A suggested diet containing less than 200 mg cholesterol per day, with a polyunsaturate: saturate ratio of 0.9:1 was prepared for young children with familial hypercholesterolemia. A representative meal plan and calculations for a seven-day food intake allow for a practical, economical diet, low in cholesterol and saturated fat, but high in essential nutrients. The diet should provide an efficient approach to early "dietary intervention" in young children with familial hypercholesterolemia with a long-range goal of normalization of plasma cholesterol and β-lipoprotein cholesterol levels.