What are good foods to eat to lower cholesterol? No matter what foods you eat you should eat only enough calories to improve your healthy weight and reduce your cholesterol level. But there are foods that should be avoided. So what kind of foods would be best for you to eat?
Organ meats, egg yolks, full fat dairy products, all fried foods and processed meats are some foods to watch out for. Also foods with trans fats such as margarine, salad dressing and sauces. Read labels to check for foods that have partially hydrogenated oils. You will find this ingredient in numerous packaged foods.
Good foods that are very important in a cholesterol healthy diet are foods high in fiber. Check labels for whole grain breads and cereals. You would be surprised at some of the ingredients you will find listed. Two very basic cereals are oatmeal and shredded wheat. Look at their labels. All you will see is whole oats and whole wheat. Not a lot of junk added.
Some foods high in fiber are oats, rye, barley, fruits, vegetables, dried peas and dried beans. If your LDL is not lowered enough from reducing saturated fat and cholesterol increase the amount of soluble fiber you are getting.
Enjoy a wide variety of foods regularly, including select cuts of meat, poultry, and fish. Keep your choices healthy by choosing chicken and turkey that has the skin removed. Or remove the skin before eating. Select lean cuts of meat. The white “marble” is fat and you will want to avoid meats that are highly marbled. Fish is a really good choice for low saturated fat. Even when choosing the lean cuts of meat it is a good idea to limit your daily intake to 6 ounces or less.
If you want to lower your cholesterol, you will want to cook your own meals more often. This is because many restaurants add lots of fat and salt to their foods in order to cheaply add texture and taste. Convenience foods, of course, are notorious for offering poor nutrition and plenty of fat, salt, and sugar.
This isn’t hard to do, even if you are lost in the kitchen. There are a number of very fast and easy ways to ensure that you can whip up tasty and cholesterol-friendly meals – no matter how harried your schedule:
• If you are very busy and tired at the end of a long day, a salad and sandwich take less time to put together than it takes to phone the pizza parlor. Wrap some veggies in a tortilla, cut more veggies into a salad, and drizzle the salad with olive oil and lemon juice. Use a mashed avocado or salt-free salsa as the “dressing” on your sandwich. Soups and stir-fries are other kitchen friends of busy people who aren’t very handy in the kitchen.
• Keep fresh ingredients on hand and don’t tempt yourself by keeping convenience foods and junk food in your house. This is very important. If it isn’t around you can’t eat it, but if it is there the temptation is just too great. If you have children or husband/wife, this is a great time to teach them nutritious eating.
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