Keys Score & Diet

The Keys score is a method of describing the lipid (or fat) content of a diet, calculated as 1.35 --- (2 --- % energy from saturated fat - % energy from polyunsaturated fat) + 1.5 --- √ (mg cholesterol /1000 kcal).

The Keys Score

• Butter is a saturated fat. Butter image by Cornelia Pithart from Fotolia.com

  Higher Keys scores are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. These higher scores indicate that you are consuming a diet higher in saturated fatty foods, for example, animal fats, and cholesterol, and lower in polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil.

Saturated Fats

• Low-fat cheese is a healthy option. Cheese and crackers image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com

  Controlling the amount of saturated fats in your diet is vital to lowering your Keys score. Much of our dietary fat comes from red meat and fish. Removing the chicken skin, eating less red meat, choosing fish more often and purchasing low fat milk and cheese are all simple ways to reduce the percentage of saturated fat in our diets.

Healthier Options

• Fresh fruit and vegetables lower your Keys score. fruit and vegetables on a pile studio isolated image by dinostock from Fotolia.com

  Introducing fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet and replacing rich meats and desserts with these will lower your Keys score. Use vegetable or olive oils instead of butter or lard and limit your intake of fried foods. Your risk of heart disease is reduced as your Keys score is lowered.