other health care provider. I encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider
