Learn how nutrition, lifestyle changes, and the right food choices can lower triglycerides and protect your heart health.

If you’ve been told your triglycerides are high, don’t panic — this is something you can improve, and often surprisingly quickly, with the right steps. 

Triglyceride is just a fancy word for fat — the fat in our bodies is stored in the form of triglycerides. Triglycerides are found in foods and manufactured in our bodies. Normal triglyceride levels are defined as less than 150 mg/dL; 150 to 199 is considered borderline high; 200 to 499 is high; and 500 or higher is officially called very high. To me, anything over 150 is a red flag indicating my client needs to take immediate steps to get the situation under control. 

What Causes High Triglycerides? 

High triglyceride levels make blood thicker and stickier, which means that it is more likely to form clots. Studies have shown that triglyceride levels are associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease and stroke — in both men and women — alone or in combination with other risk factors (high triglycerides combined with high LDL cholesterol can be a particularly deadly combination). For example, in one ground–breaking study, high triglycerides alone increased the risk of cardiovascular disease by 14 percent in men, and by 37 percent in women. But when the test subjects also had low HDL cholesterol (that’s the good cholesterol) and other risk factors, high triglycerides increased the risk of disease by 32 percent in men and 76 percent in women. 

Fortunately, triglycerides can often be easily controlled with several diet and lifestyle changes. 

Which Foods Can Raise Triglycerides? 

As with cholesterol, eating too much of the wrong kinds of fats will raise your blood triglycerides. Therefore, it’s important to restrict the amounts of saturated fats and trans fats you allow into your diet. Triglyceride levels can also shoot up after eating foods that are high in carbohydrates or after drinking alcohol. That’s why triglyceride blood tests require an overnight fast. If you have elevated triglycerides, it’s especially important to avoid sugary and refined carbohydrates, including soda and other sugary drinks, candy, baked goods, and anything made with white (refined or enriched) flour, including white bread, rolls, cereals, buns, pastries, regular pasta, and white rice. You’ll also want to limit dried fruit and fruit juice since they’re dense in simple sugar. All of these low–quality carbs cause a sudden rise in insulin, which may lead to a spike in triglycerides. 

Triglycerides can also become elevated as a reaction to having diabetes, hypothyroidism, or kidney disease. As with most other heart–related factors, being overweight and inactive also contribute to abnormal triglycerides. And unfortunately, some people have a genetic predisposition that causes them to manufacture way too many triglycerides on their own, no matter how carefully they eat. 

Ways to Lower Triglycerides 

There are several things you can do to help lower your triglyceride levels and improve your heart health. Let’s start with food choices: 

  • Choose healthy fats: Include olive oil, avocado oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, nut butters, and fatty fish (salmon, sardines, trout, mackerel). Limit high-fat dairy (butter, cream cheese, whole milk, sour cream, ice cream), fried foods, pizza, creamy sauces/dressings, baked sweets, and fatty/processed meats (sausage, bacon, hot dogs, salami). 
  • Improve protein choices: Opt for skinless poultry, lean beef/pork, fish, lentils, beans, reduced-fat dairy, tofu, tempeh, and edamame. 
  • Use smart cooking methods: Bake, broil, roast, steam, grill, or stir-fry using healthy oils (like olive or avocado oil). Avoid deep-frying. 
  • Avoid trans fats: Check labels — even small amounts raise risk. Choose soft-tub margarines with 0 g trans fat and rely on olive oil or vegetable oils. 
  • Cut back on sugar & refined carbs: Limit sweets, sugary drinks, dried fruit, and fruit juice. Choose whole grains (whole-wheat bread/pasta, brown or wild rice, high-fiber cereals) instead of refined options — but keep starch portions to 1–2 servings per meal if your triglycerides are high. 
  • Boost omega-3s: Omega-3s help lower triglycerides and support heart health. Aim for 3+ servings of fatty fish per week (wild salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, trout, oysters, anchovies). Plant options include flaxseed, chia seeds, edamame, and omega-3–fortified eggs. Also, speak with your doctor to see if fish oil supplements are right for you 

Lifestyle Habits to Help Lower Triglycerides

  • Lose weight if you are overweight. There is a clear correlation between obesity and high triglycerides — the heavier people are, the higher their triglyceride levels are likely to be. The good news is that losing weight can significantly lower triglycerides. In a large study of individuals with type 2 diabetes, those assigned to the “lifestyle intervention group” — which involved counseling, a low–calorie meal plan, and customized exercise program — lost 8.6% of their body weight and lowered their triglyceride levels by more than 16%. If you’re overweight, find a weight loss plan that works for you and commit to shedding the pounds and getting healthier. 
  • Quit smoking. Smoking causes inflammation, not just in your lungs, but throughout your body. Inflammation can contribute to atherosclerosis, blood clots, and risk of heart attack. Smoking makes all heart health indicators worse. If you have high cholesterol, high triglycerides, or high blood pressure, smoking magnifies the danger. 
  • Become more physically active. Even moderate exercise can help improve cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. Aerobic exercise seems to be able to stop the sharp rise of triglycerides after eating, perhaps because of a decrease in the amount of triglyceride released by the liver, or because active muscle clears triglycerides out of the blood stream more quickly than inactive muscle. If you haven’t exercised regularly (or at all) for years, I recommend starting slowly, by walking at an easy pace for 15 minutes a day. Then, as you feel more comfortable, increase the amount. Your ultimate goal should be at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, at least five days a week. 
  • Cut way back on alcohol. If you have high triglycerides, alcohol should be considered a rare treat — if you indulge at all, since even small amounts of alcohol can dramatically increase triglyceride levels. 

Feeling inspired? Try putting these tips into practice with some of my favorite heart-healthy recipes. Each one is simple, delicious, and designed to help keep your triglycerides (and your heart!) in check.