Cooking for Lower Cholesterol

If you have high cholesterol you may want to start with what you are eating. A healthy and smart diet can make huge differences in your cholesterol health. If your worried about it being difficult and hard, don't worry, its not! It's actually quite simple to prepare healthy meals that can help lower your cholesterol. If you're pressed for time, there are a number of ways to make quick, easy meals that are heart healthy and will help you lower your cholesterol.

Salads are one very easy way to make a meal quickly. Pre-washed, bagged salad mix is very quick, but you might consider making your own salad dressing. Many bottled salad dressings are high in cholesterol or trans fat.

You can make your own by mixing olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice with your favorite seasonings. Be sure to avoid eggs, cheese, croutons, bacon, and other fatty meats. You can add meats such as skinless chicken, turkey, and grilled or broiled fish.

Don't forget about fruit salads. You can mix together all kinds of fruits for a delicious and healthful meal. You can try apples, berries, melon chunks, pineapple, grapes, peaches, pears, bananas, mandarin orange slices, mangos, and papaya.

Here are some cooking tips brought to you by The American Heart Association.

Reduce saturated fat in meat and poultry- The American Heart Association recommends eating no more than six ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, fish or seafood a day for people who need 2,000 calories (learn how many calories you need ). Most meats have about the same amount of cholesterol, roughly 70 milligrams in each three-ounce cooked serving (about the size of a deck of cards). But the amount of saturated fat in meats can vary widely, depending on the cut and how it's prepared. Here are some ways to reduce the saturated fat in meat:

• Buy "choice" or "select" grades rather than "prime." Select lean or extra lean ground beef.
• Trim all visible fat from meat before cooking.
• Eat chicken and turkey rather than duck and goose, which are higher in fat.
• Limit processed meats such as sausage, bologna, salami and hot dogs. Many processed meats — even those with "reduced fat" labels — are high in calories and saturated fat. They are often high in sodium as well. Read labels carefully and choose such meats only now and then

Choose seafood at least twice a week- Fish can be fatty or lean, but it's still low in saturated fat. Prepare fish baked, broiled, grilled or boiled rather than breaded and fried.

Cook fresh vegetables the low-fat, low-salt way- Try cooking vegetables in a tiny bit of vegetable oil, adding a little water during cooking if needed, or use a vegetable oil spray.

Substitute egg whites for whole eggs- The cholesterol in eggs is all in the yolks ― without the yolk, egg whites are a heart-healthy source of protein. Many recipes calling for whole eggs come out just as good when you use egg whites or cholesterol-free egg substitute instead of whole eggs. Replace each whole egg with two egg whites. For baking, you may want to add a tablespoon or less of liquid vegetable oil such as canola, safflower, sunflower or soybean for a moister consistency.

If you are interested in more ways to help lowering your cholesterol, Click Here for great recipe ideas : Featured Recipe