Are you struggling with your cholesterol and do not know what to eat? Do not worry. You can eat plenty once you know what you can eat. Here is a helpful guide for making sure that you eat low cholesterol foods:
Fresh Fruits. According to articlebase.com, you want to skip the juice and choose fresh fruits with skins included because it helps with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is the bad cholesterol, so break out the apples and pears for some healthy eating.
Dried Fruits. If you are looking for something to satisfy a sugar craving, then dried fruits will do the job because dried fruit holds a high sugar concentration, but no cholesterol.
Vegetables. According to womenfitness.net, you can load up on the vegetables because these hold no cholesterol and help keep away plaque buildup. If you are thinking Yuck!, right now, think again. You likely eat these vegetables in many of your daily meals without even thinking about it. If you eat onions and potatoes with skins on them, then these 2 vegetables fall in the no cholesterol category. The trick is not to add cholesterol (like butter or cheese) to these foods.
Beans. Not only are beans cholesterol free, but they also help lower your LDL cholesterol according to abcnews.go.com. So, break out the pinto beans, black-eyed peas, and lentils to help with your cholesterol levels, but refrain from adding cholesterol seasonings such as bacon.
Whole grains. You probably like breads, so make sure that you eat whole grain breads and pastas, as well as brown rice. Whole grain choices increase your fiber intake and helps wash away the bad stuff in your system.
Poultry. While poultry does have some cholesterol because it is an animal food, it does hold lower cholesterol, especially when you remove the skin.
Fish. Besides being low in cholesterol, fish is also low in saturated fat, according to womenfitness.net. As well, Salmon, tuna, and mackerel are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for you. Be careful not to consume too much mackerel, though, due to its high mercury content.
Shellfish. Are you a shellfish lover? If you are, then do not worry. You can still eat shellfish, according to Yale-New Haven Hospital’s nutrition advisor. While shellfish is low in fat, it does hold some cholesterol, but you can still enjoy your shrimp and lobster if you control your portions. In short, do not eat shellfish more than once or twice per week.
Popcorn. According to dietbites.com, popcorn is completely cholesterol free, so you can eat popcorn until your tummy is content. Do not spoil the cholesterol free content, though, by adding butter to this snack.
Sherbet. Sherbert or sorbet is low in cholesterol because it holds less (or none) of the dairy products that traditional ice cream holds. You need to be aware, though, that these frozen treats do contain high sugar content.
Sources
abcnews.go.com
articlebase.com
Dietbites.com
womenfitness.net
ynhh.org
