How do I Lower Cholesterol with a Low-Fat Diet?

High cholesterol is one of the many potential health risks if you are overweight. Cholesterol can clog up arteries and raise the risk of a stroke or heart attack. Consuming a lot of foods that contain saturated fats is one of the leading causes of high cholesterol in an average adult human being. To reduce cholesterol you have to cut down on food items containing these fats.

Instructions

1

Replace butter and margarine with a healthier option, such as tub spreads. Dairy products in general have high saturated fat, so if you cannot cut them out of your diet, substitute them for lower fat options. Try healthier cheese, such as mozzarella or cottage cheese, and replace whole milk with skim milk.

2

Eat foods that will increase the fiber in your diet such as bread, pasta, cereals, rice, dried beans and peas etc. Also eat five to 10 g a day of oat based foods as they contain soluble fiber which lowers cholesterol. Avoid rich and creamy sauces used with pasta and rice that contain a high amount of saturated fats.

3

Eat more fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables. Avoid fruit stored in cans with syrup. Also cut down on breaded or deep fat fried vegetables.

4

Incorporate seafood into your diet. Certain types of fish---including salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel---contain very healthy types of oils that can lower cholesterol.

5

Avoid meats like bacon, sausage, ribs, ham, mutton, corned beef and organ meats with high fat content. Select leaner meats with less visible fat such as lean beef, venison, pheasant, skinless chicken and turkey etc. Prepare the meat by grilling or broiling to ensure that you are allowing fat and oil to escape and drip off the food.

6

Avoid snacking on guilty pleasures such as chocolate, chips or desserts. These are all made with ingredients that are usually very high in saturated fat.