*2.3. Assessment of Healthy Diet Index (HDI) Score*

Diet quality was determined by scoring the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI), which was in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) dietary guidelines [18] and described in Fransen et al. [30]. HDI is based on six components—intake of saturated fatty acids (% total energy, %TE), intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids (%TE), dietary cholesterol (mg/d), dietary protein (%TE), fiber (g/d), and free sugars (%TE)—and fruits and vegetables (g/d), within the recommended range [31]. The final HDI score was the sum of all components, ranging from zero (minimal compliance with recommendations) to seven (maximum compliance with recommendations).

#### *2.4. Assessment of Dietary Phytosterol Intake and the Intake of Plant Sterols from Enriched Margarine*

Phytosterol intake was calculated as previously described using a developed database [12]. Total and individual phytosterol intakes were determined by multiplying the daily intake of each food by the total and individual phytosterol content of that food, respectively. Dietary recalls were reviewed by checking for consumption of phytosterol-enriched products. Based on the dietary history it was found that among the products enriched with phytosterols, only phytosterol-enriched margarine was consumed by 1.96% of men and 1.85% of women [12]. Manufacturers were identified and asked to report the plant sterol content of their products.
