According to the University of Utah Health Services Center, low cholestrol foods are available that can be incorporated into any recipe or diet plan. These foods contain good cholestrol amounts, but are low in saturated fats.
Thanks to extensive research, scientists have found a way to create a diet to lower cholestrol by reducing margarine consumption, not butter and eggs as originally thought. A meal or recipe that does not incorporate processed/refined foods, as well as trans/hydrogenated oils and fats are far more beneficial.
The important criteria when cooking recipes is to find ones that lower bad LDL cholestrol, but increase good HDL cholestrol. LDL that attaches to artery walls acts like plaque does on teeth. It can partially or completely block not only arteries, but veins and capillaries, limiting or halting blood flow to body cells, organs and most importantly the heart and brain. Such build up can result in heart attacks and strokes.
With labels on food packages giving more information than ever before about the nutrients, carbohydrates and cholestrol they contain, it is getting easier to eat the foods we like without the high risk of heart disease or stroke. The following is a list, based on the four food groups, of healthy, low cholestrol foods:
Meat, fish, poultry and meat alternatives:
(2 to 3 servings daily of a maximum of 6 oz. per serving)
Beef - sirloin, loin, chuck
Eggs - organic or free-range, cholesterol-free substitute
Fish and shellfish - white, pink, red, grey (fresh or water packed only)
Lamb - leg, rib, loin, arm
Legumes - peas, beans, lentils, etc.
Pork - leg, shoulder, tenderloin
Poultry - chicken, turkey, and game birds (white or light meat only, and no skin)
Veal - all types, fat cut off
Dairy products:
(2-3 servings per day - 6 oz. milk or yogurt, or 1 matchbox size of cheese)
Milk - low-fat, 1%, 2%, no-fat, skim, low-fat evaporated, low-fat powdered or low-fat buttermilk
Yogurt - low-fat
Cheeses (soft) - low-fat cottage or farmer; part-skim ricotta, mozzarella
Cream cheese - light or low-fat
Sour cream - light or low-fat
Ice cream - low-fat
Breads, cereals, rice, pasta:
(6-11 servings daily of whole wheat, vegetable, Omega 3, fiber2c, or low-cholestrol varieties)
Bread - pita, pumpernickel, rye, whole wheat
Rice cakes
English muffins - whole wheat
Crackers - low-fat, matzo, rye crisp breads, saltines, zwieback
Cereals - low-fat, low cholestrol, low sugar, low sodium
Pasta - any type
Rice - basmati, Thai, very long grain, wild
Fruits and vegetables:
(3 to 10 servings daily of green, orange, yellow, red and dark green vegetables and varied fruit and juices)
Any vegetable - low-sodium canned, fresh, frozen, dried
Any fruit - low-sodium, canned, fresh, frozen, dried
Other foods:
Oils - (6-8 oz maximum daily) unsaturated corn, extra virgin olive, peanut, canola oil, safflower, sesame, soybean
The following foods should be avoided or kept to a minimum as they contain a fair amount of saturated fats and too high a concentration of LDL cholestrol:
All candies, cakes, soft drinks and sweet snacks
Animal fats - all types, lard
beef - corned, regular ground, short ribs, brisket
caviar - all types
cereals - high sugar, high saturated fat, granola
cheese - Neufchatel, Swiss, Brie, Mozzarella, Cheddar, American, Feta, processed, full chocolate
cream, full cream ricotta, Muenster
cream - most regular, and non-dairy
duck
ice cream - full cream
goose
luncheon meats - regular
most snack crackers - cheese, butter
organ meats - liver, sweetbreads, kidney, brain
pasta dinners - cheese sauces, cream sauces, butter sauces; egg noodles
popcorn - buttered
pork - blade roll, spare ribs, bacon
potato chips
rice dinners - cheese sauces, cream sauces, butter sauces
sausages - most varieties, including wieners and frankfurters
sour cream - full fat
vegetable dishes - buttered, with cream, with gravy, or with fatty sauces
yogurt - full fat
